• When Blizzard entertainment developed the later Warcraft universe, I’m seriously doubting that the storyline was intended to provide a useful expression of the doctrine of man, but in the character of Sylvanus Windrunner, that’s precisely what they did. (And no, this is not just an excuse for me to be all geeky about elf girls)

    Allow me to explain. In the early Undead campaign of Warcraft III, the evil undead prince Arthas invades the Elven kingdoms, which are defended by the stalwart and powerful elven ranger Sylvanas Windrunner. She fights nobly, but at the end is overcome by the undead scourge under Arthas’ command. Rather than kill the defeated Ranger, Arthas turns her into another undead minion.

    By the time of the expansion set, Sylvannus manages to wrest control of some undead away from Arthas and creates her own kingdom known as the Forsaken. However, while she was once noble, she slowly gives into the dark corruption to which she was originally a victim. The result is that she becomes quite evil in her own right. She thus becomes both victim and perpetrator of the evil corruption she once stood in opposition to. By the time of the World of Warcraft, the now Queen of the Forsaken remembers (and is tortured by) her past even as she tries to pretend she has advanced over her original life as an elf.

    That, in a nutshell, is the doctrine of the fall of man. Originally we as a people were created good, in the very image of God (see Genesis 1). Yet the first battle we faced against the enemy of our souls ended in defeat. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, succumbed to evil. Unfortunately, the corruption of sin passed from them to their children,

    Unlike a simple disease, sin not only victimized us, but corrupted us, so that we began to desire to perform evil things. We were born in sin, and that sin made us rebellious to God. We thus now both choose evil and are victims of evil.

    This is why it’s a strange thing that people talk about God sending “innocents” to hell. Indeed, he does send people to hell, but they are, like all of us, tainted with the sin that is not only our “brokenness”, but causes us to desire to break things. In essence, there are no “innocent” people among us, because we all bear the corruption. There are no innocents. We are all people who await only our opportunity to rebel against God, and since God can see the heart, He knows this. We are all quite literally dead in sin; as Sylvanus Windrunner is dead in the corruption of undeath.

    538px-sylvanashelf.jpgss320.jpg

  • Science (?): Guys with deep voices have more kids (they are apparently more attractive too).

    Politics: Danny Williams (Premier of my province) hopes to double the population of Newfoundland. Oh the fun of elections.

    Blogs: Here’s why I’m a bad blogger (I don’t write every day)

    Rant: Man this Driscoll guy can rant.

  • Worship: John Stackhouse explains why he is not in love with Jesus.

    Culture: Referring to Diana West’s new book, Albert Mohler opinies about the extension of adolesence.

    More Culture: Canada recieves applications to start Sharia-law banks.

    Protest: The military junta is facing religious opposition. Buddhist monks are protesting for the 7th straight day

  • Church and State: When development and religious belief collide.

    Law: Need cash? Sue Google!

    Politics: Interesting how this kind of  report gets released just before an election, no?

    Pastoral Work: How to maximize study time as a pastor (Yes, it is necessary).

  • As anybody reading this has noticed, I’ve taken a week off of writing here for some reason or other. At the beginning of the break, I didn’t know why I was doing it, only that I should.

    In that time I’ve spent some time looking into my own motivations for things, which could easilly be considered navel gazing, save that I think I may have been going a very wrong direction in my posts and in my argumentation. Now, this doesn’t mean I’ve come to believe that atheism or the lack of spiritual discipline in the Churches is any less incorrect, or that my opposition to them was wrong.

    The problem was more one of why I was  writing. Namely, to show off my own intellect and ability rather than talk about the Glory of God in Jesus Christ in all of this. I was happy to play language and rhetoric games rather than actually get around to talking about why Jesus is so valuable, and so compelling even to a semi-educated guy in the early 21st century.

    My posts of late, as I read them, drip more of bitterness and self righteousness than speaking of the beauty of what God has done through Jesus. I was happy to tell the bad news, without telling the good news.

    I hope that you, the few readers that remain, will forgive me for that.

    I pray that in the future, even as I comment about the negatives in the world, that I will tell you even more about the great hope I have despite all of that. I believe that in all the suffering and negatives around, God is working a glorious redemption in those who will just accept him, and believe on him rather than just his gifts. That, contrary to what we see, there will be a glorious ending in which all these things will culminate in something good, and that none of our suffering will be wasted.

    Soli Deo Gloria