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Showing posts from December, 2010

Missionary Deconverted to Atheism: Epistemic Issues

Just went through a few videos on YouTube that relate stories of how Daniel Everett, a Linguistics professor and former Christian missionary  to the Piraha tribe of Brazil, got deconverted after reflecting on their worldview. Below is the BBC reading from his book Don't Sleep There are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr3q6Cid1po?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360] An excerpt from his lecture explaining the metaphysics and epistemics of Piraha culture : [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKb7bNMQ9Ao?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360] Now to the Epistemic Issues: 1. I hold no reserves with regard to this first premise that a missionary is always going to be in danger if his connection with the supernatural is not proper. I intend no accusation. But, Jesus made it clear to the disciples not to venture out till they were baptized with the Spirit. If I'm not so sure of my position, I have no rights t

Academics, Politics, and the Gospel

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"not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing" (1 Cor.2:6). Two great forces control the modern world: the University and the Parliament (to put it the other way, the school and the scepter). How credulously falls the world before the sublimity of the educated; how feebly it creeps before the iron-fist of the rulers! But, the world has God universally despised and denied. To many the God-idea is outdated. But, then, how long shall the world-ideas last?? When Paul was writing his epistle to the Corinthians (around AD  57), Nero , "the emperor who fiddled while (later) Rome burned", held the reins of the Great Roman Empire . He was forced to commit suicide on June 7, AD 68. A few days before his arrival at Corinth (sometime between 50-52), Paul had been at Athens, the ancient capital of philosophy, and had talks with the Stoics and the Epicureans . They had taken him to Mar's Hill from where he preached his famous sermon