Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading→
Home
Thoughts
Motherhood Is a Marathon
I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading→
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does? Watch NowContinue reading→
Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?
Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
The Secret to Preparing for Suffering
“Though suffering is a sure reality in this world, we need not anxiously fear it. Instead we must prepare for it by establishing and exhorting our faith now, through the living and abiding Word of God.” “It feels like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.” I sat on the edge of our bed with tears in my eyes, attempting to describe to my husband the silent, simmering fear that had been plaguing me. I was in perpetual dread of getting re-injured and of the new pains that so easily come to those..Continue reading→
The Most Important Book I’ve Read This Year
“Countless reviews have appeared online, most of them glowingly positive, so I don’t want to rehash any of that here. But because I think his book is so helpful, I do want to draw attention to the three main points Haidt makes about the way we make moral decisions, and the three controlling metaphors he uses, before reflecting a bit on why they are so significant in our current cultural situation.” Back in January, prompted by a challenge from Tim Challies, I set myself the target of reading on..Continue reading→
America’s Lost Girls?
Affirmation of self-worth for America’s young girls is now measured by how many strangers over the Internet compliment or “Like” their latest Instagram photo. Unconditional love isn’t even a concept. These girls are used to earning love, or warped approval rather. Earn it by proving your worth with straight-As in school. Prove your worth to an employer by sacrificing a spouse and kids. Sacrifice your integrity by embellishing your life on social media for the sake of others’ approval. Sobering ..Continue reading→
Missions: Ecclesiology With a Passport
It’s a dicey line that Stott and Keller have drawn for the church to walk. In essence, they are saying, “We’re going to keep the gospel the main thing and focus the church on social reform; in fact, in a sense, social action is the gospel too.” In theory, it’s a noble blend of word and deed. Naturally, however, the further one pushes into the realm of social action, the closer one gets to the place where social involvement ceases to be distinctly Christian, and at some point, social involvement ..Continue reading→
Life & Society
The ‘new norm’: Most Americans now consider living together before marriage a ‘good idea’
The wave of liberalism continues its relentless surge in America with majority of American adults now saying that it's a good idea for couples to live together before deciding to get married. According to a recent study by the Barna Group, two-thirds of adults (65 percent) think cohabitation before marriage is good, compared to one-third (35 percent) who disagree. However, religious groups are the least likely to consider cohabitation a good idea. In its report, the Barna Group says cohabitation has become "the new norm" in America. This is the result of "shifting gender roles and expectations, the delay of marriage, and a secularizing culture," the polling firm says. But although acceptance of live-in relationship is now widespread in America, there are still "large pockets of resistance ... among religious communities and those who adhere to more traditional values and premarital expectations," it says. The Barna Group notes that most Christian teac..Continue reading→
Ted Cruz accuses Obama administration of ‘willful blindness’ to threat of radical Islam
Ted Cruz accused President Obama's administration of a "wilful blindness" to the threat of radical Islam at a Senate hearing on Wednesday. The former Republican presidential hopeful said the Obama administration had under-emphasized the "threat of radical Islam". He pointed to the initial redaction of references to the leader of Islamic State in partial transcripts released by the FBI and US State Department of the 911 call made by Orlando shooter Omar Mateen. They later reversed their decision and released the unredacted version after a wave of criticism. Obama has refused to use the term "radical Islam" in reference to terror attacks. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gave a national security speech a day after the Orlando massacre, insisting it was "time to tell the truth about radical Islam". In his own remarks, Obama said America stood united in the face of "an act of terror and an act of hate" and would not give in to fear.Continue reading→
Huge spike in anti-Muslim hate crime across UK
The figures revealed that women were most likely to be subject to abuse. Britain is failing its Muslim citizens, a monitoring group said on Wednesday, as it revealed an "explosion of anti-Muslim hate both online and on our streets". Tell Mama released its annual report today, which showed a 326 per cent increase in public incidents of anti-Muslim hate in 2015, including physical and verbal attacks. The group reported 437 of these incidents last year, up from 146, and said perpetrators were "putting their hatred into action". In total, 1,128 incidents were reported to Tell Mama in 2015, more than 800 of which were found to be anti-Muslim. The figures revealed that women were most likely to be subject to abuse – 61 per cent of incidents had a female victim. More than half (55 per cent) of victims were "visibly Muslim," the report said, increasing to 75 per cent of cases involving women. Blaming Muslims: why Christians must take the lead in fighting Is..Continue reading→
Word of Life: Church beating survivor ‘confesses to inappropriate touching of children’
The young man who survived a mass church beating that resulted in the death his brother has confessed to having "inappropriately" touched his half-sister's children, CNN reports. Christopher Leonard appears in court to give a sworn testimony during a felony hearing for his half-sister, Sarah Ferguson in New Hartford, New York October 21, 2015. Christopher Leonard, now 19, testified on Tuesday in the trial of Sarah Ferguson, who is among eight members of the Word of Life church in New Hartford, upstate New York, to be charged in connection with the death of Lucas Leonard. Christopher Leonard told the court that Ferguson found out about the touching during a so-called "counselling session" at the church in October last year. It was during this 10-hour session, allegedly initiated because Lucas Leonard wanted to leave the church, that the two teenagers were severely beaten. Christopher Leonard survived the attack but was hospitalised for blunt-force injuries. A videoed te..Continue reading→
Movies
Review: Joy
The text at the beginning of Joy, the latest film from director David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook), says it is “inspired by the true stories of daring women . . . one in particular.” That “one” is Joy Mangano, play..Continue reading→
Review: The Revenant
One of the memorable (and most talked about) scenes in The Revenant is an epic fight between Leonardo DiCaprio and a grizzly bear. The bloody brawl occurs early in the film and is the plot’s inciting incident. Gravely injured by the bear, 1820s frontiersman Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is left for dead by his fellow hunters/fur-traders and must survive in the wilderness in the dead of winter. As if it wasn’t already hard enough to survive the Pawnee tomahawks and arrows, subzero temperatures, blizzards, dehydration, and treacherous men within his own group (most notably Tom Hardy’s villainous character Fitzgerald), Glass must do it all having been maimed, mauled, and flayed by a bear.Continue reading→
Review: Concussion
Concussion tries to achieve the depth and stakes of the Biblical story of Esther, without quite enough unchecked power or genocide to support the claim. The movie is based on real-life Dr. Bennet Omalu’s discovery of the danger of repeated brain trauma sustained by professional football players and his battle to publicize that danger. Oma..Continue reading→
Watch: McCoy gives Spock a word of advice about “Earth girls” in the first clip from Star Trek Beyond
The other day, while trying to figure out the relevance of Rihanna’s lyrics to the Star Trek film she had written them for, I speculated that Spock and Uhura might break up in this movie. And, well, what do you know: our first clip from the film seems to depict just that, though without all the layers of angst that Rihanna’s song provides. Here is the clip: It’s interesting to see McCoy step in as Uhura walks away. When the first JJ Abrams film came out several years ago, it was noted that Uhura..Continue reading→
Behold the poster for Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge
After a ten-year hiatus, Mel Gibson is back in the director’s chair — and, fittingly for the Oscar-winning director of Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ, his next film is a war movie with a potentially strong faith element. Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a Seventh-Day Adventist who refused to carry a gun and served instead as a medic during World War II. He became the first conscientious objector to win the Congressional Medal of Honor after he saved 75 men during the..Continue reading→
VOICELESS film launches “100 Theaters in 50 Days” Campaign in response to Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court’s recent reversal of a Texas law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges and abortion facilities to meet basic health standards is a signal to the pro-life movement to push for social change in other ways, says Jason Jones, co-executive producer of the new pro-life film VOICELESS. Jones, founder of Movie to Movement, a non-profit organization that ..Continue reading→
A virtual-reality Jesus movie is coming this Christmas from the makers of Left Behind and The Passion of the Christ
The Jesus-movie genre is branching into a couple of high-tech formats this year. Ben-Hur, for example, will be the first 3D Jesus movie ever when it comes to theatres August 19. And now Variety reports that a virtual-reality movie is in the works, too: Jesus Christ is coming to VR screens: Autumn Productions and virtual-reality production firm VRWERX have slated the release of “Jesus VR – The Story of Christ” for Christmas 2016. The 90-minute film will be available on all major mobile and premiu..Continue reading→
Watch: New footage in three new ads for Star Trek Beyond
Yesterday we saw the final trailer for Star Trek Beyond. Today we get the first TV spots — and they give us even more new footage from the film, which opens July 22. Here is the main new spot, which focuses on the movie’s three main characters: There are two other spots as well that mostly recycle images from the trailers: Check out earlier trailers and other videos here: The first trailer (December 14, 2015)The second trailer, the CBS All Access teaser and the ‘Fan Event’ video (May 20, 2016)..Continue reading→
John Rhys-Davies is the apostle Peter, and Stephen Baldwin is the emperor Nero, in Peter: The Redemption
Last year, I noted that two Bible movies were being filmed in northern Ontario. One of those films — Joseph & Mary, starring Kevin Sorbo as the titular carpenter and Lara Jean Chorostecki as his bride — comes to DVD next week. And today I got a press release for the other film: Peter: The Redemption, which stars John Rhys-Davies as the apostle Peter and Stephen Baldwin as the emperor Nero. Here is the press release for the film, which comes to DVD August 2: (Los Angeles, CA) – Embark on an inspi..Continue reading→
Music
Switchfoot Announces Cold Turkey Party Live From The Hollywood Palladium on November 25th
Multi-platinum selling, Grammy-winning band SWITCHFOOT is thrilled to announce that they have teamed up with Live Nation for their first ever "Cold Turkey Party." The band will be celebrating the day after Thanksgiving with a live stream of their show from The Palladium in Los Angeles, CA for fans across the country via Live Nation TV's Facebook page, Live Nation's YouTube Channel, and LiveNation.com starting at 930pm PST/1230am EST. SWITCHFOOT kicked off the "Looking For America Tou..Continue reading→
‘Country Faith Volume 2’ To Release November 18
The latest in the hit Country Faith music series, Country Faith Volume 2, will release on November 18 to Christian retail through Word Entertainment and to mainstream retail and digital outlets through Curb Records. Based on the popular book Country Faith penned by award-winning author/journalist Deborah Evans Price, the new music project will feature faith-based country songs by Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Brooks and Dunn, Wynonna, Wade Hayes, LeAnn Rimes and other bestselling Cou..Continue reading→
Smith Global Media And Power Of 3 Entertainment Release ‘Believe’
From Smith Global Media and Power of 3 Entertainment comes the story of family, loyalty and love in the compelling drama "BELIEVE." The film, written, directed and produced by Billy Dickson, opens in select theatres nationwide Dec. 2, 2016 and is the debut theatrical release under the joint venture. "I am delighted to team with Billy Dickson, Ryan O'Quinn, and the passionate team behind 'BELIEVE,'" stated Harry Smith, owner of Smith Global Media. "We are extremely excited to brin..Continue reading→
Secret Place Live in South Africa by Vashawn Mitchell
Vashawn Mitchell returns with a personal invitation for all to go on a musical journey to his Secret Place. Over the course of his 18 year career, punctuated with much critical and commercial acclaim, Mitchell has solidified himself as a creative musical force in Contemporary Praise Worship. He's responsible for fan favorites like "My Worship Is For Real" (Believe In Your Dreams), "Turning Around For Me" (Created 4 This), "God My God" (Unstoppable), "Don't Last" (Promises) and the mega-hit "Nobody Greater" (Triumphant). Additionally, Vashawn's continued contributions to gospel music go well beyond his own recording career as a singer/songwriter[...]Continue reading→
About A Mile Offers Everyone Two Free Songs From New Album ‘Trust You All The Way’
About A Mile's full-length sophomore album, Trust You All The Way, released globally amidst acclaim Oct. 28 from Radiate Music. Today the band announces they are giving away two of the lead singles from the album, both the current single and title track and the pop flavored Top 25 Billboard Christian Hot AC/CHR National Airplay Chart hit single "Born To Live." The songs can be downloaded now for a limited time to anyone who enters their name and email address at https//aboutamile.squarespac..Continue reading→
New nobigdyl Single on the Horizon Begins Busy Season for Indie Tribe
Indie Tribe founder and front runner nobigdyl will release his eleventh single "Purple Dinosaur" on November 11. His silky smooth flow and creative wordplay prepare to flex once again as fans are intrigued by the album art depicting the infamous purple dinosaur Barney. The Indie Tribe is definitely on the move as fans prep for Holy Weapon Vol. 2 from label mate Jarry Manna to release before 2017. Mogli the Iceberg is next. Nobigdyl has stated that "the wave has begun," starting with "Purple Din..Continue reading→
Skillet’s Feel Invincible Hits No. 1 On Mainstream Rock
For the second time in their career, Skillet has found themselves at the top of a Mainstream Rock radio chart. "Feel Invincible," the lead single off the band's latest album Unleashed, has been slowly climbing on the Mainstream Rock charts and has finally topped out at No. 1, seated above singles from legendary rock acts such as Green Day, Metallica and Disturbed. Skillet last achieved this feat over 5 years ago as well when "Awake and Alive" topped Active Rock charts on the heels of the m..Continue reading→
Different – EP by Micah Tyler
Track Listing 01. Never Been a Moment 02. Different 03. Even Then 04. Directions 05. Last 06. Story I Tell Continue reading→
World
Belgian Catholic nursing home has to pay damages for refusing euthanasia
A Catholic nursing home in Belgium is reported to have fallen foul of the country's courts after refusing to permit a resident to access euthanasia. The incident happened in 2011 when Huize Sint-Augustinus home in Diest refused to allow an elderly woman's doctor access to see her – when it was thought she was about to be given a lethal injection. The home has been ordered to pay €6,000 (approx $6,600 or £5,000) in damaged to the family of the woman. The civil court in Louva..Continue reading→
No more settlements on Palestinian land, Middle East Quartet to tell Israel
The West Bank Jewish settlement of Efrat is one of those deemed illegal by the UN. Israel should stop building settlements, denying Palestinian development and designating land for exclusive Israeli use that Palestinians seek for a future state, the Middle East peace Quartet recommended in a draft of an eagerly awaited report seen by Reuters. The draft report by the Quartet countries sponsoring the stalled Middle East peace process – the United States, Russia, the European Union and the..Continue reading→
Your Unchurched Friends Want to Know About Your Faith
And while they don’t want to go to church, they’re likely up for attending other church activities with you, LifeWay reports. Americans who don’t go to church are happy to talk about religion and often think about the meaning of life. They’re open to taking part in community service events hosted at a church or going to a church concert. But only about a third say they’d go to a worship service, if invited by a friend. Few think about what happens after they die. Those are among the findings ..Continue reading→
PCA Goes Back to Where It Started: Women’s Ordination
Meanwhile, the shrinking PCUSA makes plans to recover its identity. One of the reasons that the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) left the Presbyterian Church in the United States 40 years ago was because the new denomination opposed women in church leadership. Last week, the PCA General Assembly voted to form a committee to take up the issue again. The seven-person committee will look at the biblical basis and theology of ordination and of the office of deacon, then report back to the Gene..Continue reading→
American
Woman Complains About Body Image Issues After Late-Term Abortion of Girl With Spina Bifida
Missouri mom Jessica McCoy had a late-term abortion a few months ago after learning that her unborn daughter had spina bifida and a chromosomal abnormality. The mother of three born children has been sharing about her abortion publicly, both describing her grief at the loss of her daughter and justifying her decision to have her unborn daughter killed because of the girl’s disabilities. Several women’s publications picked up McCoy’s story this week after she posted photos on Instagram describi..
Texas Lawmakers Initially Approve Bill to Ban Abortions on Babies Just Because of Their Race or Gender
Today, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 415, the Dismemberment Abortion Ban, on second reading. The bill was preliminarily approved by the Senate on a bipartisan 22-9 vote. In addition to every Republican of the Senate supporting the measure, two Democrats – Senators Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) and Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) – voted for the life-saving measure. Senate Bill 415 and House Bill 844, the Dismemberment Abortion Ban, outlaw the barbaric and inhumane procedure that ends the li..
More Patients in Quebec Killed in Assisted Suicide as Hundreds Request Lethal Drugs
CBC news reported (March 14) that the number of euthanasia deaths in Québec significantly increased in the second half of 2016. According to the CBC news report: A total of 461 patients were granted doctor-assisted death during the first year of Quebec’s medical aid in dying law, according to data obtained by CBC’s French-language service, Radio-Canada. The number of requests increased significantly in the second half of 2016. From December 2015 to end of June 2016, 253 patients requested the ..
Woman Was About to Have an Abortion When Something Incredible Happened to Save Her Baby’s Life
Two volunteers at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Pensacola spoke to a deeply troubled young woman who had conceived a child as the result of a sexual assault. “She was hurting and felt that abortion was her only solution to the recent trauma she had experienced,” said Ernie, the local coordinator. Counselors offered encouragement, assistance, prayers and tears. But still, she believed abortion was her only option … and she went inside the abortion center. The volunteers kept praying – and trust..
Australia
Bringing them up in the Lord
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Wednesday 21 December 2016 About 60 million children in China are “left behind” in their home villages, to be looked after by their grandparents or relatives because their parents are trying to find work in cities. This enormous group of neglected children – more than a quarter of the 215 million children in China – is in great need of hope, encouragement and care. These “left-behind” children are highly vulnerable to serious crimes such as sexual abuse and assault and suff..
Back where it all began
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Saturday 20 December 2016 Next year is a special year. Bible Society Australia will be celebrating its bicentenary, but 2017 is not only about thanking God for all he’s done in the past through his word. Bible Society Australia is calling upon you, your church and your community groups to help us continue the legacy of equipping our people with the life-giving word of God. Get The Word Out (GTWO) is Bible Society Australia’s year-long focus on providing one nation on earth ..
Everything you helped us achieve in 2016
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | Greg Clarke Monday 19 December 2016 Bible Society Australia isn’t about any one person. From the very start we’ve been a Society. Bible Society is the thousands of supporters and volunteers like you. And it’s through your generosity this year we’ve been able to: Train 30 literacy teachers in South Sudan under Professor Twong Yolong – so thousands of Collo people, traumatised by war, can read and write Translated the scriptures to the Tay, Nung and Muong people in Vietnam –..
Egyptian Christians killed in bomb attack on church
A bomb blast in St Peter’s church in Cairo on Sunday killed 25 people and wounded 49, mostly women and children. The bombing during morning mass was the deadliest attack on Egypt’s Christians since a 2011 bombing killed 21 people at a church in Alexandria. The Sunday bombing is the latest indication of how challenging it is for Christians living in Egypt, who account for about 10 per cent of Egypt’s 92 million people. The Bible Society of Egypt has requested prayers f..
Law & Government
Men With Scabies Arrested After Committing Homosexual Sex Act on Display Bed at Bed Bath & Beyond
(NorthJersey.com) – Two men were arrested and charged with engaging in lewd behavior on a display bed at Bed Bath & Beyond during regular business hours. Police officers responded to the Route 3 Riverfront shopping center at 5 p.m. Monday on a report from a witness that two men were engaged in a sex act, records show. Police arrested two 28-year-old men, one from Nutley and the other from North Carolina. Both were charged with lewdness, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana, according ..
Alabama Man Charged With Capital Murder for Killing Unborn Child in Beating Girlfriend
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama man has been charged with capital murder for allegedly killing his unborn child while beating his girlfriend. According to reports, Reginald Sharp, 27, knocked his girlfriend to the ground in a domestic incident last July and then beat her with his fists and a belt. She was 26 weeks (six months) pregnant. The woman was transported to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where her baby was stillborn the next day. The county coroner listed the child’s death as “intrauterine feta..
Trump Mocks Schwarzenegger, Jokingly Asks for ‘Prayer’ for ‘Apprentice’ Ratings at National Prayer Breakfast
(ABC News) — President Trump jokingly requested prayer for Arnold Schwarzenegger as he addressed attendees at this morning’s National Prayer Breakfast. “They hired a big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place, and we know how that turned out,” Trump said at the top of his remarks. He continued, “The ratings went right down the tubes. It’s been a total disaster. And Mark [Burnett] will never, ever bet against Trump again, and I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those rat..
Boy Scouts to Allow Girls Who Identify as Boys
(New York Times) — Reversing its stance of more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America said on Monday that the group would begin accepting members based on the gender listed on their application, paving the way for transgender boys to join the organization. “For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-..
Entertainment
Martin Scorsese talks Spirituality and Silence
Comment countSilence was one of the most provocative, moving bits of cinema I saw last year. It’s complex and murky and inspiring and troubling and beautiful–all of which, in a way, reflects how I interact with faith itself. Perhaps, when we attempt to understand and embrace the transcendent, it can be no other way. The movie is arguably one of Martin Scorsese’s most overtly religious works. But as many have noted, almost every movie that Scorsese has ever done is about, in some way, faith. Scor..
Why Silence Deserved Oscar’s Love
Comment countAndrew Garfield and Yōsuke Kubozuka in Silence, photo courtesy Paramount PicturesWhen Academy Award nominees earlier this week, plenty of Oscar’s snubs made headlines. No Amy Adams? No Sully? Where’s Hugh Grant? But the Academy reserved its biggest oversight for one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors: Martin Scorsese. Silence, the film that Scorsese spent 26 years planning and making, earned just a single nomination—for Rodrigo Prieto’s gorgeous cinematography. Nothing for Andr..
The Story of God: Is There Anybody Out There?
Comment countMorgan Freeman from National Geographic’s The Story of GodFor two seasons, National Geographic’s The Story of God With Morgan Freeman has taken us behind the curtain to see the world’s religions, both great and small, at work. This Monday in the second season finale, Freeman and his crew tackle the biggest question of all: Is there a reason for all this religion? In other words, is there a God? But proof of God, as Oxford Theoretical Physicist Ard Louis says on the show, is impossib..
The Story of God: Finding Heaven in Hell
Comment countMorgan Freeman from National Geographic’s The Story of God.What is heaven? What is hell? And how do they impact how we live right now? “Heaven and Hell,” the latest episode of The Story of God With Morgan Freeman (airing Jan. 23) grapples with those questions. They’re questions that have fascinated me, too. They always have, ever since I was a little boy. In the episode, Freeman and others take an interfaith trip through the Good Place and Bad Place. The show takes us to a cave in T..
Health and Science
Is Genesis History? New Film Affirms Truthfulness of Biblical Record
A soon-to-be-released documentary-style film, featuring footage from around the U.S. and interviews with over a dozen scholars and scientists, will provide visual evidence and scientific arguments for the Bible’s accounts of Creation and the Flood. On February 23, hundreds of movie theaters across the U.S. will participate in a one-night showing of the film “Is Genesis History?” The film, produced by Compass Cinema and structured as a documentary, features interviews with respected Christian sc..
Researchers Experiment Creation of Human-Pig ‘Chimera Embryos’ to Address Shortage of Donor Organs
LA JOLLA, Calif. — A team of biologists at the Salk Institute in California has reportedly created the first-ever human-pig chimeras in an effort to test the idea of growing organs in animals that can later be used in human transplants. “This biomedical advance has long been a dream and a quandary for scientists hoping to address a critical shortage of donor organs,” National Geographic writes. “Every ten minutes, a person is added to the national waiting list for organ transplants. And every d..
Why Our Body Destroys Itself
The science and spirituality behind the latest Nobel Prize in medicine. With every patient I treat, I hear myself echo the same sentiment: I know this hurts. I’m sorry. It will be over soon. In the emergency department, healing rarely comes without pain. It may be the wrenching of a joint back into place, the lancing of an abscess, or the administering of antibiotics through the business end of a large needle. But with the exception of the few who decide at the first flash of my scalpel that pe..
Perplexed Scientists Think C-Sections During Childbirth Are Affecting Human Evolution
Photo Credit: Lisa EspinosaWhy is obstructed labor such a common complication during human childbirth? A team of evolutionary scientists thinks recent human evolution and the modern practice of childbirth via C-section contribute to the problem. Obstructed labor happens when a baby is unable to smoothly pass from the mother’s womb through the birth canal. A major cause of both maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, obstructed labor is especially common in poorer countries and results in ..
US
The Superbowl and vocation
The Superbowl is this weekend, time for the obligatory polls about whether or not God gets involved in the outcome of sporting events. One-quarter of Americans believe that he does. About a half believe that God rewards faithful athletes with health and success. Certainly, the easy answer is that of course God doesn’t care about a sporting event because He has much more important things to do. But if God attends to the fall of a sparrow, why wouldn’t He attend to the fall of a pigskin? The real ..
The anti-Trump “resistance”
French Resistance fighters, 1944 Democrats have gone into full resistance mode, with Democratic Senators boycotting confirmation hearings to prevent a vote on President Trump’s candidates. (Republicans suspended the rules and approved Treasury Secretary candidate Steven Mnuchin and HHS Secretary candidate Tom Price anyway. See this.) Meanwhile, a self-described “alternative left” has emerged that is pressuring Democratic elected officials not to co-operate with the Republicans. Notice how the us..
Trump’s Supreme Court nominee
President Donald Trump has nominated Colorado appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Antonin Scalia. Reportedly, Judge Gorsuch is from that same mold: eloquent, learned, articulate, and an “originalist” when it comes to interpreting the Constitution. He is the author of a book against euthanasia and supported Hobby Lobby in its suit against the Obamacare birth control mandate. An Anglican, he would be the only Protestant on the bench, joining the 5 Ca..
“Pregnant people”
The British Medical Association has issued guidelines saying that to avoid offending the transgendered, health workers should not refer to “pregnant women.” Rather, say, “pregnant people.” After all, a biological female–no, that wording is forbidden too; we must say “assigned female”–who identifies as a man can have a baby. And since we must go by self-identification, that means that men can be pregnant. The Transgender movement has at least destroyed feminism. Now that men can claim the identit..
Church & Theology
“Enlightenment” and True Freedom
“I think, therefore I am.” René Descartes penned this popular line in his 1637 treatise, Discourse on the Method, and it’s a good summary of the book itself. Heralding the importance of scientific discoveries and the necessity of doubting one’s own view of the world, Descartes’s work is often considered the first domino to fall in what is now called the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, with its explosion of scientific discoveries and philosophical arguments, had one task:..
New Book — Rooted: Theology For Growing Christians
As you may know, my friend Jeff Medders and I wrote a short, accessible book on the most important doctrines of the Christian faith. It’s called Rooted: Theology for Growing Christians, and it released this weekend from Rainer Publishing. As two men who’ve served in church leadership in various ways, we kept running into laypeople who were accidental Universalists, Arians, mystics, and even worse. We’ve found that it’s often not their fault; rather, they spent most of thei..
Church Grammar: Theology as the Language of Christianity
If you’re anything like me, you’ve had your favorite dinnertime evangelists, the local Jehovah’s Witnesses, show up at your door. They’re kind. They smile. And they even tuck in their shirts. To top it all off, they speak Christianese pretty well. Or do they? Though they sound like Christians, they come bearing bad news–an anti-gospel that denies the divinity of Jesus and only offers the possibility of Heaven for a select few people. Their gospel sounds so close to the bib..
Jesus Hanging Out with Wild Animals
The Temptations of Christ, 12th century mosaic at St Mark’s Basilica, Venice. On a recent episode of Word Matters, Trevin Wax and I discussed Mark’s rendering of Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness, particularly the unique insertion of the phrase, “He was with the wild animals” (Mark 1:13, HCSB). After discussing the prominent views of this passage throughout church history, Trevin and I both landed at the same conclusion: Mark is recapitulating the temptation scene of Ge..