Shadows in a Cave

I recently discussed the use of shadows as a means to express the desire and longing of Christians for the fulfillment of all things. Christians find themselves in a tense position, with a foot in two worlds and an inclination to exclude one or the other.

Shadows and symbols are real things, but they both point to something greater. Plato used the concept of shadows in his story of the cave. For those unfamiliar with the story, Plato tells of a situation where men were raised without ever seeing something itself. Rather, they faced a wall in a cave, and they could only see the shadows cast upon the wall be objects. Thus, they came to believe that the shadows themselves were the objects. One of the prisoners escapes, and he sees the things themselves, realizing that this is reality and that the shadows only pointed to the things. I am not sorry for my disagreement with Kant, for I believe that things themselves can be known (not necessarily comprehensively, but known nonetheless).

This world is real, and Christians must not fail to engage with it. At the same time, this world is a shadow of the world to come.Therefore, the Chrstian should live her life here as if she is already in the world to come.

I think, therefore I am.

One of my intentions for producing this blog is to share my beliefs. Beliefs are a funny thing, especially in light of today’s emphasis on relativity and pluralism. What we believe, we hold to be true. Moreover, what is contrary to our beliefs, we hold to be false. No one meaningfully says, “I believe today is Monday, but I don’t think this is true.”

Of my beliefs, here is one of the most important to me: I believe in God. This little statement could be unpacked to fill up a book (which many have done without exhausting the subject). One piece of evidence to support my belief in God’s existence is that I don’t need to existence. That I exist, I cannot deny, but it is possible that I could go out of existence at any moment. Furthermore, there was a time when I did not exist. Because I exist contingently, there must be something that I depend upon at this very instance for my existence. This thing that I depend upon cannot itself be contingent, rather, it must be a necessary thing.

This necessary thing must be God. God is the greatest possible being, which means that there can be only one (and no, God is not a Highlander). There has never been a time, nor will there ever be a time when God does not exist.

This God possesses the omni-attributes: omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence, etc. This means that there is nothing greater than God.

Lastly, the God I believe in is the triune God that has revealed himself in the Old and New Testament and in the incarnation of the Second Person of the trinity starting 2,000 years ago in Israel as Jesus of Nazareth. This God is a holy and loving God who despises sin, yet who loves humanity, his creation so much, that he himself has provided the means for humans to be reconciled to himself. The means of justification consists in the sacrifice of Jesus specifically to atone for humans in the place of humans. Rejection of this sacrifice leaves one condemn, facing eternal separation from the presence of this holy God.

This belief of God’s existence governs my actions and serves as the standard whereby I examine the values I hold. Moreover, because I believe in this God, my life is focused on serving him and seeking to have my passions match his. This includes seeking for those whom he seeks for, namely those people who do not acknowledge him.

I look forward to the next post, when I might be able to share some more of my beliefs and thoughts (thankfully, I have thoughts. This means I don’t have to worry and wonder as to whether or not I exist).

In the Beginning...

As I put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keys and color pixels on screens), let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Ethan Tittle, and I am an evangelical Christian residing within the Southern Baptist denomination. I am a staunch defender of truth, wherever it may be found, and I have a voracious appetite for learning. I am a husband, married just over seven years at the time of this posting, married to the wonderful woman in my life, Amy. I am greatly concerned for the world wherein I live, and I wish to make a difference.
I seem to hold beliefs that popular culture deems to be outdated, but I hold these beliefs to be true (otherwise, I would not believe them). I believe in the importance of ideas, and that what one believes affects what a person does.
I love philosophy, theology, history, math, chemistry, physics, etc.... I basically enjoy far more than I should, especially in light of how little time I am allotted. I believe that one's worldview should be comprehensive, touching all aspects of one's life and making sense out of the diversity in the world.
Lastly, I seek to be a faithful witness of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My hope is that this blog with its postings may serve as an opportunity for myself to articulate my beliefs in a clear, concise, and cogent manner, and that you, the reader, may provide a means of dialogue within this marketplace of ideas. The issues and topics that I touch will be handled in a respectful manner, and any questions or comments that you have, I ask that you write in kind.
I am looking forward to the time and postings to come. Until next time.