Dear Reader, a narrative has formed in public discourse and has solidified in public opinion, that the Christian worldview is deeply rooted in and wholly derived from old-fashioned ideologies and dogmas.
At best these ideologies and dogmas are derided as archaic and obsolete. Perhaps at one time they served as a valuable social framework, but now their precepts wither on the vine as society advances both intellectually and morally. From this perspective, the Christian worldview must be updated or re-interpreted for a modern context. Christianity must be modified in order to become relevant again.
At worst, these dogmas and ideologies are vilified as the machinations of patriarchal societies hell-bent on maintaining rigid social control over their fellow human beings, particularly women and minorities, in order to establish unquestionable power for the ruling few in the clergy and aristocracy. In this view, these ideologies and dogmas represent a threat to the higher development of man as a species, offending our ever-evolving sensibilities and violating our greatly cherished principles of equality and individuality. From this perspective the Christian worldview must be met with hostility and destroyed in order for mankind to get and remain free from its shackles.
Dissent to the Christian worldview is now the test, both first and final, of who we consider objective, scientific, rational, and sophisticated. Anyone who subscribes to the new, modern, progressive definitions of empathy, compassion, and love cannot help objecting to the Christian worldview, because these new definitions for old concepts are recognized now to be at odds with Christianity. Secular education has eclipsed and replaced religion, and is indeed seen as the natural cure to religion with all its superstitions and hocus-pocus.
And so it is that we in the general populations of Western societies have been conditioned to assess the level and quality of a man’s education based on how free from or hostile to Christianity he proves himself to be. Those who still cling to their deeply and sincerely held religious views are met with either disdain or pity from the gatekeepers of society for their evident lack of a “quality education” which would have resulted in a proper, respectable godlessness.
This blog, On The Rocks, is our response to these trends and criticisms.
We are three young, Christian men who hope that the pages of this blog challenge these and similar perceptions which have become so deeply rooted in America and the West.
If you are a Christian, we hope our blog encourages you to stand for truth. We hope that our research and articles are to you like crevices in a rock face to a climber, providing you with a reliable place to grab onto and not fall. Beyond this, we hope that you take comfort as you read our articles in knowing you are not alone. We also are on this difficult journey just as you are, navigating the challenges, trying to make the most of the opportunities, and wanting desperately to know and understand reliable truth.
If you are not a Christian, or even if you are for that matter, and you’ve never encountered believers who both firmly held to their convictions and thoughtfully engaged the issues and questions of our day, we hope our blog will broaden your perspective and challenge the misconception that Christianity is irrational, foolish, outdated nonsense. We hope to both provoke you to consider new questions, and persuade you that the only reliable answers to the biggest, most weighty questions are found in the Bible.
We believe the Bible was written by the Creator of the universe and has absolute authority in our lives. We are not theologians or pastors, but our goal is to write thoughtful, readable content that will challenge Christians and non-Christians alike. We will engage the issues that resound with our peers, and will earnestly attempt to rise above the vitriol that seems to dominate discussion on the web.
We do not claim to be wise, and we will endeavor to avoid being puffed up, self-impressed, and self-righteous. Yet at the same time, we believe God gives wisdom to those who sincerely, faithfully ask Him for it, and we would implore the reader to seek out wisdom.
As it is written:
“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.”
Proverbs 3:13-14 (ESV)
We will hold ourselves to the high standard of being grounded in a literal interpretation of the Bible, held by a moral code derived from the Scriptures, and accountable for the logical soundness of our arguments.
We direct your attention to the Bible’s New Testament, where it is written:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:5-6 (ESV)
We have taken to heart the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)
And also,
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)
And so, just as sailors and seagoing folk have, down through the ages, relied upon lighthouses when steering their ships in the dark of night or the tumult of storms, we here at On The Rocks hope our blog will serve as a lighthouse to you, the reader. We hope to be a bright beacon of hope and truth, warning those in peril of the sharp, jagged rocks of the shore which the distraction of a raging sea can make difficult to avoid on one’s own. Watching the great ships of our culture, and the smaller individual ships of our fellow men, dashing themselves on the rocks, we cannot in good conscience sit idly by.
We believe the United States is decaying morally, spiritually, and existentially. Our culture revels in ignorance and entertainment rather than revering wisdom and humility. Our vision is to bring sound Biblical reasoning and Apologetics to readers in a thought-provoking, logical, yet readable manner. We offer our thoughts on difficult subjects to increase our own understanding as well as yours.
Dear Reader, we hope you will find this blog encouraging, enlightening, and enjoyable.
Sincerely we are your humble servants,
Micah Hershberger Marshall Ernest Garrett Mullet
