Theologian https://xitter.cf/t.co/vMcWR1Xjrh

Edmonton, Alberta
Joined April 2017
Out now. links in comments My latest books on a modern theology of Lust and Porn and how they're not the same thing. And my thoughts on how exactly the online church orthodoxy was fored during COVID, or rather the years leading up to the pandemic.
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Mike van Goch retweeted
If pastors will not lead their congregations to the polls on Nov 3, then hang a banner over every capital in this land: “Pagan by permission of the church” The Word of God is authoritative and sufficient, and Christ is on His throne Preach all of Christ for all of life
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Mike van Goch retweeted
" 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.' So he left them and departed."
Your husband has sex with another woman while you watch is bad for your marriage? You don’t say? Who would have thought?
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Mike van Goch retweeted
But Is Also the Reason Why There Is a PR Department "A true reformer gives the PR department fits" (Rules for Reformers, p. 19).
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You will drop your A.I. use in ministry as fast as you did your tapes or CD's, your over head projectors. Because your only principle for technology use in ministry, is use. The new thing will always seduce you over the right or godly thing, because that's how seduction works.
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Mike van Goch retweeted
There is a demon, known as the deluder, who visits the brethren especially at dawn, and leads the intellect about from city to city, from village to village, from house to house, pretending that no passions are aroused through such visits; but then the intellect goes on to meet and talk with old acquaintances at greater length, and so allows its own state to be corrupted by those it encounters. Little by little it falls away from the knowledge of God and holiness, and forgets its calling. Therefore the solitary must watch this demon, noting where he comes from and where he ends up; for this demon does not make this long circuit without purpose and at random, but because he wishes to corrupt the state of the solitary, so that his intellect, over-excited by all this wandering, and intoxicated by its many meetings, may immediately fall prey to the demons of unchastity, anger or dejection -the demons that above all others destroy its inherent brightness. But if we really want to understand the cunning of this demon, we should not be hasty in speaking to him, or tell others what is taking place, how he is compelling us to make these visits in our mind and how he is gradually driving the intellect to its death -for then he will flee from us, as he cannot bear to be seen doing this; and so we shall not grasp any of the things we are anxious to learn. But, instead, we should allow him one more day, or even two, to play out his role, so that we can learn about his deceitfulness in detail; then, mentally rebuking him, we put him to flight. But because during temptation the intellect is clouded and does not see exactly what is happening, do as follows after the demon has withdrawn. Sit down and recall in solitude the things that have happened: where you started and where you went, in what place you were seized by the spirit of unchastity, dejection or anger and how it all happened. Examine these things closely and commit them to memory, so that you will then be ready to expose the demon when he next approaches you. Try to become conscious of the weak spot in yourself which he hid from you, and you will not follow him again. If you wish to enrage him, expose him at once when he reappears, and tell him just where you went first, and where next, and so on. For he becomes very angry and cannot bear the disgrace. And the proof that you spoke to him effectively is that the thoughts he suggested leave you. For he cannot remain in action when he is openly exposed. The defeat of this demon is followed by heavy sleepiness and deadness, together with a feeling of great coldness in the eyelids, countless yawnings, and heaviness in the shoulders. But if you pray intensely all this is dispersed by the Holy Spirit. Abba Evagrios the Solitary
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Mike van Goch retweeted
“There’ll be no cars, no electricity, no running water. So, how will we feed the animals? You will have four bales of hay in the barn. You will go one day and fetch one, and you will feed your animals. On the second day, you will take another, feed the rest, and just when you start thinking ‘We're going to run out of hay and the animals are going to die’ you and your angels will make the two that are left into twenty-two. From now on, in the difficult days to come, you will not live by the reasoning of this age, but by blessing and faith, as long as you call upon us in faith. You will live blessed days and even though there is not much technology for the time being, then all will be restored. But if your faith is not tested, what faith do you have?” — Eldress Galaktia
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Mike van Goch retweeted
"Christians can't have a nation that honors Christ. But Hindus can have a nation that worships demons," MidEva.
Every religion can create a country for itself, except Christianity. And the ones who fight most strongly against Christian nations claim to be Christians.
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me: kinda fucked up how many people are offloading their whole lives to muse or instinct or grokbot or whatever claude: yeah
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Mike van Goch retweeted
So @elonmusk I gotta tell ya this hand is unnerving. I half expected it to write “MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN”
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Because he's buying/bought the farmland they will be farming on.
Bill Gates predicts a massive number of people will reject AI and choose to "live like the Amish."
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Would the last century Christian be able to teach a first century Christian anything?
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Mike van Goch retweeted
Virtual is half-lifed Spiritual. Bitcoin Monasteries incoming
The realisation is gonna hit eventually that the internet is more fundamental than any institution on the planet as a forming/reforming capacity. Though it’s “virtual” it is the real substrate, it just has to be “Disclosed ” for full effect.
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Seconded.
Bring the old bluechecks back. Badges for certified journalists, professors, doctors. Prestige media and R1 universities only. Why? Because it’s how our world works. The first step toward changing reality is living in reality
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Mike van Goch retweeted
i’m good…
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Mike van Goch retweeted
Modern Protestants (and their pop bible teachers) make it difficult to be a political philosopher, because they can't process any argument besides scriptural exegesis. No one thought like this before the 20th century, largely because they were thoroughly educated.
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Mike van Goch retweeted
It’s worthwhile to play through in your mind the kinds of motivated reasoning and self-deception that might have led academics to work on this project. It’ll help you understand better what’s going on at AGI companies.
Purdue University's IDEAS Lab built an autonomous drone that tracks runners through dense forests completely without GPS or cloud networks. By running 3D LiDAR mapping and obstacle-avoidance AI entirely on-chip, it can weave under tree canopies and predict target movement through blind spots in real time. Massive implications for next-gen search & rescue and edge AI.
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Mike van Goch retweeted
“Concept-based approaches will not serve to elucidate a percept-based activity.” Eric McLuhan ‘Cynic Satire’ 2015
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Mike van Goch retweeted
Only Bitcoin Monasteries can teach the worshipers of weaponry the importance of not making things sometimes
We really gotta teach STEM majors the importance of not making things sometimes
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Mike van Goch retweeted
I've noticed that much of the TGC and TGC-adjacent commentary is a kind of muse-driven sociology. They can't do philosophy or theology. They cannot evaluate or refute arguments. They read Charles Taylor (or about him) and think they can do theologized (vulgarized) sociology. So we get "predictions" and sociological analysis about groups they half-understand and consider too uncouth to engage with at the level of ideas.
I'll see Aaron's spicy take and raise him a spicy take: Polygamy will go nowhere among normie evangelicals, but it very well might see some growth among Dissident Right-types, who tend to pit 'natural law" against biblical theology and romanticize pre-Christian sex norms
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