God’s Sovereignty and Our Fear of Terrorism
How should Christians respond to terrorism, and what should our attitudes be about the threat posed by terrorism?
John Calvin, who also faced persecution, had this to say about the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel: “[N]othing can be safer than to make God the guardian and protector of our life. For we ought not to expect to be preserved from every danger because we see those holy men delivered; for we... Continue Reading
John Piper on homosexuality, part 2
More from Romans, with helpful biblical counsel for homosexuals and parents
I confess that my main aim in these two messages is not to persuade you that homosexual behavior is wrong. It is wrong. But you can believe that and not be a Christian. So what does it profit a man if he knows everything that’s wrong, and loses his own soul? My aim is much... Continue Reading
Ushering In The Kingdom?
Just as farmer can’t make the seed grow, neither can humans usher in the kingdom of God
I’ve heard of church (and para-church) mission statements and flyers that talk about bringing God’s kingdom to this city or that city by cleaning up neighborhoods, reforming city hall, and getting rid of gangs. While I’m certainly not against those things, I’d argue they are not “kingdom work.” I’m not comfortable with this type of... Continue Reading
Book Review: “Ministry in the Digital Age” by David Bourgeois
Blog? Website? Social Media? Next Big Thing? - Ministry in the Digital Age, Theory and Practice
“Look at church history. Look at the God-breathed Scriptures themselves. There has always been a need for the people of God to strike a balance between the sacredness of physical presence and the transcending power of communications media — be they Roman roads, printing presses, or social media. Communications media can never fully capture or fulfill the... Continue Reading
Kentucky Baptists to discuss theological integrity of Campbellsville University
The story of Jarvis Williams has reached the attention of Paul Chitwood, the executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention
Recent news that the university will not tenure a popular professor in their school of theology has solicited both an outpouring of support for the professor and swirling accusations about the university. For most Kentucky Baptists, a personnel matter at one of our nine agencies or institutions is a matter that should be handled privately... Continue Reading
Scouting compromise: BSA to allow homosexual scouts
A Boy Scouts of America proposal to allow homosexual youth while maintaining a ban on gay leaders makes both sides unhappy
On Friday, the BSA said it changed course in part because of surveys sent out starting in February to about 1 million members of the Scouting community. The review, according to a BSA statement, “created an outpouring of feedback” from 200,000 respondents. “While perspectives and opinions vary significantly, parents, adults in the Scouting community and... Continue Reading
The Boston Bombing: Trying to Make Sense of the Senseless
They raised their hand against everyone and everyone's hand was raised against them
When the pictures of these two young brothers were broadcast, my heart sunk. The younger boy, the one still alive, is only a few years older than my son. There he was, casually walking with his hat backwards – with a weapon of mass destruction on his back, intent on mayhem. What hatred has filled... Continue Reading
Leon Kass: The Meaning of the Gosnell Trial
Eminent bioethicist Leon Kass on the dangers of a world increasingly indifferent to matters of human dignity
Dr. Kass sometimes finds himself at odds with [pro-life] advocates. The movement’s narrow focus on nascent life, he worries, blinds it to the fact that “abortion is connected to lots of other things that are threats to human dignity in its fullness. Pursuing perfect babies, ageless bodies and happy souls with the aid of cloning,... Continue Reading
Thoughts on Same-Sex Marriage, Part III: The Issue Is Civil, Not Religious
The Utah compromise proves that the question of whose unions the state will recognize is not a religious decision; it is a civil decision
I suspect the primary consideration that has motivated such a diversity of states to recognize heterosexual unions between one man and one woman is because this is the ordinary biological way in which new taxpayers (and soldiers, etc.) are created. Governments do not (yet?) have the power to create new humans to pay taxes in... Continue Reading
Legalize Polygamy! No. I Am Not Kidding.
Proposition: Marriage equality doesn’t end with same-sex marriage; we need to legalize polygamy, too
The definition of marriage is plastic. Just like heterosexual marriage is no better or worse than homosexual marriage, marriage between two consenting adults is not inherently more or less “correct” than marriage among three (or four, or six) consenting adults. Though polygamists are a minority—a tiny minority, in fact—freedom has no value unless it extends... Continue Reading