FRANK Talks: November 2016

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

God Talks- Does God Care if You're Fit?


Before you jump on me with all that, “Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart” stuff, let me say that I already know. That’s not the point of this article.
The purpose of this article is to look into what the Bible really has to say about fitness, nutrition, and overall health and well being of the human body. So many people have told me, “God wants me to be happy, so I can eat what I want!” To which I reply, “gag me.” Another popular line I hear is, “Working out and getting in shape isn’t for the glory of God, it’s for the glory of YOU…” Again, puh-lease. Give me a break. These are just two examples of Christianized excuses and are more than likely taking God’s name in vain…or LAME. Contrary to popular belief, sola feels is not one of the "sola's" of Christian theology.
That being said, let’s see what God has told us about how HE feels (not us as individuals or as a society feel) about the way we take care of our bodies!
  1. GOD LIVES IN YOU (Gal. 2:19-20; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 9:27)
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are not the only one living inside your skin. Christ actively is living in you and wanting to live through you. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, as well. If Jesus walked up to you one day and said, “Hey, friend. I love you and think we should live together so that I can be a constant Helper to you! Will you build a house for us?” Would you build a little shack out of rotten boards and old nails? Would you build a frail house made of sticks and stones and probably cardboard covering the patches trying to keep rain out? Would you build the house out of little carved idols that you worship made of silver and gold and say, “Hey, God, ignore the fact that I love these idols more than I love you, look how beautiful they are! Aren’t you glad I did this for me…I mean you??” OF COURSE NOT!!!!

Christian, the Creator of the Universe and the Author and Finisher of our faith deserves more than a beaten-down little shack. He deserves a well-crafted, well-thought out, strong, and sturdy place to dwell. Build your temple to glorify HIM.

2. GOD VALUES PHYSICAL TRAINING (1 Tim. 4:8)
Now, note that the verses says that bodily training is of some value, because a right relationship with God holds more value than any other thing in the Universe. But it is interesting that this phrase is even in the Bible, telling us that God does value physical fitness. If He didn’t, the verse would say, “…bodily training is of no value…” or, “…bodily training is worthless…” or, it probably just would use a completely different analogy altogether.
3. GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR BODY (1 Thess. 5:23)
“Now may your whole spirit, soul, and BODY be kept blameless until the coming of our Lord…” God wants our spirit, our soul, and our body. Many Christians, myself included, believe that humans are a trichotomy (made up of three parts being body, soul, and spirit), as opposed to being made up of two parts (dichotomy-soul/spirit and body). The reason I bring that up is because--one, it’s super cool that God would make us in His image (being made of three parts) and also because IF we are made of spirit, soul, and body, then we are responsible for each of those things. God cares about what we do with our bodies. If He didn’t, He probably wouldn’t warn against sexual immorality quite so much. ANYWAY moving along, that brings us straight into the next point.
4. YOU WERE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE (Psalm 139:14)
Not only did God make us in His image, He was so careful and constructed each of us as individual masterpieces, created through Christ to do good works which He has prepared in advance for us. We are to THANK HIM, says the Psalmist, because His works are excellent. The Psalm goes on to say that God made each of us skillfully, and that each of our days were ordained for usbefore we ever lived a single one of them. God worked so, so hard on each of us, creating us each for unique and genuinely good purposes. We are His masterpieces, His handiwork. And He has entrusted each of us to RESPECT and CARE FOR ourselves while we are here on earth. That means that we ought not put ourselves down or demean ourselves, and that we ought to do what we can to keep ourselves in tip top shape so that when Christ returns we will not be like the unwise servant who buried his talents in the ground, but rather like the wise servants who invested the talents that were entrusted to them while the master was away. (Matt 25:14-30


So, you see, God really does care about what you do with your bodies. He also cares about how you view your bodies. I personally struggle SO MUCH with self-doubt and with negative self esteem, which is a quite apparent pride issue. It is not right to think of yourself as any less than anyone else. And it breaks the heart of God. Just as it breaks the heart of God when He looks down on His children doing things that are harmful to the beautiful bodies He has crafted for them.
You can see more of Chelsea's work at Chelsea Gets Fit. We here at FRANK Talks are huge proponents of growing in all areas of life (Spirit, Intellect, Health, Occupation, Social, and Financial), and are so glad to have Chelsea tackle this subject. 

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

If you like FRANK Talks, we also recommend...



Personal Update

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for the kind words of encouragement that you guys have given for my blog. Unfortunately, these past few months, I haven't had as much time to write new blogs and make new content for you guys. I am currently releasing content that I have back-logged. (Except for this post, that you are currently reading.)

If you like what you are reading, and want to see more of it, I would ask you to please consider pledging to my Patreon account. In exchange, you can get access to exclusive member-only content, or you can simply donate with “No Rewards”.

I am currently working three “jobs”. I put that in quotations, because only one of them pays currently. The other is an internship, and then there is this blog which is only paying $8 a month. My goal is to get the Patreon to a point where I can leave my paying job and spend more time researching and writing for FRANK Talks.

In the Meantime

While you are waiting (and hopefully pledging and telling all of your friends to pledge), I thought that I might recommend some substitutes for you to get your FRANK Talks fix, without actually listening to FRANK Talks. I want to recommend some of the YouTube personalities that I listen to (namely in theology and politics) who have helped shaped my worldview. Now, I don't agree with these people all the time, but I trust your discernment in figuring out Truth from error. After all, you guys are presumably adults.

If you have a YouTube account, I would recommend subscribing to these channels, and saving some of these videos to Watch Later. If you don't I would recommend getting an account. If you are not in a rush, check out the videos that I embedded. 

This channel has stopped producing videos, but you can still check out their videos, and read their articles at pjmedia.com. My favorite personalities were Andrew Klavan, Bill Whittle, Alfonzo Rachel, and Scott Ott.

Andrew Klavan


This video is my first exposure to Klavan. I often reference my “imaginary dog Virtue”. In my mind, Klavan is the funniest man on the right. Not only is he incredibly funny, but he's a deep thinker, and much smarter than all the popular comedians and political satirists. Truly an under-rated personality. Today you can find him on twitter, Truth Revolt, Daily Wire. Even if you don't have time to watch his whole 'Andrew Klavan Show' podcast, the intro to his show is always a riot.

Bill Whittle


Over the past three years, Bill Whittle has shaped so much of my philosophy. While we may disagree on religion, this guy has a lot of wisdom and has taught me so much. Bill is not only a deep thinker, he is one of the best communicators on the right, clearly laying out the principles of conservatism in interesting ways.

He simply has too many great talks from which to choose. This one, while lengthy, lays out his entire political philosophy, and this one talks about the importance of virtue. They should both sound familiar, if you are reading my blogs. Bill can be found on PJTV and Truth Revolt, but has recently decided to focus on his own channel.

Alfonzo Rachel
Devout Christian, drummer for his rock band, 20 lb Sledge, Zo also dabbles in political commentary. Zo taught me about the history of the Civil War, the Democrat Party, and the importance of conservatism on social issues. You can find him at PJTV, but he has since moved onto his own channel. He also does intriguing theological commentaries, for those that are interested.



I am subscribed to Crowded, as I am to all the channels that I am recommending, but I never have time to watch his full podcast. Instead, I skip through and look for interviews with my favorite guests... which is most of the guests that he has. The gorgeous Lauren Southern, the offensive Gavin McInnes, the open-minded Dave Rubin, and many of my favorites from PJTV. Maybe if you like podcasts, this one is more for you.


Kevin's channel is not overtly political, however he does not shy away from letting his libertarian colors fly. His main audience is Christians, and his business is making fun of the absurdity that is Christian culture. As his Patreon account states, “Say Goodnight Kevin is creating Youtube videos that encourage people to think for themselves!”


Prager University is the most popular resource for conservative arguments on the internet. Even if you are a liberal, it is important for you to hear the other side of the argument. Prager University gives short, clear, and convincing arguments, from guest speakers mostly from the conservative side. Their videos are also easy to share from their Facebook.


A great resource for philosophy and theology. I first discovered them through an earlier rendition of the above video: showing how the Trinitarian concept is logically coherent. This channel seeks to show that Christianity is a rational philosophy. Their content is heavily derived from Dr William Lane Craig, whom I am also subscribed to. I have some theological disagreements with both sources, but I agree mostly with the topics that they specialize in.


Not theological or political, this channel teaches you how to live a better life and be more charismatic. He is really big on self-esteem (which I am not), but I think that his insights are nonetheless interesting and helpful.

I have only recently subscribed to this channel, and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of their wealth of videos. Experts from the libertarian, classically liberal, and conservative variety make educational videos on the principles of liberty and free-economics.

Finally, check out the FRANK Talks YouTube channel, and subscribe! These were only a few of the channels I subscribe to, so maybe I'll do this again with more recommendations. Let me know what you think.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Virtue

Virtue is essential to a free and prosperous society. In order to have a society of pure liberty, we must protect the three basic negative rights: life, liberty, and property. If we want to maintain such a society, everyone has responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Firstly, you are responsible for not violating your neighbors rights. You must have the self-control to govern yourself in such a way that the government won't need to interfere in your life. Second, you have a responsibility to help your neighbors in need. Don't give the government cause to step in and use force to help the needy (like income redistribution). This only gives the government more power.

You also have a responsibility to vote and be involved in politics. Campaigning, writing to your Congressman, attending school board meetings. We have a responsibility to nominate and elect good leaders, and see to it that the laws we pass are good. We have a responsibility to serve on a jury, so we can ensure that our fellow-man gets justice. I am always so disappointed to hear friends try to weasel out of jury duty. If we want to maintain our free society, we all have responsibilities to fulfill.

Each individual has the responsibility to be virtuous, especially in their public life.

Virtue

So what is virtue? Virtue can be defined as “moral excellence”. A perfectly moral population would need no government to regulate them, but there are no perfectly moral people. (At least not here on Earth.) Still, it stands that the more virtuous the people are, the less government they need.

Virtue is living the best life that one can possibly conceive. Living virtuously is living in accordance with the Truth. Here at FRANK talks, I write about and defend the Christian worldview. I believe in the Christian worldview, and I maintain that everyone ought to believe it because it is True. If I happen to be wrong, then you ought to follow whatever is the Truth. (And if there is no such thing as Absolute Truth, then I'm not sure why I even bother communicating with you guys.)

You must ask yourself a few questions. Is God real? Is Christianity the True Religion? Is the Bible Authoritative? And if not/so how should I live my life? This is why two of my main themes in this blog are apologetics and holistic life. First, I want to help others be certain that Biblical Christianity is true beyond a reasonable doubt. Then I want to help them live the best life they can in all areas (Spiritual, Intellectual, Physical, Occupational, Social, Financial, and more).

How to Promote Virtue

Virtue cannot be forced. It cannot come from the top-down. This would not be virtue. Instead it must come from the “bottom-up”. The decision to act virtuously must come from the individual. Each person must seek the Truth, and the best way to live. Some will make mistakes, but they should be given the freedom to do so.

So how do we promote virtue in our society on a national level. As I said, it comes from the bottom up. Learning about virtue starts at home. Morals cannot be taught dispassionately from a textbook or a lecture. Our moral judgments are made in the emotional part of our brain. That is why morals should be taught to us by people we love and trust. This is why conservatives see the family unit as the essential building block to a free and prosperous society. Extended communities like churches help with this process of moral education.

What the Government Can Do

There are two things that the government can do to promote virtue. First, it is imperative that all levels of government protect the negative rights of their citizens. The government must punish those who violate (or maybe even threaten) the negative rights of others, and they must do so severely.

The second thing to do is to decentralize. The Tenth Amendment of the US Constitution delegates all unspecified power to the states. The states ought to delegate power to the counties, and counties to the towns. However, the real power lies in the private individuals and institutions. Each level of government, and each institution, has the right to set their own standards. 

Each individual has the freedom to move to any town, work for the company, or join the denomination whose standards he agrees with. If the standards are good, they will create prosperity when followed. The government must not enact policies which disrupt the fostering of virtue. Policies which inadvertently cause families to fall apart is most disheartening to conservatives.

Benefits of Virtue

The purpose of government is not to provide for people, but to protect their citizens' negative rights. It is then the people's responsibility to provide for themselves, and for those in need. This is why I believe that virtue is so essential to a free society. We need virtuous people who are willing to give to those in need. It also takes virtuous leaders to limit their own powers, or to accept limits on their powers, so that you can experience your God given freedom to it's fullest potential.

Please share this post if you liked it. Also, tell me what you think. Tweet at me @frank_perseo or comment on the Frank Talks Facebook page. Do you agree that virtue is essential to a free and prosperous society? What should we the people be doing (not under government compulsion) to make our nation better?