Free Methodist Medical Fellowship

JOHN PATRICK ADDRESSED CONSULTATION 2004

One must be particularly careful in the secular university in how one talks about ones faith the first 3 years until tenure is achieved so that one will be able to minister there for the next twenty years with tenure. Serious students need to learn to always ask a question, even a retorical question rather than make a statement concering issues that matter. JP considers 5 issues to prepare each student to answer well before attending a secular university. He noted Inerancy is a non-issue.

He also suggested there are 9 questions one should be prepared to ask (not further discussed this eve but www.johnpatrick.ca has more than 9 questions to discuss it appears.). There is no such thing as a politically incorrect question.

The five issues as I recorded them:

1) Homosexuality is just another form of sexuality

Jeffrey Satinover Homomsexuality and the Politics of Truth, Pub. Baker

2) I am intolerant

Peter Kreeft writes various dialogues with Socrates Pub. IVP and Ignatious Press

(somewhat after the spirit of C.S. Lewis)

3) Moral Relativism doesn't stand up. (It is taught but not defended well by those who teach it.)

Robert George, The Clash of Orthodoxies,

4) Antimulticulturalism (he stated no person is multicultural)

5) Sanctity of Life

Christian Medical and Dental Associan tape presented before Christian audience by JP, $1 in bulk

scott@maclaurin.org $5 tape before a secular audience

Also check out

"The Revenge of Conscience" by Budzediszewski at "First Things" (on line)

Wendall Berry writes genuine stories tat are deeply christian (presented as the social history of Port ___, Ky)

Michael Novak

Other things to checkout from earlier lectures

The Closing of the American Mind by Alan Bloom has a good first chapter on the empty slate.

The church no longer discusses sin.

6 explanations of our world that keep a culture going:

1) Evil Spirits,

2) Jewish,

3) Islam,

4) Christian,

These 3 have Creation separate from God, story of the fall

5)Hindu,

6) Buddha

These 2 have Creation is a part of God

Post Christian Heresies

Marxism--denial of Sin. (Social structure is the problem)

Market Capitalism

Feeling over thought--"What We Can't Not Know" Bedzediszewski at "First Things"

Barbarians can't tell stories of culture-->How do you start the Sermon on the Mount? (memorize Beatitudes)

We are nice instead of passionate

(Thinking) people become Protestant from Catholic for the gospel not being shared and vice versa due to content issues. (Praise Choruses are a result of illiteracy he alledges.)

First Things "Christ in Nothing" --we have trivial conversations.

The early Christian church grew by taking in the exposed infants the secular culture did not want. Our response to the AIDS orphan crisis should be adoption. (This is happening in some of our African churches.)

Toynbee(SP?) Skism of Soul leading to moral suicide, culture decline, growing sense of abandon, decreased respect for law, escapism into private world(addictions) rather than confront, Drift, determinism, Guilt&Self loathing, general promiscuity(both intellectual and sexual).

Any society that kills its young is not tolerated by God.

Use 4 levels of happiness for Pre-Evangelism--see later notes

Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

Disciplines required to Christian character development

Beatitudes

Christian function is Salt & Light; preserve and clean society.

The Sermon on the Mount tends to bring one back to its begining.

Repentance is a discription of what coming to God is like (Cornelius Acts 11?)

Without confession of Sin one doesn't come into the presence of God

other resources Janet Smith (onemoresoul.com)

johnpatrick.ca

Sunday AM Gleanings:

THE GRAVEDIGGER FILE is a rework of THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS

The SCANDAL OF THE EVANGELICAL MIND by Mark Noll is good reading. Consider that the university is a 13th century invention of the Christian (culture) but was given away in less than 100 years possibly when rigid dispensational theology forbade certain questions resulting in a decline in intellectualism. Darwinism not being discussable in the Christian University is a problem to intellectualism. Also there is a culture of Narcicism.

(Some feel one hour of home school is close to one day of public school.)

Consider in pre-evangelism since modern man may not be aware of his need to repent the four levels of happiness (the first 3 have an unhappy reflection). See Robert Spitzer's deeper version if interested..

1) Animal happiness

Food, sex.

Unhappiness 1 is seen in boring, perverted sex and eating disorders.

2) Happiness of the mind

At times the persuit of ideas overrides the fisrt level.

Unhappiness II comes with feeling overriding truth. Anxiety and questioning of competence arise.

Information is prominent in the modern university, but that needs to lead on to knowledge and wisdom.

Also note that John Milton said when there is a desire to learn...there will be multiple opinions. So expect disagreements in an intellectual society.

3) Need to be needed

Parenting, for physician particularly successful patient care.

Unhappiness III is retirement or an empty nest.

4) Knowing God

Introduce this with happiness 4 stories as Diane Kompf.

(see Hosea 6:3)