Crazy Theological Thoughts

"I would be unevangelical and contrary to the teachings of the Lutheran Church if a candidate for ministry would insist that he can accept a call to a congregation only under the condition that the congregation retain all the ceremonies and customs which have ever been observed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church (statues, church holidays, organs, chanting the liturgy; in connection with baptism:    a pplying the water three times, making the sign of the cross, using the chrisom-cloth, the renunciation, the exorcism, the confession of faith by the sponsors; in connection with the Lord's Supper: unleaven bread, wafers, altar, not breaking the bread, passing the bread and wine to the mouth of the communicant while he is kneeling; vestments, private confession, bowing the head when the name of Jesus is spoken, the pericopal system, crucifix and candles, the divisions of the commandments into two tables, with three on one and seven on the other, etc.). The case might, however, aris...

I swear on my mother's grave that I did not catch a ball today!  I swear on the bible that I will do my best not to kill anyone today!  I swear on my sweaty sox that I did not exercise yet today!  Do any of these actually have any meaning?  What do I actually lose if I told a lie? If I really take these words seriously, I could lose a lot.  In the first case since my mother is not dead, I have offered you to kill my mother if I lied.  In the second case since the bible is just a book, I lost some random book in my library.  But if I actually believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and source of the witness for Jesus Christ my savior, I offer my source of salvation and faith if I am wrong.  In the third case since I do own sweaty sox, I offer those sox for anyone to take if I have lied. For someone to swear on the bible it is no different than swearing on the Koran, Kama Sutra, or some other book.  It only makes a difference if that ...

What makes a marriage valid?  How does God view the Married?  If my foundation is Genesis, Adam and Eve were married because God created them in that status.  Abraham and Sarah were given to each other in order to have children.  Sarah tries this by giving her Husband to Hagar for marriage.  Jacob was tricked into sleeping with Leah and they were thus married.  Bilhah and Zilpah are later given to Jacob as wives through sexual relations. In the Old Testament what is the distinction between Solomons wives and concubines?  Most people believe he still had sexual relations with his concubines.  Likewise most people believe David had sexual relations with Abishag.  But does the text actual say that? In the New Testament, St Paul tells us Marriage is to help squelch our sexual urges.  Thus, married people may remain apart for time but must come together soon after so not allow Satan to grab hold of them. Marriage in the eyes of the Stat...