The statistics suggest that over the last decade in America, the cultural Christians have finally begun to break ranks with other, more observant Christians. It’s not that participating Christianity is declining so much as it is that the persons who in previous surveys have classified themselves as ‘Christian’ because it was the culturally expected thing to do have now begun no longer to classify themselves with any religious designation at all. From recent Pew surveys we are told that the ranks of fervent Christians – including especially evangelicals – have slipped hardly at all. But the numerical decline among their less observant mainline counterparts has begun to accelerate. The decline of cultural Christianity is both a good and a bad thing for the future of the Christian religion in the United States. It is a good thing in that the Christian church will now be smaller, sleeker, and more muscular. Its members will really believe its doctrines and will not be participating in its ..Continue reading→
Home
Thoughts
What are Friends and Family For?
During the Christmas season, friends and family are one of the blessings we celebrate. But, looking at our actual life choices, many of us do not always see friends and family as sources of strength along life’s journey. A New York Times special report that was published online on October 18, 2015 described the life and death of a retired mover named George Bell. There was nothing distinctive about Bell and he died alone of heart disease in his apartment at age 72, without any family being aware of his existence. The article concluded that Bell’s solitary existence, life, and death are becoming all too commonplace among the 50,000 or so deceased persons in New York City each year. For Gerard Sweeney, a private lawyer who does public administrative work and handles cases like Bell’s, “You can die in such anonymity in New York. We’ve had instances of people dead for months. No one finds them, no one misses them.” The statistics suggest that Bell’s life of solitude is increasingly frequen..Continue reading→
Is the Reformation Mostly Over?
Today, nearly 500 years after the Protestant reformation, orthodox Protestants and Catholics are closer to each other than they perhaps have ever been. And this is as it should be. While they still have important differences about the primacy of Rome, the place of Mary, justification by faith, and the structure of the church, it is not uncommon on practical ethics issues for conservative Protestants and Catholics to be working alongside each other in the political trenches – and to view each other as allies in every possible sense of the term. What has driven them closer together is the need for survival in the face of an aggressive and advancing secularism. Today faithful Christians of all kinds – Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox – are being urged by their secular counterparts to cast aside their antiquated beliefs about God and families, and instead to embrace new ideas about gender, marriage, human personhood, and God (i.e. God’s non-existence) that are more compatible with ‘conte..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Ephesians 2:19
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,”Continue reading→
Mark 8:29 (08-29-16)
And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.— Mark 8:29 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The sweetest confession we will ever make is this: I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and I want him to be Lord of my life. Let's say it again, out loud, to the glory of God the father. Then, let's commit that before the year ends, we're going to help someone else come to say it for the first tim..Continue reading→
Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”Continue reading→
Romans 8:28 (08-28-16)
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.— Romans 8:28 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The real issue in our lives is not God's faithfulness, but ours. The history of God's faithfulness to Israel and to his promises is found in the Scriptures. We can depend and rely on him to do what he promises, despite the apparent circumstances of our lives. The real issue is whether or not we choose..Continue reading→
Prayers
One with Christ
Passage: Galatians 3:15-29 Prayer: Dear Father, Thank you, Father, for giving your holy law to Moses and for the role it played in bringing people to Christ. Thank you even more that Christ has come as our real teacher and that we have been delivered to him, that we might be justified by faith. Thank you for making us your sons through faith, for making it possible to put on Christ by our baptism into Christ. Thank you that in him there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but that..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
5 Values for a Healthy and Unified Team
At Saddleback Church we say we are One Church Many Locations and in Saddleback Worship we place the idea of functioning as one team as one of our top team values. The transformative powers of a healthy and united team are unmatched. Here are some sweet points to help us remember what being one team is all about. Unconditional Love “Let love be your highest goal.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 A healthy team begins and ends with love. Unconditional love means that every team member is wanted and valued. ..Continue reading→
Church, parents urged to help kids believe in God more after study shows ‘crisis in faith’ among younger generation
The youth are the hope of the Church, with their young minds serving as a blank canvas for the promotion of the Christian faith. A new study, however, revealed that some of those from the young generation are taking the wrong turn in terms of their spiritual life, giving Christian parents a greater role in keeping their kids' faith now more than ever. Research conducted by Dr. Mark Gray, a senior research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetow..Continue reading→
Perry Noble: Alcohol treatment was ‘one of the most difficult things I’ve experienced’
Perry Noble has said treatment for alcohol abuse was "the hardest thing he'd experienced". Perry Noble, the former pastor of the Newspring megachurch fired over alcohol problems who checked into a 30-day rehab programme, has said his period in an Arizona treatment facility was "one of the most difficult things I've ever experienced". Noble was dismissed by his church's board of directors in July. They said in a statement he had "made some unfortunate choices and decisions that h..Continue reading→
Few evangelical churches led by a woman
A woman raises her hand in prayer during a Joel Osteen ministry event at Yankee Stadium in New York. White men still dominate leadership of evangelical ministries, according to a survey by Religion News Service. Just one of 33 ministries contacted was led by a woman and just three by non-white men. Reporter Steve Rabey, who carried out the survey with support from the Fund for Investigative Journalism, found that more than half of the ministries contacted declined to answer questions a..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Happy Wife. Happy Life.
Since the world streams into our homes electronically, it’s pretty easy to see that setting the world’s concerns aside means shutting the online door. This should be common sense. But recognize that this is God’s direction. He teaches us how to have a happy home. Dedicated time away from the world is his formula to equip us for strong relationships when the time is right for us to engage the world with vigor. The beeps. The buzzes. The vibrations. The earbuds. The squinting eyes. The bluish glo..Continue reading→
Progressive Christians to “Take Back Their Faith” After Election
Astute observers realize that this is more about being properly positioned and seen as against manufactured evils – how “moral” and “religious” they look to other like-minded people choosing ‘love’ over ‘hate’ – rather than genuine concern for the people/groups these “evils,” it’s claimed, negatively effect. It’s self-congratulatory virtue vanity, it’s empty, and it violates Jesus’ admonition against practicing one’s righteousness before men instead of calling those they claim to represent to a ..Continue reading→
The Whole Church Showing Up in Your Quiet Time
When I sit down to read my Bible, I remember that I am not alone. The Scripture is not alone either. I’m not only depending on the Spirit to work in me for that moment; I know that he has been working in the church universal through the centuries, preserving an orthodox profession and testifying to the truth of God’s Word. I know he is working in my local church, participating in this retrieval and Reformation, looking back to the church universal and “translat[ing] it into our new cultural cont..Continue reading→
“Conscience” by Naselli and Crowley (A Review)
I wish the authors would have related justification to the conscience and Christian liberty. Sadly, the doctrine of justification was not discussed in this book. In reality, Christian liberty is an “appendage of justification,” as Calvin said; certainly justification has everything to do with our conscience and Christian liberty (see Gal. 5:1 & Westminster Confession of Faith ch. 20). The Reformation had a lot to say about justification, liberty, and conscience! This book would have been even be..Continue reading→
Life & Society
C of E’s First Woman Bishop Questions Appointment Of ‘Wonder Woman’ As UN Ambassador
Bishop of Stockport Libby Lane, pictured here with the Archbishop of Canterbury after her consecration as the Church of England's first woman bishop, delivered the Temple lecture last night.Reuters The Church of England's first woman bishop has questioned the appointment of the comic book character "Wonder Woman" as an honorary ambassador for the United Nations. Bishop of Stockport Libby Lane said: "We live in a world where there are women who are everyday heroes in all walks of life..Continue reading→
Persecution ‘All Too Familiar’ As World Marks International Religious Freedom Day
Western Christians have become immune to those suffering religious persecution, Bishop Angaelos, the head bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK, warned on Thursday. In a statement to mark International Religious Freedom Day 2016, Angaelos said the oppression of faith minorities has become "an all-too familiar occurrence". But despite the importance of freedom of belief many have become "desensitised or disheartened" by the struggle. Christians abandon their homes in Iraq to escape violence fro..Continue reading→
The More People Have Benefits Stopped, The More They Turn To Food Banks
Reuters New research from Christian-based charity the Trussell Trust suggests that taking away benefits from people as a punishment means they end up using foodbanks. The study, carried out with researchers from Oxford University, said that 'sanctions', which see the withdrawal of benefits for breaking the rules, lead to an increase in the use of food banks, which are often hosted by churches. The sanctions regime has been criticizsd for being too harsh, with people sanctioned for m..Continue reading→
‘You Don’t Have to Like Her’: Oprah Winfrey Endorses Clinton for President on T.D. Jakes Show
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey recently appeared on the “T.D. Jakes Show,” where she urged viewers to vote for Hillary Clinton, stating that “you don’t have to like her” to vote for her. During the broadcast, Jakes, leader of the Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas, Texas, asked Winfrey how the country can be unified rather than divided. “We have focused so much on what divides us, rather than what unites us,” he said. “You brought all types of people together that normally would not be. How are..Continue reading→
Movies
Goodbye, Family Christian Stores
This week, it was announced that Family Christian Stores — one of the world’s largest Christian retailers — will close all 240 of its stores. This isn’t really shocking; Family Christian had gone through bankruptcy a few years back. But it will have an impact; more than 3,000 employees are going to lose their jobs as the stores shutter and Christian culture loses one of its largest and most diverse suppliers of books, music and trinkets. Granted, this is just the nature of the beast these days. ..Continue reading→
Have you caught up with “It’s My Favorite”?
Hey everyone, Not going to lie: it’s been a week. Work, school and home life have been busy, and the general insanity of our world right now has really robbed me of a lot of energy and will to write. It’s a shame, because I have some really good stuff on deck for you. One new series I want to write and one Oscar-related miniseries of articles, and I’m hoping that starting this weekend those will start posting. And in the weeks ahead I’m going to really be jumping into the reviewing pool again ha..Continue reading→
Watch: New music video for The Shack with new footage
Itching to see The Shack — or at least to get a taste of it before it comes out five weeks from now? Well, maybe this will tide you over: the powers that be have released two new songs from the film’s soundtrack, one of which even has a music video. Here is the video, for a new acoustic version of Skillet’s ‘Stars’: The studio has also released the full version of ‘Keep Your Eyes on Me’, which is sung by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and has previously been heard in the trailers. Here is a Spotify ..Continue reading→
The Story of God: Proof of the Divine
Photo by Amanda Slater, Flickr. C.C. Licensing. Season two of “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) on the National Geographic Channel. Once again, I’m writing about it here each week from a Christian perspective as a preview. This post is about episode three, the season finale, “Proof of God.” In the final episode of “The Story of God’s” second season, Morgan Freeman travels the world speaking to people who believe they’ve experienced proof — often tang..Continue reading→
Oscar nominations — my own two bits, and a complete list
It looks like La La Land is the movie to beat at this year’s Oscars. The film, a jazzy musical that stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a musician and an actress trying to make their way in Hollywood, racked up 14 Academy Award nominations this morning — tying the record set by 1950’s All About Eve and 1997’s Titanic. However, because La La Land was nominated twice for original song, it is actually nominated in 13 categories — which is more than the 12 categories that All About Eve was nominate..Continue reading→
Let’s talk Oscar noms!
Some quick thoughts on the 2017 Academy Award nominations, which were announced earlier today. A full list of nominees is available here. At first blush, my biggest surprise is that there isn’t a ton here I would bicker with. The list of nominees this year is really darn good, spread out over several movies. Maybe it’s because I saw fewer movies than normal this year or simply because so many of the nominated films are on my best-of list, but I can’t really find a bad choice among the films. Re..Continue reading→
Star Wars Episode 8 gains a title
Earlier today, the official Star Wars Twitter feed ended more than a year of speculation by revealing the title of the latest entry in the saga, due out this December: It’s official. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is the next chapter of the Skywalker saga. This December. #TheLastJedihttps://t.co/ySkVwQcMTPpic.twitter.com/eHrPgbsRJq — Star Wars (@starwars) January 23, 2017 [Read More...]Continue reading→
Encountering the Mystical in the ‘The Fits’
The fascinating film about adolescent encounters with the sublime gives us plenty to ponder. If you’re looking for a film that inspires lively conversation, you’ve got to check out The Fits. Anna Rose Helmer’s debut feature film runs a brief, but intense, 72 minutes, leaving plenty of time for discussion and debate afterwards. It caused a stir last year at Sundance, and critics have been talking about it ever since. Fortunately, Amazon Prime subscribers can currently stream it for free—and for ..Continue reading→
Review: The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (dir. Dallas Jenkins, 2017)
The Resurrection of Gavin Stone is a “faith-based” comedy about a washed-up former child star who, having trashed a hotel roof bar, is told to do a couple hundred hours of community service at a Chicago-based megachurch and ends up starring in their Easter play. It’s a safe, formulaic and utterly predictable film — precisely the kind of “Christian” movie I tend not to review here — but because of my interest in movies about Jesus, I was interested in seeing how this film would depict the play. T..Continue reading→
Music
One-Way Conversations by Hollyn
Hailing from Ohio, this Dove Awards New Artist of the Year nominee has been working the past year on her debut full length album titled "One-Way Conversations". Listeners were introduced to this vibrant you lady on TobyMac's latest release with the songs "Backseat Driver" and "Lights Shine Bright" and later with her debut #1 single "Alone (featuring TRU)". As a songwriter, Hollyn co-wrote all of the songs on her debut full length album and worked with producers Bryan Fowler (Ryan Stevenson), Wit and 42 North (Andy Mineo), Cole Walowac of Capital Kings, Eric Ramey (Britt Nicole) and more. The album[...]Continue reading→
Run The Race (Single) by Holly Starr
The new single from Holly Starr, co-written with and produced by Bryan Fowler (Ryan Stevenson, Tobymac, Mandisa, Hollyn).[...]Continue reading→
The Garden (Deluxe Edition) by Kari Jobe
Grammy nominated Kari Jobe is the premiere female worship leader in Christian music. Coming off her last live album, Majestic, which featured the worship anthem 'Forever' and radio hit 'I Am Not Alone', Kari Jobe has returned to the studio to record her new album, full of brand new worship anthems for the church and for personal reflection. Finding inspiration from life's joys and hardships, Kari leans into the firm foundation of Christ through it all. With career sales that top 1 million, Kari still comes back to the reason why she started in the first place- leading people into[...]Continue reading→
Back To Life by Anthony Evans
Recording Artist and Worship Leader Anthony Evans' highly-anticipated new album Back To Life releases February 3, 2017 through Sherman James Productions. A collection of worship songs, this new album features NBC's The Voice alumnus on 11 worship-themed tracks exploring authenticity, vulnerability, honesty and the way that the culmination of those three things brought him Back to Life. It marks Evans' eighth solo studio album and will be available through all digital retailers and exclusively at Lifeway Christian Stores. Back To Life is available for pre-order on January 6, 2017. "Over the last year, God has given me one revelation after[...]Continue reading→
Canopy by nobigdyl.
"I wrote Canopy coming out of a time of isolation and darkness. It felt like my life was completely falling apart and I'd have to start over again from nothing. God showed me that sometimes there's safety and protection in isolation. Sometimes, the darkness makes it easier to see the light," confessed nobigdyl. when speaking of the anticipated release. 'Canopy' is nobigdyl.'s first album release since his debut in 2015 with the 'Smoke Signal' EP. Check out indie tribe and nobigdyl at his website, nobigdyl.com.[...]Continue reading→
Books
A Look at Notable 2016 Publications
TEDS President offers his list of best books “There is no end to the making of many books,” says the author of Ecclesiastes. In the United States alone, there were close to one million titles published during the past year, with revenue approaching $1.8 billion. Hundreds of titles competed for our attention during 2016. I offer the following observations with the recognition that I have no doubt missed several important works that some of you would have included in such a survey. The books not..Continue reading→
Recommended Biographies By or About Women
Faith Cook is an author, biographer, and hymn writer. She grew up as a missionary child in war-torn China and has chronicled her story in an autobiography. Her own biographical work has been on both men: Fearless Pilgrim: The Life and Times of John Bunyan William Grimshaw of Haworth and women: The Nine Day Queen of England: Lady Jane Grey, Selina: Countess of Huntingdon: Her Pivotal Role in the 18th Century Evangelical Awakening, and Anne Bradstreet: Pilgrim and PoetContinue reading→
Bibliotheca Bible – a Review
There are many things that I have great admiration for, but perhaps one of the things I enjoy the most is seeing a long-awaited, labor of love come to full fruition. The tenacity, hard work, dedication, and pitfalls along the way in seeing something through to the end is something that, for lack of better terms, gets me emotionally invested in a project. Yet not all projects are equal and not all catch my particular attention – but if we’re truthful, that’s precisely what makes these types of th..Continue reading→
Christianity Today’s 2017 Book Awards
Our picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture. Make a list of all the blessings the Protestant Reformation has brought, and eventually—long after jotting down iconic phrases like “salvation by grace alone through faith alone”—you’ll get around to the CT Book Awards. Books, of course, had existed long before Luther posted his 95 Theses. But there’s no denying that reading and the Reformation, with a vital assist from Gutenberg’s printing press, soared toget..Continue reading→
Where Should Our Women be Discipled?
Pastors and elders want thinking women in the church, right? And yet popular beliefs that came out of the nineteenth century’s cult of domesticity still seem to linger in the evangelical culture today. Back then, people taught that women’s brains were inferior to men’s intellectually and that women needed to reserve their energy and blood flow for reproductive purposes. These are ideas we usually joke about now, even to provoke a woman in innocent fun, because we know them to be scientifically p..Continue reading→
10 Books Every Christian Teenager Should Read
A reader recently asked the question: Do you have a suggested list of books for teenagers, something like a “Ten best books every Christian teenager should read?” It surprised me that I have never compiled such a list, especially since I’ve got two teenagers of my own. I decided I’d better remedy this oversight straight away. Here, then, is a list of ten great books every Christian teen ought to read—or at least consider reading. Please note that these are not necessarily the ten best books your teens will read in their lifetime. Not all of these books will stand the test of time as Christian classics. But each of them is suited to twenty-first century teenaged readers and together they will provide a foundation for the Christian life that will prove both deep and wide. I list them in no particular order. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. It is rare that a book is elevated to the ranks of the classics, but The Holiness of God is a prime candidate. Sproul’s book will introduce teens..Continue reading→
Signposts to God and More (RJS)
Books, books, books … What is the best book you’ve read on Science and Christian faith? It seems to be the season … not the holiday season, but the book season. I recently received three new books. Books by a physicist, a biologist (with training in theology as well), and a philosopher. All three tackle questions of science and Christian faith. Each of the three presents an interesting perspective – and I intend to dig into them more completely over the upcoming months. Peter Bussey’s book, Sign..Continue reading→
2016 Reading Challenge Update: September & October
This year I have been participating in the 2016 Reading Challenge, a fun way to increase and diversify your reading through another year. I took the challenge and set this year’s goal at 104 books. However, because so much of my reading has to go toward reviewing books that are recently published and of interest to Christians (both for reviews published here and in WORLD magazine), I decided to pick from all over the list rather than working through it in order. What follows are the books I completed in September and October and, in parentheses, the reading challenge category they fulfill. Below that is the complete list of categories I need to cover. As you can see, I did not finish many books over the past couple of months, something that is not unusual as my reading ebbs and flows over the course of the year. You can see my previous updates for January, February, March-April, May, June, and July-August. Sexual Morality in a Christless World by Matthew Rueger. This is a brilliant w..Continue reading→
6 Reflections on Community Inspired by Bonhoeffer
My church has recently launched a series on community called Better Together. In conjunction with the sermon series, I, in collaboration with my senior pastor, wrote a small group curriculum to compliment the series. I love community, which is why I love small groups. Like many of you, I work hard on our small group system at my church to equip leaders and to help many in my church experience the fullness of community—the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, as I continue to reflect on communi..Continue reading→
American
Abortion Pill Injures More Women as More Incomplete Abortions Leave Parts of Baby Inside Them
The State of Ohio is among the best in the U.S. when it comes to abortion reporting requirements, seeking as much information as possible from abortion providers about abortion methods, gestational ages, and maternal demographics. Now, one statistic reported to the Medical Board of Ohio has shed new light on the danger of abortions using the drug Mifeprex, also known as Mifepristone or RU486. Ohio requires abortionists who dispense the drug, often referred to as the Abortion Pill, to fill out a..
Why Do Unborn Babies Matter? Just Because They Are
A few of us were having a conversation yesterday and something a member of the class I lead said reminded me of a quote I had just read and to which all pro-lifers would probably say a hardy “amen.” The great apologist G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “All men matter. You matter. I matter. It’s the hardest thing in theology to believe.” Rob Renfroe took Chesterton’s observation and concluded, “And that God—the God who is big enough to speak all of that [just the part of the universe we know about] ..
Utah House Passes Bill Telling Women How the Abortion Pill Can be Reversed to Save Their Baby
The Utah House passed a bill Friday that would require women seeking abortions to be informed that the abortion pill possibly can be reversed and their baby’s life saved. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Utah House Bill 141 passed with strong support in a 56-13 vote, despite some very angry comments from opponents. If passed, Utah would become the third state to require that women be informed of the new medical procedure, which has saved more than 200 babies’ lives after their mothers took the fi..
God Wrote My Life Story Around Surviving an Abortion, How Did He Write Your Story?
I don’t believe God originally wrote abortion into my life, as God is the Creator of life. But when it was introduced by man, or in my case, a woman, He rewrote the story of my life around it, to create the story of a life that is more intricate, more redemptive, more grace-filled, than anything anyone else could have planned or written. “How do you know that you are not part of a book? That someone’s not reading your story right now?”—Jodi Picoult. Everyone has a story. Everyone. But every st..
Australia
Bible Society registered in Azerbaijan
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | World Watch Monitor Wednesday 5 October 2016 The recent registration of a Bible Society in Azerbaijan, after a 20-year fight, has brought fresh optimism to the country’s minority Christians, but there remains some confusion about the types of books it will be allowed to print, with even Bibles potentially falling foul of the country’s strict regulations. Terje Hartberg from United Bible Societies called it “a great development, which will start a new chapter in Bible mini..
Bible Society registered in Azerbaijan, but may not be allowed to print Bibles
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | World Watch Monitor Wednesday 5 October 2016 The recent registration of a Bible Society in Azerbaijan, after a 20-year fight, has brought fresh optimism to the country’s minority Christians, but there remains some confusion about the types of books it will be allowed to print, with even Bibles potentially falling foul of the country’s strict regulations. Terje Hartberg from United Bible Societies called it “a great development, which will start a new chapter in Bible mini..
Man Raped His Own Daughter for More Than a Decade and Then Forced Her to Have an Abortion
An Australian man who admitted to raping his daughter and then coercing her into having an abortion was sentenced to 16 years in jail on Thursday, according to the Illawarra Mercury. The man plead guilty to sexual assault charges involving more than a decade of abuse to his teenage daughter, and a judge sentenced him on Thursday in Illawarra, a region of New South Wales, the report states. The man also plead guilty to sexually abusing two of his siblings in the 1980s. The man, who is not named..
Australia: Anglican bishop backs same-sex marriage ahead of possible referendum
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has introduced legislation for a referendum on same-sex marriage. An Anglican bishop in Australia has come out in favour of same-sex marriage ahead of a possible referendum on the issue next February. Ballarat's bishop Garry Weatherill, who opposes the referendum, told the ABC that he supported "marriage equality". Bishop Weatherill said: "The local position of this particular bishop is for marriage equality. The Bible teaches marriage is..
Law & Government
Abortionists Sue to Stop Texas From Requiring Burial, Cremation of Aborted Babies
AUSTIN — A coalition of abortion providers have filed suit in an effort to stop Texas officials from requiring that they bury or cremate the bodies of the unborn children they kill instead of having them incinerated with medical waste and dumped in landfills. “The regulation enshrines into law an exceedingly narrow set of beliefs regarding embryonic and fetal personhood, and what is appropriate for the disposition of embryonic and fetal tissue,” the lawsuit, filed on Monday, asserts. “These vie..
Trump Says Obama ‘Really Doing Great,’ Does Not ‘Care’ About Prosecuting Clinton Following Election
Speaking at “thank you” rallies in both Louisiana and Michigan on Friday, President-elect Donald Trump told those gathered that he believes Barack Obama has been “really doing great” and that he has no interest in prosecuting Hillary Clinton now that the election is over. He mentioned Obama in discussing concerns about voter fraud, which he said has only “gotten worse” since the current president spoke of the matter in 2008. “President Obama—who by the way I’ve gotten along with so well,” he s..
Mississippi City Settles Lawsuit Filed by Christians Harassed Outside State’s Last Abortion Facility
JACKSON, Miss. — Officials in Jackson, Mississippi have settled a lawsuit filed by a number of Christians who were reportedly harassed while conducting pro-life ministry outside of the last remaining abortion facility in the state. “We are pleased that the City has finally agreed to follow well-established legal precedent in this area of First Amendment rights,” Allison Aranda, senior staff counsel with the Life Legal Defense Foundation, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our clients have been ..
Colorado College Student Charged After Using Skewer to Forcibly Abort Girlfriend’s Baby
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. — A Saudi man attending college in the United States on a student VISA has been charged with unlawful termination of a pregnancy and sexual assault after he allegedly used a skewer to forcibly abort the child his girlfriend was carrying. Ahmed Almesbahi, 23, is a student at University of Colorado Colorado Springs and studies mechanical engineering. In May, his girlfriend, a Kazakh immigrant, contacted police to state that she had been assaulted by Almesbahi in August 2015 ..
Entertainment
Talking adoption, foster care and faith with the author of Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins
Comment countThe following is a guest post from Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans, who recently talked with one of my favorite authors, Katherine Paterson, about some issues pretty close to my own heart. I love what she has to say here. It’s well worth the read. *** Embed from Getty Images“No book made a greater impression on me before high school,” a 40-something magazine editor recently shared with me. My 10-year old daughter said much the same, “Oh, I just loved i..
A Game About Grief and God Wins Major Award
That Dragon, Cancer was never meant to be the next big video game franchise. You don’t shoot aliens or run anyone off the road. You don’t fight the Joker or, despite its name, even battle any dragons. The game, designed by Ryan and Amy Green, was simply meant to help players understand what they went through as their son, Joel, suffered from and eventually died of cancer. You’re there with the doctors as they break the bad news, despair liberally flooding the room. You try to comfor..
“The Shack” official trailer released!
Octavia Spencer and Sam Worthington in “The Shack.” Courtesy Lionsgate, The official trailer for “The Shack” was released today. The film, based on the NYTimes best seller, will be released in March, 2017. Just know that this film goes where no other film has gone before, speaking theologically. I normally don’t post trailers before release but since I have seen this film twice I am posting it so you can get a taste of the film.
What Would Moana Do? Seven Life Lessons From Disney Princesses
Comment countFrom Moana, photo courtesy DisneyMoana, Disney’s latest animated heroine, sails into theaters this week. While she might not live in a palace or charm the socks off the nearest Prince Charming, everyone—especially the girls who’ll be flocking to see her—knows exactly who and what she is. “You’re in a dress and you’ve got an animal sidekick,” says resident demigod Maui. “You’re a princess.” Princesses have ruled Disney’s magic kingdom since Snow White first trilled into her animated ..
Health and Science
Jimmy Carter Visits Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter, Tells Reporters: ‘I Believe in Evolution’
Former President Jimmy Carter toured Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter on Friday, but told reporters that he was not necessarily endorsing Ham’s views, as he personally believes in evolution. “The earth is four billion years old, … but I don’t see a conflict there,” Carter told reporters, referring to the conflict between Christianity and evolution. “And as a scientist, I believe in evolution.” “But all things are possible through the divin..
‘Nobody Understands’: Chemist Debunks Evolutionary Viewpoint on Life’s Origins
An illustrious chemist who has previously shed light on critical shortcomings in scientists’ understanding of evolution has written a detailed essay explaining “the massive gaps in our understanding” of how life first originated. Dr. James Tour is a professor of chemistry, computer science, and materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University. He has written over 590 research publications and over 100 patents, and he is the recipient of numerous scientific aw..
Scientists Beginning to Doubt Discovery Once Touted as Evidence for Evolution
An influential scientific discovery that was once celebrated as compelling evidence for evolution may require reinterpretation, according to a growing number of scientists and researchers. In 2008, biologist Richard Lenski of Michigan State University jubilantly announced that he had witnessed a “major evolutionary innovation.” Lenski, as part of his Long-Term Experimental Evolution (LTEE) project, had been carefully observing the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) reproduce in a lab. Finally,..
Inscriptions Found in Ancient Fortress Support Biblical Timeline, Challenge Skeptics
TEL AVIV, Israel – A team of Israeli researchers has found evidence that literacy was widespread among ancient Israelites, thus challenging critics of the Bible who claim most people in Old Testament times were illiterate. Critics of the Bible have long alleged that Israelites prior to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. were largely illiterate. Therefore, they argue, many of the Old Testament books were written after the destruction of Jerusalem, which is much later than the Bi..
US
What Trump has done so far
(2) The U.S. has now pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the vast and complicated free trade pact with Asian countries, Canada, and Australia (not including China).(3) A hiring freeze for the federal government is now in effect.After the jump, 18 more things that the new administration has done in its first 72 hours.Critics are saying that Trump has broken his promises in not doing various things that during the campaign he said he would do on his first day. See this scorecard. But a da..
When Jesse Jackson was pro-life and why he changed
In a tribute to the recently-deceased Nat Hentoff, Carl Trueman describes an encounter on a train between the pro-life leftist and Jesse Jackson. From Carl R. Trueman, Strangers on a Train | Carl R. Trueman | First Things: There is one passage in Speaking Freely (177-78) that offers disturbing insights into modern political culture. Hentoff quotes a certain politician on abortion: “What happens to the soul of a nation that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of conscience? ..
Mathematical proof of God’s existence?
The great mathematician and logician Kurt Gödel, who died in 1978, left behind a series of equations that purport to prove the existence of God. As I understand it (and I don’t understand the math!), the equations test the validity of St. Anselm’s ontological argument for God’s existence, which defines God as the greatest being [Read More...]
Many gods were invoked at the Inauguration service
The traditional Inauguration Service at the National Cathedral was an interfaith service featuring Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Baha’is, Native American religion, Jews, and Christians–including Catholics, Orthodox, mainline Protestants, and evangelicals–who aren’t bothered by syncretism. After the jump, a list of the participants, with a link to a story about the event. UPDATE: For a description of the [Read More...]
Church & Theology
A Brief Case for Reading Scripture with a Trinitarian Lens
Whatever your method of biblical exegesis, theological construction, or preaching and teaching, the Trinity should never be taken for granted in how you read Scripture. The triune God choosing to reveal himself to mankind is the cornerstone of our relationship with him and the bedrock content of his revelation. He didn’t have to communicate with us–before or after the Fall–and he certainly didn’t have to leave us his Word. But he did. So we should be careful not to forget the God who speaks thro..
8 Characteristics of an Effective Discipleship Program
One of the core ministries that God has greatly blessed in our church is the organized discipleship on Wednesday evenings. Not only are there new people continually being enrolled in discipleship and others completing the course, but the biblical grounding and personal mentoring that takes place during the weeks of discipleship continues to bear fruit in people’s lives years after they have finished. At our church, we use the Continue discipleship book and have found it both helpful and fruitfu..
What Do Pastors Do All Week?
I think one of the most common misconceptions of those who have not served as a senior pastor is that a pastor’s work is only the work of preaching. If you look at it that way, it would seem the pastor hardly works at all—perhaps for an hour two or three times each week. Yet, when Paul described the “office of a bishop” (pastor), he specifically called it “work.” This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.—1 Timothy 3:1 It was a joy a few months bac..
Did New Testament Writers Understand the Trinity?
In a thesis I recently wrote for Ridley College, under the supervision of Michael Bird, I argued that the Book of Revelation contains an incipient Trinitarianism. I made the case that John, looking back at his Old Testament (OT) and reflecting on the Christian tradition that would produce the New Testament (NT), at some level understood the divinity of the Son and Holy Spirit. No doubt, NT writers were not Nicene-confessing Christians–but I think it is an overreach to assu..