Compelling Pro-Lifers to Violate Their Consciences
Judges usually don’t outline strategies for activists who want to increase constitutional havoc, but one exasperated judge did
Judge: “Compelled speech can serve a pro-life agenda for elected officials as well as a pro-choice one. It is easy to imagine legislatures with different ideological leanings from those of the Baltimore City Council enacting measures that require organizations like Planned Parenthood to post a statement in their waiting rooms indicating what services they do... Continue Reading
Review of Steve Meyer’s New Book, “Darwin’s Doubt”
Steve Meyer’s book is a comprehensive case that the origin of the major types of animals, namely the phyla, is just as strikingly discontinuous as the origin of life
Overall I don’t expect this to change the views of diehard atheist evolutionists, but I would hope that my theistic evolutionist friends will give this book a close reading. A caution: this is a tome that took me two weeks to go through in evening reading, and I am familiar with the field. Like the... Continue Reading
The Good Fight of Faith
A sermon preached in the chapel of Princeton Theological Seminary on Sunday morning, March 10, 1929
All men will speak well of you if, after preaching no matter how unpopular a Gospel on Sunday, you will only vote against that Gospel in the councils of the church the next day; you will graciously be permitted to believe in supernatural Christianity all you please if you will only act as though you did... Continue Reading
The Supreme Court Marriage Decisions: A Call to Martyrdom
The Supreme Court’s endorsement of gay marriage in Windsor was a long time in coming
Nearly every state that has passed same-sex marriage legislation has made exceptions claiming that no pastor will be required to perform same-sex marriages. But as Robert George has pointed out, the protections are thin indeed. Tax exemption will be challenged, and so will accreditation for Christian colleges and schools that hold to traditional views of... Continue Reading
White House Denies Contraception Exemption to Private Businesses
Final rules for religious groups on contraception mandate defines who qualifies for religious exemption and doesn’t have carve-outs for private business owners
The new rules, however, do not apply to private businesses whose owners have religious or moral obligations to contraception — and that issue has already been a major battleground in federal courts. Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned arts-and-crafts chain that’s suing the government over the mandate, won a round June 27 in its bid to not... Continue Reading
Pastor versus Chaplain
A pastor cares for the flock in their distress in much the same way as does the chaplain, but a pastor has a more functional purpose
All this is to say, the chaplain works in an institution for the care of people in the distresses of this fallen world. The pastor does that as well, but not merely to provide solace. The pastor cares for the flock with an eye to leading them into (or, back into) the spiritual fray for... Continue Reading
Is The PCA Liberal Or Just Going Off The Rails A Bit?
A former PCA member reflects on the recent General Assembly and what it may mean for the future
But realistically there are major problems that seem to be swept under the carpet for the time being. As I noted above the recent situation should bring a lot of concern. Whose example are we to follow? Why is the leadership appearing to perform on a level of ineptness that renders confusion and looks more... Continue Reading
How Righteous Do I Have To Be To Know I Am Righteous By Faith?
Is There a Problem with Justification by Faith?
In the PCA both the “grace boys” and the “obedience boys” confess justification by faith alone. However, they diverge with pastoral use they make of the doctrine. With regard to the tensions between the “grace boys” and the “obedience boys”, much as I would like to, I cannot bring myself to embrace fully the “grace” view,... Continue Reading
Does Calvinism Kill Missions?
A list of historic missionaries says not
It must be acknowledged that Calvinists have not only robustly encouraged, engaged, and propagated missions, but have led some of the great mission’s and evangelistic movements in the history of the church. Even a cursory glance at the history of missions and missionaries produces a hall of fame filled with Calvinists. It is often asserted... Continue Reading
Generous Gospel Obedience
“God doesn’t need our good works, but our neighbors do.”
We are often only concerned about our own little kingdoms rather than the kingdom of God, monuments to our own names rather than glory to the name of our God, glory from men rather than glory to God. When we give, let’s never ask: What will this do for me? What returns will it bring... Continue Reading