History: A Runaway Jury?
Invoking history in one’s support is, strictly speaking, a risky exercise
The direction and verdict of history amount to the same thing: an ethical stance determined by public opinion and prevailing tastes. What is so worrying, of course, is that ‘history’ can be wrong as easily as it can be right. Yes, there is the end of slavery, women’s suffrage, and the fall of the Iron... Continue Reading
Is the Reformation Over?
The theological gulf between Protestants and Catholics is still wide and in places very deep.
Should Catholics and Protestants treat each other decently and with respect? Of course. Will we labor side by side on important moral and social matters? Quite often. Can we find born again Christians worshiping in Catholic churches? No doubt. Are there still critical doctrinal issues which rightly divide Protestants and Catholics? Absolutely. We do neither... Continue Reading
David Gushee’s Gay-Switch, Biblical Scholarship, and Slanted Reporting
A response to David Gushee’s defection from the orthodox stance on homosexual practice
We have no right to short-circuit the work of God, who through the Spirit is in the business of transforming us into the image of his Son, by assuring people falsely that God does not regard this or that behavior as an egregious violation of the divine will. I do not fault Dr. Gushee for... Continue Reading
Bigots Are Really Bigoted
But what else could you expect from “traditional beliefs”?
Like many on the academic left, Bronner is not satisfied with merely suggesting that those who disagree are wrong. They also are evil. And their ideas do not even merit a hearing. He goes after those tricky bigots who “believe that the content of speech is always secondary to the right to speak.” (You know,... Continue Reading
The Dangers Of Homicide At Home
We know murder is not right, but we need to learn that Jesus taught a broader meaning of the sixth commandment in the Sermon on the Mount
Jesus expands our understanding of murder. He puts anger and murder in the same category: a failure to rule over your emotions and passions. In Matthew 5:21-24, Jesus uses strong language to warn those who neglect this commandment with the “fire of hell.” I wonder if we take that warning seriously enough to help our... Continue Reading
6 Myths about Pastors
What are six myths about pastors that people might think are true but are actually false?
The pastor needs a break too from the grind of his job because, as I wrote earlier, he cannot simply clock out and be done with work for the day. His job often requires him to respond to emergencies, to answer questions, to ensure that things at the church are functioning properly, that counseling appointments... Continue Reading
The Case for Drinking as Much Coffee as You Like
If you like coffee, go ahead and drink as much as you want and can
“Coffee and caffeine have been inexorably intertwined in our thinking, but truth is coffee contains a whole lot of other stuff with biological benefits,” said Martin. And most concerns about caffeine’s negative effects on the heart have been dispelled. In June, a meta-analysis of ten years of research went so far as to find an... Continue Reading
The Rural Church Potential
Explicitly or implicitly, the modern church seems to place little to no value on the rural church
The benefits of a rural community can (and should) become the benefit of the rural church. I’m not waging a campaign trying to abolish the city church. Even though I don’t want to live in the city, I pray the preaching of the cross would reach the ears of Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. But one... Continue Reading
Pope Francis: ‘Evolution … Is Not Inconsistent With The Notion Of Creation’
Pope Francis waded into the controversial debate over the origins of human life, saying the big bang theory did not contradict the role of a divine creator
Unlike much of evangelical Protestantism in the U.S., Catholic teaching traditionally has not been at odds with evolution. In 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed there was no opposition between evolution and Catholic doctrine. In 1996, St. John Paul II endorsed Pius’ statement. VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Monday (Oct. 27) waded into the controversial debate over... Continue Reading
Evangelical Leader Russell Moore Denounces Ex-Gay Therapy
Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore denounced reparative therapy saying the controversial treatment that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation has been “severely counterproductive.
“The utopian idea if you come to Christ and if you go through our program, you’re going to be immediately set free from attraction or anything you’re struggling with, I don’t think that’s a Christian idea,” Moore told journalists. “Faithfulness to Christ means obedience to Christ. It does not necessarily mean that someone’s attractions are... Continue Reading