‘I See Dead People’: The Scary Truth about Christian Ghostwriters
It is not about the errant citations that fall through the cracks, but about 'ghostwriters' who write substantial portions or all of books that are credited to better known people
Can anyone really imagine C.S. Lewis using a ghostwriter? Or Augustine? Or Calvin? In other words, I would rather grind out even one book that contained my own spiritual DNA—my blood, sweat, and tears–than publish volumes by passing off some other writer’s work under my own name. One’s conscience would have to die before he... Continue Reading
The Genuine Conflict Being Ignored in the Duck Dynasty Debate
There is tension between orthodox Christianity and homosexuality. Saying otherwise robs American society of an honest debate about how to reconcile sexual tolerance with religious tolerance.
Robertson wasn’t expressing “his personal views,” but principles that are intrinsic to his religion. You see, Robertson didn’t simply attack and disparage the sexual preferences of a minority, as Alec Baldwin recently did in a hateful rant. No, Robertson’s opinion—couched as it was in scriptural references that suggest he not only owns a Bible, but... Continue Reading
Amarillo College Nixes Intelligent Design Class
Emails show school officials canceled the class under pressure from an atheist group
The class curriculum would have used Explore Evolution: The Arguments For and Against Neo-Darwinism, a book co-authored by leading ID theorist Stephen Meyer. “In the course, we would have generally discussed the power of neo-Darwinism to account for the diversity of life relative to intelligent design as a competing idea” said Wilson, a retired train... Continue Reading
Nagel’s Cosmos: Teleology Without Intention? A Review
Explaining the universe in terms of physical stuff interacting via cause and effect, means an impossibly hard time explaining how consciousness, cognition, and value can possibly arise
Nagel believes that we should accept the failure of our contemporary scientific account of the world in order to make way for a revolution. Humanity has made great progress by excluding the mind from the material world, but the time has come to accept the facts: we need to have a new account with mind... Continue Reading
A Defense of ‘A Man as Priest in His Home’
A response to the review of ‘A Man as Priest in His Home’
One of the strange things to me about Crippen’s critique is that it runs exactly counter to one of my major motives for preaching these messages so often and finally turning them into a book. That motive was and is that I believe looking at oneself as a priest helps a man view his role... Continue Reading
The Message of Daniel: A Review
“The Message of Daniel” is a unique treatment of this Old Testament prophet that is devotional, homiletical, textual and thoughtful
In “The Message of Daniel,” the author essentially follows the book of Daniel, from chapter one straight through to chapter twelve. He doesn’t work it out like a normal commentary, verse by verse, with tons of Hebrew/Aramaic syntactical-grammatical verbosity cluttering up the page. Instead, the material genuinely lends itself to serious devotional reading, as well... Continue Reading
Where Are the People?
Evangelical Christianity in America is losing its power—what happened to Orange County’s Crystal Cathedral shows why.
Secularization alone is not to blame for this change in American religiosity. Even half of those Americans who claim no religious affiliation profess belief in God or claim some sort of spiritual orientation. Other faiths, like Islam, perhaps the country’s fastest-growing religion, have had no problem attracting and maintaining worshippers. No, evangelicalism’s dilemma stems more... Continue Reading
Joel Osteen Talks Preaching Sin, Materialism, and Gay Marriage
Mega-church pastor continues positive, upbeat messages without a view to sin and other negative aspects of Scripture.
Osteen clarified that he believes God blesses people so that they in turn can bless others. “That’s the whole key. It’s never about just what can I get so that I can be so rich and wealthy. It’s not that. It’s how can I be blessed to do good for other people,” he said. ... Continue Reading
Going Public
When the American Bible Society fired Doug Bırdsall, years of troubles suddenly came into the public spotlight. Wıll this great American institution thrive again?
Part of the culture clash between Birdsall and the board may have come because ABS, largely by design, is not evangelical per se, but broadly ecumenical. Since Birdsall’s firing, board chair Dearolf has had to step aside because of health concerns, and the acting board chair, Nick Athens, is Roman Catholic. “We have Catholics, mainline... Continue Reading
9 Reasons to Pray
There are more reasons to pray than just the commands to do so.
There are many who say, “Why pray if God already predestines all things? Why pray for someone’s conversion, why pray that God would heal my body, why pray for anything?” Because God chooses to use means. He uses rain to make the grass grow. He uses the sun to light the world. He uses our... Continue Reading