The action of last year’s assembly declaring itself free to propose amendments to the Book of Order in conflict with The Book of Confessions, thus disallowing the confessions any say-so over the government and life of the church, was a knowing and willing rejection both of the confessions and of good order. It was a... Continue Reading

One of the reasons it’s plausible for so many people to think Christians oppose same-sex marriage because they are bigots is because on the whole Christians have shown themselves to be much more fired up about homosexuality than about problems like divorce, adultery, and what was once known as illegitimacy (problems with which Christians themselves... Continue Reading

Piper seems to be confused about the difference between compassionate, loving friendship, accepting people as they are, and public discussion and action. The aim of the former is to know, love, and help an individual friend come to knowledge of God and true self-knowledge. The aim of the latter is the public, common good of... Continue Reading

As the ultimate private institution, the family is a stubborn obstacle to the great collective effort. Insofar as people invest in their own families, they are holding out on the state and unacceptably privileging their own kids over the children of others. These parents are selfish, small-minded, and backward. “Once it’s everybody’s responsibility,” Harris-Perry said... Continue Reading

Christian journalists, you may be called to be an observing witness (vs. 18) to the apostasy of the Church. Don’t flinch from reporting the sins of the Church for it may very well be your truthful and courageous trumpeting (vs. 17) of the disobedience of the many that may save the faithful few. These are... Continue Reading

Notice that from a Christian perspective, the real issue is not sexual perversity, whether it is heterosexual or homosexual, but idolatry. The root cause is the refusal to grant authority to God and the exaltation of public opinion to a place of ultimate authority. Seen in this light, Bill O’Reilly’s prescription for Christians to stop... Continue Reading

Pastors, guard from trying to dismiss the seriousness of this loss. It is real, painful, and will require focused time to grieve and work through this loss. Sometimes the best thing to do is to sit with the couple, weep with those who weep, share your regret, and affirm this loss has not changed the... Continue Reading

But God warns us against those who would call evil good (Isaiah 5:20), and fidelity to your marriage vow is good. Thou shalt not commit adultery, God says. These are not the words of a conservative prig but they are the words of a generous God whose commandments are not burdensome but wise and good,... Continue Reading

If there’s one thing that infuriates me (usually holy anger, sometimes not so holy) it’s the ridiculously ignorant and horrifically insensitive statements that some pastors and Christians make about depression and mental illness. The church would do well to recapture the Puritan’s motto in all their counseling: “A bruised reed He will not break, and... Continue Reading

The reason we do not cooperate with regenerating grace before it acts upon us and in us is because we cannot. We cannot because we are spiritually dead. We can no more assist the Holy Spirit in the quickening of our souls to spiritual life than Lazarus could help Jesus raise him for the dead.... Continue Reading