Ed Carter > Recent Status Updates

Work and Labor: Either I did not understand this chapter or I deeply disagree with most of the argument here. The claim that politics is pre-economic is weak, not that I can’t be convinced but it wasn’t made well. Writers of this essay seem to be Luddites: “…on the technological horizon, disaster looms… work is gone forever”.
And last, the thought that government can act in love to the poor is just wrong.

The Civil Magistrate: convicted reading this chapter and being reminded of the level of respect the Reformers had for their civil leaders despite deep differences (i.e. Calvin and the King of France). Also, interesting to see how a lot of the roots of basic American constitutionalism basically came directly from the reformation (not just as an indirect result of the reformation as is sometimes thought/taught)

Law and the Christian: helpful distinctions made here. Political level of law restrains action through fear. Philosophy in restraining because of a sense of virtue and Christian law addressing the very nature of man. Shows human striving in political law and philosophical virtues are helpful but not enough.

Thought it was leaning much to natural law until the 3rd use was explained in how it informs our conscience

“Yet though we cannot have a suitable conception of God, we must not content ourselves without any conception of him. It is our sin not to endeavor after a true notion of him; it is our sin to rest in a mean and low notion of him, when our reason tells us we are capable of having higher.”

The 3rd discourse (On God Being A Spirit) challenged my often lazy thinking of who God is.

“If we bend our force against those two, self-will and self-ends, we shall intercept atheism at the springhead” - from the closing pages of Discourse 2 on Practical Atheism

After 100 tough pages on how we fall short of glorifying God and instead attempt to set ourselves up as our own ends, fulfilling our own passions and desires, he asks what the use of all this is: “It gives us occasion to admire the wonderful patience and mercy of God”