Random observations that may add up to a blog post

Some of Ray's addlepated assertions have been known to stick in my memory for, oh, minutes. Others survive for months.

Like this one, from his May 16 2008 post, “How do you know you have the right God?”:

....There are many religions and many ways that are said to lead to God, so how do we know that we have the right one? There are ancient Greek and Roman gods. There is the Aztec god. There’s the god of the Mormons. He lives on a distant planet with a number of wives, making spirit babies to populate other planets, and we can become gods like him if we do what the Mormon religion requires. Then there is the buffet god--the god of Oprah. You pick and choose what you like from all the religions, and then create a god in your own image, one that suits you....

Well, ho-hum. Isn't this what all believers do? Or, wait. Is Ray claiming that Xians have the stones to cleave unto a deity that they dislike? If this is true, then, wow. Mad propz. It's like being a mafioso – of course everybody hates and fears the capo, but they pay homage to him nonetheless. They had better.

Then there's the March 11, 2008 post “How to Boost Your Ego” where Ray recommends cheating to score a point when playing along with TV game shows.

If you want to boost your ego a little, watch the television program “Jeopardy” using TIVO. When a question is asked, put the TV on “pause,” and that gives you as much time as you want to think about your answer....

First: Ray, that's not ego. That's vanity. Any dictionary can explain the difference.

Second: 'S'funny. For years, I've been playing along with Jeopardy! and getting my vanity boosts via a three-step process consisting of:

1) knowing the correct answer,

2) blurting it out first, and,

3) always remembering to give the answer in the form of a question.

Example:  

ALEX TREBEK: In the category, Christian Apologists: He has been described as the lamest one in America.

CONTESTANT: Who is Ray bleeeep Comfort?

ALEX TREBEK: That is correct. We also would have accepted, “Who is Kirk bloooop Cameron? or "Does Todd squaawwkk Friel's mother know what he does for a living?”
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Warning: For this next one, you may want to dial back the sensitivity on your irony meter. I refer to the January 8, 2008 post, “Dying Dog“:

There is a temporary disadvantage for the Christian in that he or she is confined to having to always speak the truth. In a sense, we have to fight with one hand tied behind our backs. However, there are no holes barred (sic) for those that don’t fear God. Their weapons of warfare are lies, exaggerations, statements made out of context, hearsay, rabbit trails, misquotes, and false accusations. The unsaved fight against the claims of the Gospel because they love their sin and distain (sic) God's righteousness. They are a like a dying dog stuck in an ice cold river, who viciously snaps at his rescuer. Let them bite . . . we will still reach out while there is hope.

Didja catch that? Ray solemnly asserts that Xians are HANDICAPPED because they must tell the truth, while atheists can simply make stuff up.

Huh. If I thought I had the Absolute Eternal Truth (pause while trumpets blare), I would consider that a great asset, not a liability.  

Then again, if Ray actually has such a thing in his possession then why is he keeping it hidden? A man who knows The Real Deal (pause while kazoo plays off-key) should have much better arguments. I'm just sayin'.

As for atheists makin' stuff up, I refer you to the “Ego Boost” observation above: If I have truth (or even just a reasonable argument) on my side, then why would I stoop to lying? Just to score a point?  

No. I'm nothing special, just an ordinary person with an ordinary person's measure of self-respect; but even that is too much self-respect to let me get my jollies that way.

Good Christians, however, have been known to use that old argument. You know, the one about how the ends justify the means:

"What harm would it do, if a man told a good strong lie for the sake of the good and for the Christian church...a lie out of necessity, a useful lie, a helpful lie..., such lies would not be against God, he would accept them." (Martin Luther)

(From John Mark Ministries, here's the page)

I wonder where old Marty learned that one.  It sounds kinda familiar.