Since I did receive one (and only one complaint) this week that I post too many pictures of half naked women, I have decided to give you this one of an all naked man to make up for it. He even is showing you his sword but perhaps not the sword you ladies were hoping for. I am sure there is a picture of the other side of this statue on the internet somewhere (it is a public statue) so you can probably find it with a little effort. In any case I hope you appreciate my desire to bring this picture forth in the interest of fairness. You’re welcome.
The whole incident that caused my to change my policy regarding Facebook I will leave for The Rabyd Writer’s Soul tomorrow, just suffice it to say I had to open up a separate page for Facebook for my writing thoughts and All Things Rabyd so you can follow me there if you use Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/EdRaby71 will take you there so all of you can follow me on Facebook. I actually find that easier to use for dialogue and answering questions so it is not a bad thing on the communication front and perhaps some of you can help me make up the loss of 250 plus followers although I do have 14-15 back at this time. No biggie actually because I have never written for the purpose of building a follower base.
The real thing is that the discussion on nudity in the context of art was not the most frustrating thing of the blow up but something that one of the ‘concerned’ folks put in at the end.
Actually I stopped reading your blog years ago because some of your theology is anything but orthodox, it had nothing to do with your nude images.
It is this word ‘orthodox’ that caught my attention. Why? Because it was coming from a Protestant and it actually amused me for a second until I suddenly realized she was dead serious and then it made me sad. I wanted to reply “Yes, and orthodoxy is always right and true and always lines up with the Bible (waves sarcasm flag)” but I didn’t. At that point I wanted to end the nonsense and I decided to put a brake on my fingers and not post a thing and end it. It did however cause me to think about the greatest obstacle to changing thought on belief and in particular when that belief is about what people think the Bible says simply becomes traditional instead of the product of continued and renewed study of the Scriptures. What happens when the noble Bereans no longer exist?
For the record the definition of orthodoxy is:
authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice:
and orthodox is:
(of a person or their views, especially religious or political ones, or other beliefs or practices) conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true; established and approved:
Note some key parts of these two definitions. Words like ‘generally accepted’ (read ‘popular with the masses’), ‘conforming’ ( yes conformity is always a good thing – sarcasm flag again) to what is traditionally’ accepted as right and true. Accepted, not proven. Make a note.
Just because something is generally accepted as true does not make it so. If Protestants wanted to stay in that camp, Martin Luther would have never nailed his 95 thesis to the Wittenberg Gate. That fact that Protestants now use the word about what they generally accept as true is somewhat alarming. The whole point of the Protestant Reformation was that orthodoxy was crap and we needed a different way to look Christian faith. This also connotes that something is authoritatively true because an authority said it was true. If we believed that as Protestants we would never have left the Roman Catholic Church either.
I will have to say this commenter on Facebook was right, this blog and my opinions on it are never going to be orthodox because as a Biblical Theologian I have to challenge what is accepted as true according to people’s interpretations no matter how popular it is to believe. I must challenge what is accepted as true and try the best I can to PROVE what is true BIBLICALLY. Popular acceptance be damned to hell and may it forever stay there. If being a Christian meant conforming to accepted or authoritative doctrine of either the Catholic or Protestant variety of any kind, I would be doomed to be a Non-Christian. Some of my changes from what is accepted and traditionally considered correct doctrine and theology to what I now believe saved my faith, so I must say this challenging of what is accepted has done men nothing but personal good as regards my salvation and my faith.
Sorry for the semi-rant feeling to this post. However, I think I am actually far more in the spirit of the Reformation than many protestants these days who accept orthodox protestant faith like it is somehow less fallible than that of Catholic orthodoxy. IT IS NOT.
Once again sorry for the slightly over the top tone but sometimes you just have to stand naked with a your sword and face the dragons.
🙂
Blessings and Cheers!!!