Watch this space.

Every year my church organizes a “men’s retreat,” one weekend a year where they rent out a place that you can have teaching sessions and a place to sleep. It’s a bit of a misnomer as you don’t really “relax” much, but you do get to have time with several other people from the church that are frequently too busy for thoughtful conversation.

Over the course of the last few years I’ve become increasingly opinionated, and willing to share those opinions in any situtaion that feels related. These opinions are based on my understanding of God’s will and my reading of the Bible.

It occurred to me at this retreat that I cannot pinpoint locations in the Bible that would support or disprove my opinions. This is something I wish to rectify.

First I plan to research each subject, looking for what other opinions and commentaries have to offer and write about what I find. The goal is to make notes about things to be watching for during phase two: re-reading the Bible, looking for and noting all the things I seek.

I have quite the laundry list of ideas to be confirmed or denied. Perhaps you’ll find these interesting too? No idea what order I will work on them.

• When Godly people talk about themselves, they always say they fall far short of the mark of God’s Law. Why is this? Is it truly so difficult to follow Ten Commandments, and the rest of the Law of the Torah? I expect we will have to dive into the question of “What is sin?”
• I am a God follower and a “furry,” and I feel no shame nor conflict with it. I like to think that I’m enjoying God’s creatures in a totally unusual way. But the meaning of furry is also wide and varied, and I do think there are ways to be furry that would go against God’s law.
• As humans, we learn and grow as we go. Therefore we need to leave space in our marriages for the individuals to continue to grow, rather than call it quits because one or both people have grown in their understanding of God, the world, or themselves.
• Marriage is a sacred vow, one that appears all too often to be broken by people who didn’t understand what it was meant to be in the first place. I believe all couples intending to be married should be trained in “how to argue appropriately,” as well as a requirement that they trust each other. With that, almost all mountains can be climbed.
• God gave us these bodies, to care for and enjoy. So why does it seem like everyone considers sex and kinks in a healthy husband and wife relationship as a sin? What does God’s Law have to say?
• Pornography is easily addicting. But I argue that a form of it, used in an appropriate way, is not sinful. Instead I hear God followers putting themselves down about any use of it. I argue this is simply another way God followers are led to believe themselves unworthy.
• You should not have to change who you are to be able to keep a job. But I will agree that you can improve how you interact with others to make a job better for yourself and those around you.
• We ask for knowledge in our times of trouble. But isn’t that what got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden? Is it appropriate to ask for knowledge and wisdom?

In the coming months I hope to research and pray about these topics and more in the hopes of finding some conclusions in God’s Law. This is more for my benefit, but I hope you come along for the ride.

Watch this space.