Christians and Computers

"Plain and Simple Computer Help" has been moved here.

What is this? A website devoted to Christian teaching, with a special emphasis on application. You'll find theology, Bible History, some occasional apologetics, but mostly an examination of life today in light of Scripture.

The viewpoint is, in general, Reformed Protestant. Beyond that, it may be hard to pin things down as coming from any particular bias. That's the reason for the generic site name. We find our positions are often hard to define, not easily pidgeon-holed. Sometimes we don't believe there are any hard answers, and we are content to leave issues in an unresolved and fuzzy state. Providing a statement of faith would probably be a waste of your time.

Tribulation Is Coming

Christian Manual for Tribulation -- That we are facing difficult times is hardly in dispute. What we can and should do about it offers numerous opportunities for debate. I propose we should return to simpler and more biblical model of Christian living in world about to go crazy. This is a series of studies looking at what I believe is wrong, and how we can do better, with an eye to preparing for tribulation.

The Secular Birth of the US -- One of the most pernicious heresies of modern America is the notion that the US is somehow in a special covenant with God.

Anatomy of Confession -- What does it mean to "confess"?

"Be Ye Separate" -- How far do we go in promoting unity and at what cost?

Bordering Reality -- In all the crazy conspiracy theories regarding a New World Order, there is a kernel of truth. This outlines my best estimate of what's real, and what you can do about it.

Convictions -- Everyone should seek to know those beliefs which are built deep into the soul, the bedrock of who and what we are. Here's mine.

Christians and Human Government -- There are certain immutable realities in the mere act of governing in a fallen world. We see these unchangeable tendencies, by observing the sweep of human history, and realize Christians in government can hardly change the nature of the beast.

Christian Dating -- I suppose just about every preacher has his own lessons on teenagers and dating. These are mine.

Christian Romance -- How is romantic love different under Christ?

A Christian Violent Response -- The world assumes Christians are supposed to espouse non-violence. For the most part, we do. Christ calls us to absorb acts of violent persecution without responding in kind. However, simplistic rules can fail to offer a truly Christlike response in some rare cases.

Courting -- "Dating" for adults implies mere social activity. Christian romance has a more focussed intent, and is often distinguished by the term "courting."

Corporate Rule -- The path to a one world government is paved with corporate profits.

Ed's Testimony -- The story of how Ed became a Christian.

Emotions: Pro and Con -- What part should our feelings play in our spiritual lives?

Ethical Computing -- How to glorify Christ by how you use your computer.

Independent Partisan -- Good reasons for divorcing oneself from any political party affiliation.

E-Missions -- An examination of applying the concept of "the Lord's will" to such issues as choosing computers and software.

Hating Middle Class -- There is little to be gained by noting the sins of the Middle Classes if we do nothing to offer God's remedy.

Making Noah Work -- The Covenant of Noah establishes fundamental requirements for human government in fallen world. The covenant assumes nothing of the spiritual condition of the people involved, but lays out a requirement for earthly conduct for an earthly blessing. The Covenent of Moses builds on this by modeling a specific example of what Noah looks like. Further, it amplifies the underlying requirements of Noah in ways applicable even today, if we but chose to discern what elements in Moses are universal, and which are unique to Ancient Israel.

A New Reformation -- This is a new challenge to churches and religious institutions to consider changes which bring us back closer to the Bible.

Nature of Sin and Temptation -- We examine Scripture, from Genesis to 1 John, and see a distinct pattern describing the nature of temptation shows up.

No Whining -- What stands in the way of total surrender? Maybe it's something that blocks even a moderate surrender to Jesus' Lordship.

Omnisexual -- Too often we miss the real issue in our pursuit of public policy debate. The Bible was based on a wholly different concept of human sexuality than prevails in the West today.

Oppression in Modern America -- Government oppression is not simply something that happens in other places. Nor is it merely the catch-phrase of whining political hucksters seeking to divide the US. This nation is already deeply and truly divided -- between citizens and unaccountable government employees. My own case provides anecdotal evidence.

Political Church -- A comedy of errors the modern Evangelical churches make regarding political involvement.

The Powers That Be -- It comes as no surprise to Christians Satan has a hankering to rule this world. He has plenty of willing help, and we take a look at who some of these might be today.

Resistance Theology -- How far can we go in resisting tyranny without sinning? Not as far as most would like to believe.

Seventy Times Seven -- This is an example of how we can so badly twist the Word by forcing our worldly rationalist viewpoint on a spiritual-mystical body of literature, which the Old Testament is.

Sex, Pornography and Children -- Major taboo topic. We can't ignore it, nor can we afford to let the world make decisions for us on this.

Simplified Theory and Theology of Government -- What is a proper Christian view of government? What constitutes a government that Christians can support biblically?

Summary of Contention -- I have been asked often to summarize my differences with typical Southern Baptist teachings and preachings.

Sword of the Kingdom -- Our assumptions of what consitutes normal Christian living are often built on sand.

Systemic Oppression -- Rather long piece examining how our American government and culture are slowly becoming the enemy of Christ.

Unchurch -- What is absolutely required biblically for a body of people to be called a "church"? If we force upon everyone the common, mainstream definition, then maybe some folks need an unchurch.

Urban Death -- A critical comparison and contrast of rural versus urban atmosphere.

A Modern Wedding Ceremony -- I've always written my own ceremonies for weddings. This one is a generic modern ceremony, which anyone is free to use.

Where Do You Start? -- What are the barriers to the gospel in hearts today?

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Articles in Series: Several collections of articles linked by a single topic.

NEW! Daniel the Prophet -- There is so much bologna out there about Daniel and his prophecies. When we establish just what things must have meant for Daniel and his intended readers, we can set ourselves free from false doctrines about eschatology.

NEW! Life of Christ -- A study of the life and character of Jesus as revealed by the Gospels. Rather than force an artificial harmonization, each Gospel is examined within its own context.

Study in John's Revelation -- Just another study of the Apocalypse, but seeking to show the plain meaning it had for John and his audience.

Critical Issues -- A host of mistaken theology can be avoided if these concepts are understood.

Lessons in Christian Leadership

Getting it Right: The Parables of Jesus -- An attempt to clear up popular misconceptions about some of Jesus' parables.

Revival Living Series -- This is a series of lessons designed to establish or increase the faith and commitment of Believers, in part by recounting the history of God's actions in His Creation. Check back at least once every week for added pages.

Bible History Series -- The bulk of this webiste is found in these pages. We attempt to follow a chronological order of events, noting where possible the richness of historical detail taken for granted by the various writers of Scripture.

The Rehabilitation of Peter -- A sample lesson from one of my current projects: to bring Scripture to life by dramatizing various passages. By no means is this a new translation, nor even so much as a paraphrase. It is but one man's view of what things might have been like.

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Fiction

Here I link my feeble attempts at writing fiction.

A Redemption Story -- How a genuine Christian faith responds to tragedy.

Like A Drug -- Set a few years into the future, we see the torment of a Christian man facing the results of a sin few want to discuss, and even fewer understand.

Knowing My Place -- A work of fiction, novella length. It is a proof of concept for modern electronic formats for books, etc., including links to other works on the Internent, those links being most non-fiction.

Vengeance Is Mine -- A short story indicating possible future concequences of current trends. The story is seen through the eyes of a persecuted pastor.

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High Morals in Computing

Free and Open Source! Most people who use computers are not likely to know what "open source" means. Essentially, it describes computer software built up from code that is wide open for inspection. Instead of being hidden away as some company secret, the software code is released to anyone who asks. Thousands of computer code writers all over the world voluntarily work together to create this computer software. It began as a hobby, but is fast becoming the best that's available. Not only is this software "free" as in liberty but is also available "free" as in no charge to get it from most sources.

The idea behind all this is not some hatred for capitalism, nor any particular animosity toward the idea of commercial software companies. Rather, the objective has always been the freedom of the user to decide for themselves. There is nothing inherently immoral about using any commercially produced software, if that is what you want. However, if you want something else, the Open Source Community wants you to have choices.

From the Christian perspective, having choices opens wide the door to service. It is the nature of our faith that we embrace freedom for others as well as ourselves, for it is the Blood of Jesus that sets us free from serving Satan. It is the nature of Sin to hold you in bondage. Those who would restrict your choices for their own personal gain refuse to recognize that gift from God, and do not trust God. While it is acknowledged that the Open Source Community is hardly Christian in nature, it is noteworthy that nothing else in the field of computers is, either. It remains for us -- Christian computer users -- to follow the lead of Our Lord in choosing what best fits us for His service. Free and Open Source software may well be that best choice. See "Ethical Computing" and "E-Missions" for a closer look at these issues. Please note the author of this site runs FreeBSD on his home computer system.

As Needed -- Computer users should have a clear purpose in mind before deciding which computer Operating System is best for themselves. Then set aside all the hype of promotions and take a good look at which of the many choices will serve your needs in serving Christ.

The New E-Style -- Communicating openly means speaking the same language. A part of the language in electronic communications is the format. There is a standard for proper formatting of plain text documents for the computer. The document itself sets the example by actually being just such a plain text document. The guidelines are the same for e-mail, which should always be in plain text.

Spam Fighting Part 1: Morals and Ethics -- Here we explore the definition of "spam" and some of the underlying moral and ethical problems.

Spam Fighting Part 2: Sources and Causes -- How did we get into this mess?

Spam Fighting Part 3: HOWTO -- Outline of techniques for hammering spammers.

Spam Fighting Part 4: Unintended Consquences -- What can happen when an ISP is falsely accused of being a hard-core spamhaus?

Soul of Privacy -- As we read, debate, and consider our reponse to all the various attacks on our privacy, it's important we understand just how important it really is that we all retain some privacy. Here is why it matters.

World of Ends: The absolute essential understanding of the nature of the Internet. Ignore this at your peril.

Any Browser Campaign: This website seeks to inform Internet surfers that there really is a major problem out there with the way some web pages are set up. A certain major corporation produces software for building websites which are often difficult to read with any web browser not made by the same company.

The Official RFC 1855 Netiquette Guidelines -- Anytime you see a document with "RFC" at the top, it's the official standard for Internet use.