A New Leader to Chart Scouting’s New Course
Robert Gates, who led the military in its repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ will become the Boy Scouts’ national president next year
Was the change made because Gates is more likely to allow homosexual leaders in the Boy Scouts? Deron Smith, a spokesman for the BSA, said the selection of Gates “is not related to the BSA’s membership standards policy.” But Smith would not answer questions from WORLD about Gates’ or the BSA’s plans for implementing new... Continue Reading
Northwest Christian University Class President Reveals He’s an Atheist
A student from a Christian university in Oregon, revealed he's an atheist
“I was an atheist long before I came to NCU. I was baptized Lutheran, and raised Methodist, but as time went on I slowly came to the conclusion that God wasn’t real. For me, church was an empty ritual that I participated in so I could see friends, scripture was largely mythological, and Jesus was... Continue Reading
Christians, Obamacare, and the Relationship of Humanity to the State: A Rejoinder to Michael Bird and N.T. Wright
Christians of goodwill can and will disagree on the proper role of the government in securing healthcare for its citizens
Here lies my critique of an expansive federal government—it is not too communal, but rather too individualistic, in that it seeks to meet people’s needs apart from these all-important networks of accountability and support. A dominant federal government wants you and me to look only to it, and not to our neighbors, to meet our... Continue Reading
Mark Driscoll and Mark Matthews — Religious Warriors in Seattle: Is History Repeating Itself?
The respective stories of Mark Matthews and Mark Driscoll ministering in the Pacific Northwest: how to understand the similarities
What makes the respective stories of Matthews and Driscoll so interesting is that the Pacific Northwest is one of the most secular regions in the country. Several years ago, scholars began referring to it as the “None Zone” in reference to the fact that when surveyed, more people in the Northwest, compared with the rest... Continue Reading
Christianity is a Supernatural Faith
The impact of liberalism and neo-liberalism on the church left it basically as a worldly, nature-bound religion that sought refuge in a humanitarian social agenda
What we need is an understanding of the supernatural that comes to us from the supernatural, from the Author of the supernatural, who reveals to us in His Word the content of the supernatural realm — so that our understanding of angels, or demons, or of spiritual beings comes from God’s self-revelation …. without the... Continue Reading
The Unseen Scars Are Often As Painful As the Ones Seen
Many military veterans return from their service scarred; some scars are visible, other times, the scars are invisible
Pop was as tough and fearless as any man I’ve ever known, yet after a few stiff drinks at night, wartime memories that haunted him would come pouring out. The experience that haunted him the most happened on the aircraft carrier Essex during World War II. Pop was in charge of making the planes flight... Continue Reading
PCA’s Evangel Presbytery Votes to Deny Peter Leithart’s Request to Labor Out of Bounds
Peter Leithart is presently serving in a CREC ministry in Birmingham, Ala., outside the bounds of Evangel Presbytery
At its stated meeting on November 12, 2013, Evangel Presbytery voted unanimously to deny TE Peter Leithart’s request to labor out of bounds with Trinity House and Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. Trinity Presbyterian Church is a member church within the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). Evangel Presbytery is a member of the... Continue Reading
How Churches Can Help Without Hurting After Super Typhoon Haiyan
Rule #1: Don't jump into action before you know the needs on the ground
Churches can be more effective in offering aid to communities in the Philippines affected by the recent disaster. The church is called to help in times of need. But sometimes our good intentions can cause unintentional harm. By following these guidelines, you and your church will be better prepared to help in a way that... Continue Reading
Is Transformation and Renewal Possible?
Our purpose is not that we be permanently triumphant in everything but that we be consistently faithful and obedient in this present time
I believe in heaven, and I believe Jesus will return. I believe in the necessity of people to see beyond the temporal and live for the eternal and to place their hope in things above because death is real and life is fleeting. Yet I also believe God made human life the arena of importance,... Continue Reading
Garbage Pick-Up Day
Can we get toss out our deep and longstanding issues like we do our smelly garbage?
The huge green garbage truck was coming down the street right on schedule. As the truck slowed to a stop, the worker jumped off and easily threw my garbage into the truck’s giant open bin. My garbage is gone! It can’t be retrieved. “Can I really rid myself of my mental garbage as easily as... Continue Reading