2011 goal

 I have had a good 2011 with my single resolution.

My resolution for last year was to be more skeptical.

I did this because of a big embarrassment I suffered about 18 months ago. It goes back to 1981. I was in seminary and had a very knowledgeable professor, Dr. Norman Geisler. He knew hundreds, maybe thousands of Bible verses by heart and was a debating powerhouse. He is currently a seminary president somewhere and has published dozens of successful books. Anyway, he had come from hearing a new guy who was teaching about Christianity and the US Constitution (I suspect it was Barton). Geisler said this guy had documented practically every bit of the Constitution was based directly or indirectly on the Bible.
Now, I’ve read the US Constitution, but I didn’t reread it to check out Geisler’s or Barton’s claim. I just accepted it and remembered it, though I don’t recall ever repeating it.
So, about 18 months ago this came up on my wife’s facebook page and I repeated what I been taught. It appears that Dallas Theological Seminary is the embarrassment mistake that just keeps on giving more embarrassment. When both my wife and daughter LOL’ed, I thought "I’ll show them. I’ll go reread it and since I know the Bible well I will just post all the connections.
Well, other than the possible reference to bundled sticks being stronger than individual ones (from the Old Testament, I think Jacob’s sons) and the splitting up of judicial duties (reference to Moses’ father-in-law Jethro’s advice) there is practically nothing in the US Constitution from the Bible. In fact, considering that the Bible was the sole book all the founders had surely read at least part of and the fact that it was often the only book a family of the time might own one would expect many times more Bible references. Yet, there is not a single direct reference or Bible verse in the Constitution. IIRC That can’t be by accident. It is much more likely that the founders deliberately avoided using the Bible than it is that they meant to use it in forming the Constitution.
So, I resolved to check things out for myself and be more skeptical in 2011. I recently finally completed reading the Quran. It was not much worth reading, but it’s done and I can speak confidently about it now. I have been more skeptical in other ways too. I don’t like it so much so I am not going to keep emphasizing it for my personal development this year. I have other goals.