“In the face of our inevitable mortality we can do one of two things. We can attempt to avoid the thought at all costs, clinging to the illusion that we have all the time in the world. Or we can confront this reality, accept and even embrace it, converting our consciousness of death into something positive and active. In adopting such a fearless philosophy, we gain a sense of proportion, become able to separate what is truly important. Knowing our days are numbered, we have a sense of urgency and mission. We can appreciate life all the more for its impermanence. If we can overcome the fear of Death, then there is nothing left to fear.”

Source: Robert Greene and 50 Cent’s 50th Law

Hi Melchi,

I just ordered The Jesus Driven Life yesterday coincidentally. Hardin is a Girardian so his views dovetail nicely with Kate’s atonement thread. I’ll keep an eye out for good quotes. Great idea for a thread!

I think the best bet for me would be agnosticism. I don’t know if I’m going to live forever or not. I just want to live now. Not knowing what’s on the other side keeps me motivated to live now. - Cole

Thanks; Yeah, Girard and Wink have both been influential for him apparently. I know those are folks that Richard Beck has picked up on as well. Hardin says (in comments on Pete Enns’ blog) that he’s agnostic about universalism, but he hopes so!

Here’s a better one:

Studying all this philosophy and theology just confuses me. I think the best bet for me is agnosticism. I don’t know if I’m going to live forever or not. I just want to live now. Not knowing what’s on the other side keeps me motivated to live now. - Cole

Yes, his posts recently on Peter Enns’s blog are what made me buy the book. I’ve read Richard Beck’s posts about Wink but they haven’t “grabbed me.” Not sure why… The more I read about Girard and his theory, though, the more I want to know… Being a very “Christocentric” Christian already, what Hardin presents is immensely appealing prima facie.

I sometimes encounter that with Beck. Sometimes he hits me right between the eyes, and other times; meh. But I really like his stuff overall.

Respect Melchi’s reason for creating the thread, please. This thread is not for people to quote themselves saying whatever happens to be going through their own minds at the moment. Especially if they have a habit of changing their opinions radically every few days. Further examples will be deleted forthwith whenever an ad/mod gets around to it. TEST ME ON THIS AT YOUR PERIL! – Jason Pratt (actual resident smart person)

Re the last para of Mel’s opening quote the the two faces (Jason) picture of the church. Yes I would love to pick up the quote and drop it here but I have not yet found out how to do it on my Ipad. Anyway, it had me thinking about poor old Jew Fagin in Oliver Twist. Having been brought to court for his sins and found guilty the judge taunts him to reject his Hebrew God and accept Jesus as his saviour. He declines and the evil judge condemns him to hang. I recall this from the film rather than the book. Charles Dickens was surly a man who changed public opinion for good in his time! It might take time but changing the false Jason like view of God which has been with us for so long is a worthy objective to keep working on.

Do you mean Janus? Last time I checked, Jason Pratt only has one face!

Many a slip etc

Jason used to think God ought to zorch the bad boys – I’ve read him saying so.

Doubts are the messengers of the Living One to the honest. They are the first knock at our door of things that are not yet, but have to be, understood. . . . Doubts must precede every deeper assurance; for uncertainties are what we first see when we look into a region hitherto unknown, unexplored, unannexed. —George MacDonald

"Annihilation itself is no death to evil. Only good where evil was, is evil dead. "— George MacDonald

From all copies of Jonathan Edwards‘ portrait of God, however faded by time, however softened by the use of less glaring pigments, I turn with loathing. —George MacDonald (1824-1905 ) Unspoken Sermons III, “Justice” final paragraph

The first thing to know is to know Jesus as a man, and any theory about him that makes less of him as a man — with the … notion of exalting his divinity — I refuse at once…—George MacDonald, Letter to his father, May 20, 1853

The richer the cheese, the more the maggots.—George MacDonald, The Tutor’s First Love, ch. 8, p. 35

“To say that God’s goodness may be different in kind from man’s goodness, what is it but saying, with a slight change of phraseology,
that God may possibly not be good?” ~John Stuart Mill

GOD SAID IT.
I INTERPETED IT.
THAT DOESN’T EXACTLY SETTLE IT! —(Author Unknown)

Most excellent quotes, Don!

I still do. Just, y’know, modified.

‘The fundamental principle of ethics may be formulated as follows: act so as to conquer death and affirm everywhere, in everything and in relation to everything, eternal and immortal life.’ Nicolas Berdyaev

Just had to throw this recent excellent post from Rebecca Trotter in here.

theupsidedownworld.com/2013/01/0 … kled-ears/

That was an excellent post - I’d not heard of her.

She comes up with some real gems. Surprised she doesn’t have a wider readership, actually. I also have really enjoyed her post titled “unconditional love causes death”.

The Greek Stoic philosopher, Epictetus; “What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows.”