A Nation of Wimps
Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the bumps out of life for their children. Parental hyperconcern has the net effect of making kids more fragile; that may be why they're breaking down in record numbers.
In changing the nature of childhood, Stearns argues, we’ve introduced a tendency to assume that children can’t handle difficult situations. “Middle-class parents especially assume that if kids start getting into difficulty they need to rush in and do it for them, rather than let them flounder a bit and learn from it. I don’t mean... Continue Reading
Evil, Evil, Everywhere
I’ve found that my students — often steeped in relativism — have to be prodded to consider “evil”
Most students then agree that those things are evil, if by evil we simply mean profoundly immoral….What about Jim Crow, for instance? I encourage them to forget about the United States. Regardless of whether the United States was/is just as evil or less evil or pretty good, was Soviet tyranny evil? I do this exercise... Continue Reading
The Sexual Secularization of Our Society
Intellectual and sexual rebellion rages on in our day, but the final epitaph has not yet been written
There are thus only two ultimate alternatives: either the thinker, activist, or leader can subject sexual desire to truth or he will subjugate truth to sexual desire. If a person is dominated by desire, i.e., Eros, then that desire will be the surest explicator of his thought. The turning away of the mind from truth... Continue Reading
Thank You North Park Presbyterian Church (PCA), Jackson, MS
Thanking a church with a rich heritage as it closes
North Park Presbyterian church of Jackson, MS, has always loved us and cared for us well. Even greater was their love for Christ and their desire to see His church spread to all corners of the earth. Their zeal for global missions was evident when their doors were open, and it will continue to be... Continue Reading
“An Army of the Living God”: Stonewall Jackson’s Death and Southern Memory
150th anniversary of the death on May 10, 1863, of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson from wounds sustained at the Battle of Chancellorsville
The most fascinating aspect of Stonewall’s character was his intense Presbyterian faith. Having been baptized an Episcopalian, Jackson joined the Presbyterian Church after thorough study of the Westminster Confession of Faith, becoming “the bluest [most traditional] kind of Presbyterian,” according to one newspaper account. Jackson was rigorously principled and devout, assiduously avoiding activities on the... Continue Reading
Canadian Supreme Court Rules Biblical Speech Opposing Homosexual Behavior is a ‘Hate Crime’
Ruling: because the use of the word “sodomy” only referred to “two men” and not also the sex acts of heterosexuals, it was a direct target against a specific group of people
The Supreme Court noted in its opinion, among other concerns, that Whatcott’s use of the Bible to target homosexuals was a problem. “[Whatcott’s] expression portrays the targeted group as a menace that could threaten the safety and well-being of others, makes reference to respected sources (in this case the Bible) to lend credibility to the... Continue Reading
CRC Nominee for Executive Director Withdraws
Difficulties in finding an Executive Director for the Christian Reformed Church
This is the latest in a series of frustrating events in the leadership of the CRC. The previous Executive Director resigned suddenly two years ago, then other high-level leaders stepped down, and back in 2005 the appointed Executive Director stepped down from ministry before his first day on the job. Just days before the... Continue Reading
The Arrogance of the Urban: Part 2
It is time to abandon the evangelical quest to be “relevant”.
We have an unfortunate tendency to chase what is cool in our culture and make it the centerpiece of our ministry (often denigrating other ministries that don’t share our vision). Meanwhile, we don’t realize that we are really about 10 years behind the cultural trends anyway. We are perennial late-comers to what our world thinks... Continue Reading
Same American Dream, Different Zip Code
Like the suburban planning of a few decades ago, New Urbanism promises to set up the conditions for everyone’s social success.
It is not where you pursue social success but the Dream lies in the fact that one expects planned success to be tangibly achieved. In this regard, elites who planned the suburbs for social success, through public/private arrangements, and elites in the cities are both driven by the same cause: a lust for planned social... Continue Reading
“Gay Marriage” Shows Us Why Theology Matters
Three ways Biblically sound theology will help in the same-sex marriage debate
To invite homosexuals to embrace themselves so that they are no longer lonely is agreeing with those on the left that God was wrong in ordaining the family as one man and one woman together in marriage. It is agreeing with those whom God is pouring out His wrath. It is agreeing with those who... Continue Reading