I, Too, Don’t Trust “Organized Religion”
By all accounts, we are well into a cultural period defined in part by the decreasing importance of religion in peoples’ lives. We hear and read almost daily about the millennial generation’s a-religiosity, the so-called “nones,” and those who profess spirituality without religion. People discount and decry “organized religion” with a tone of contempt. After all, Continue reading The “Nones” and I Have Something in Common
“Obedience … in the Lord”
The current public debate concerning events at the nation’s southern border, especially the separation of families and the detainment of small children, exposes the profound degree of Christian disunity regarding issues of church-state relations, ethics, and biblical interpretation. Unfortunately, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ citation of Romans 13 seems Continue reading Romans 13 – Obedience to the Government
A recent presentation on “Reading the Prophets” made at Powhatan Community Church, Dr. Brian Hughes, Pastor. The password is “Biddle.”
According to this morning’s news, the Paige Patterson/SWBTS saga continues. Its prominence in the news cycle has focused my thinking on Jesus’ call to self-sacrificial love both as properly understood and also as commonly misunderstood. Continue reading On Being Useful vs. Suffering Abuse
The recent ceremony celebrating the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem featured two figures that call attention to the cynical character of the uncritical support of the modern nation of Israel offered by many evangelical Christians in the US.
Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, who offered a benediction at the Continue reading An Embassy in Jerusalem, a Rebuilt Temple, and Cynical Support for Israel
Eph 4:21-33
A couple of weeks ago, the Baptist Blogger posted a video of a sermon preached in 2000 by fundamentalist SBC leader and president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Paige Patterson. In the sermon, Patterson related a story about a woman who sought his counsel concerning how to deal with her abusive husband. He advised her simply to pray, Continue reading Spousal Abuse and Biblical Interpretation
Saturday or Sunday?
Just as my “medical vacation” has ended (I am “back in the saddle,” as it were, although the horse is old, slow, and docile – no galloping yet), a question has come to me from a former student that probably crosses the minds of many Christians. If God commanded the observance of the Sabbath (seventh) day of the week (Saturday) as a holy day of rest and worship, why do Christians, who presumably desire to obey God’s specific commands, worship on the first day of the week, Sunday? The question invites a practical answer, a “Pauline” answer, and a reaffirmation of the theological purpose of Sabbath observance. Continue reading The “Christian Sabbath”
I will be on a “medical vacation” for the next several weeks. I will return to this space as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the link below takes you to a video of my recent lecture on Genesis 1-11 delivered recently to the staff of Powhatan Community Church, Dr. Brian Hughes, pastor. The password is PCC (case sensitive).
“Am I my brother’s guardian?” (Gen 4:9, my trans.)
The recent series of mass shootings, especially those at public schools, have brought the issue of gun control to the fore in public discussions. Many of the evangelical Christian voices in this discussion speak of the “right” to gun ownership, which obviously derives from the “right” to self-defense, as though both were “God-given.” I am increasingly Continue reading Is the ‘Right to Self-Defense’ Biblical?
“I will curse those who curse you…” (Gen 12:3)
I anticipated some negative reactions to the most recent blog entry and have gotten them. In it, I argued that the United States, driven largely by evangelical Christian misunderstandings of the Bible, effectively taking sides, treats Israel as though it were untouchable. Generally, objections center around Israel’s status as God’s chosen people and seem to reflect the idea derived from God’s promise of protection to Abraham that Israel enjoys almost untouchable status in God’s eyes. To be “on Israel’s side” is to be on God’s side; to Continue reading Is Election the Same as License?