An Independence Day Reflection

“Freedom, then, is not an abstract question. It deals with human existence in a world of societal enslavement. We cannot solve the question of freedom in a college, classroom, theoretically debating the idea of “freedom versus determinism.” Freedom is an existential reality. It is not a matter of rational thought but of human confrontation.” James Cone, p. 89, A Black Theology of Liberation.

Liberation for the world (if you want to learn more about liberation theology, other than what Fox News tells us it is):

My favorite, J. Deotis Roberts

Boff

Gustavo

Sola Trinitas

Cage Stage?

What is the cage stage? According to many Calvinist theologians, the cage stage is that short period of time when young Christians decided to become Calvinists and rather more aggressively try to convert their friends to their positions. I, unfortunately, once went through this stage, but once I got out of it, I also left Calvinism. Hyper-Calvinism, in particular, is a heresy. While the Bible says that Jesus died for the whole world, Hyper-Calvinists still insist that Jesus only died for the frozen chosen. These brand of Calvinists would prefer to abrogate the word of God, Scripture, by exclusively reading their man-made tradition into the text. The cage stage is a particularly unique phenomena because it gives license for believers to remain bitter towards those who do not agree with them. The cage stage is another excuse to live in the flesh because the Bible says that a true Christian will be like this:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

I am a Christian, and I am not perfect, but at the same time, I believe that Scripture does not give Christians, at any point in their walk, (even out of zealotry) to remain angry.

Sola Trinitas