November 30, 2007 • 6:13 pm
Sen. John McCain said recently just that. He kicked up quite a storm of controversy with his remarks.
He was asked about a recent poll that showed 55% of the American public believes that “the Constitution establishes a Christian nation.” McCain said:
I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation. But I say that in the broadest sense. The lady that holds her lamp beside the golden door doesn’t say, ‘I only welcome Christians.’ We welcome the poor, the tired, the huddled masses. But when they come here they know that they are in a nation founded on Christian principles.
In response to McCain,
Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center, made the most sweeping and profoundly misleading comments. Regarding the poll that provoked the McCain controversy in the first place, he noted that its results “suggest that a great many people have deeply misunderstood the Constitution. The framers clearly wanted to establish a secular nation…
Michael Medved had some very insightful comments Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Christianity, Culture, Government, History, Politics
Samuel Miller wrote the following in the midst of the controversy between the Old School and New School elements in the Presbyterian Church in the 19th century. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Ecclesiology, Elders, Theology
There has been, and continues to be, misunderstanding as to what it means for an officer to “subscribe” to “the system of doctrine” of the PCA.
Below is from the PCA archives. It really is helpful. [Now amended to give summary paragraphs and a link to the article] Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Ecclesiology, Elders, Theology
One of my favorite columnists is Walter Williams. Dr. Williams is the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University. He is always insightful and very though-provoking.
I ran across a couple of his articles recently at TownHall.com and thought I would post a couple of them here.
The articles catching my eye have to do with poverty. The poor. Many nights, not all though, when my family and I sit down to dinner and thank God for our food, we acknowledge how really blessed we are to have that meal. We also acknowledge that in many parts of the world there are people who are hungry, living in poverty.
Now I have gone through tough times and have been down to scrounging around for pennies to be able to go and get some food. But, I have never actually lived in a sustained state of poverty. So my heart goes out to the poor and hungry.
There are many ways to provide relief for the poor and hungry. Of course I believe that these suffering people need the gospel. Everyone would agree Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Culture, Politics
November 29, 2007 • 9:26 am
Another great installment from Al Baker. This article by Rev. Baker is dead on!
FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS, volume 6, number 48, November 29, 2007
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ, I Corinthians 12:12. Post DenominationalismRobert E. Webber, in his book The Younger Evangelicals, observes that denominations as we have known them are rapidly becoming irrelevant to the new wave of evangelicals in today’s church, a movement many are calling post denominationalism. By this term I do not have in mind independent churches versus denominational churches. I have in mind a lack of loyalty to a local church which reveals itself in a smorgasbord approach to doing church. In other words, people shop churches, looking for the best deal, like they do with air line tickets or buying appliances. No doubt this is an observable trend. One of the reasons for this is the general disloyalty in our culture for any institution with which we were formerly connected. The majority in our country do not stay married to their original spouse and people work for five or six companies throughout their careers. Why should changing churches be any different? Another reason for post denominationalism has been the mass exodus of people from mainline churches over the last fifty years. But something else is fueling the more recent disloyalty to denominations, even solid, evangelical ones. Clearly the theological distinctives which have characterized denominations are no longer sufficient to maintain loyalty. In other words, things other than theology, type of church government, or preaching draw people to certain churches. The tendency in many of these neo-evangelical churches is to minimize theological distinctives, to adopt a belong then believe strategy, and to require little of attenders.The idea behind minimizing theological distinctives is the assumption that doctrine divides. When embracing this assumption the obvious next step is Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Culture, Ecclesiology
November 28, 2007 • 6:10 pm
In case you were unaware, one of the most intense rivalries in college football was renewed last Saturday in Auburn, Alabama. Alabama paid a visit to the Loveliest Village on the Plains, their 38 million dollar coach in tow, 
and promptly were defeated 17-10.That is six in a row. 
Two years ago after the fourth consecutive defeat for Bama, the phrase “Fear the Thumb” was coined and got a lot of press. 
Last year, after AU beat Bama in Tuscaloosa (AU is undefeated in T-Town) and the thumb was added, the cheer became “Fear the Other Hand.” Well, we have indeed moved over to the other hand!
But what is next? I am confused. Did we start the second hand with the pinkie or the thumb? If the thumb, then the index finger is next. “Fear the Index Finger” just doesn’t feel right.
Or, if we started with the pinkie, “Fear the Ring Finger” doesn’t do it either.
No, I think Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Life, Obsession, Sports
November 27, 2007 • 10:36 pm
Finally I have reached the last of these delimmas put forth by Craig Brown in The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism,a book which I have been using as an outline for discussing Calvinism. The previous posts are listed under the Calvinism category at the bottom of my blog.
The last dilemma is the Dilemma of Mercy: If people are born totally depraved, as Calvinism says (and here in these discussions we assume Calvinism to be true), where do babies go when they die?
This is admittedly a very hard one to tackle. Emotions can become our driving force as we seek answers to questions like these involving infants. Many of us have, or know people who have, experienced the loss of a baby, either born or unborn. So almost all of us are affected.
But, the question still remains. What of these children?
First, let me say that I believe that all infants Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Calvinism, Infants, Theology
A sheriff in Colorado is under investigation for supporting Christmas. Yes, you read that correctly.
Larimer, Colo., County Sheriff Jim Alderden decided to place some Christmas symbols on the county jail property and has met with some stiff resistance. After a city “task force recommended white lights, as well as neutral and non-religious decorations such as Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Culture, Politics
November 26, 2007 • 11:56 pm
Craig Brown wrote The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism, a book which I have been using as an outline for discussing Calvinism.
He organizes his chapters as:
- The Dilemma of Responsibility: If God is in complete control of everything, to the point of predetermining all human actions, how can man be held accountable for what he does?
- The Dilemma of Motivation: If we are saved by grace and not by works, why should we do anything good? What purpose do good works serve? Are there rewards in heaven for what we do here on earth?
- The Dilemma of Obedience: If God has predetermined everything that comes to pass, why should we spend valuable time in prayer or evangelism?
- The Dilemma of Evil: Since God created everything and He cannot sin, how did evil come into being?
- The Dilemma of Mercy: If people are born totally depraved, as Calvinism says, where do babies go when they die?
I have looked at 1-3 and will tackle #4 in this post. By the way, I picked up a copy of the book today read it already. It is only 123 pages and a very readable book. I strongly recommend it, especially for many of us laymen. For #s 4 and 5 I will be really reviewing the gist of Brown’s chapters.
What about evil? Brown admits that this may Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Calvinism, Theology
Ever wonder how to avoid them?
All I can do is say head over to my good friend Randy Kirkland’s blog and follow the posts on this. You will not be disappointed.
Filed under: Ecclesiology
Calvinism. It still elicits strong emotions. But, let’s try to clear our way through the emotional reactions and really try to understand what Calvinism is.
A couple of weeks ago I started looking at what author Craig Brown calls The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism. You can get his book at Ligonier Ministries. My posts here and here and here are not a book review. They are simply using Brown’s outline as a springboard for discussion. I recommend getting the book.
So here is the essence of dilemma three: If God has predetermined everything that comes to pass, why should we spend valuable time in prayer or evangelism?
Fair question. To the non-Calvinist, this is the crux of the matter. This is often the accusation Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Calvinism, Theology
November 24, 2007 • 8:18 am
Johnny Cash sang the following words in his Folsom Prison concert. The song was “Send a Picture of Mother.”
Won’t you tell the folks back home I’ll soon be coming
And don’t let them know I never will be free be free
Sometimes write and tell me how they’re doing
And send a picture of mother back to me
On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I drove about 150 miles from my in-laws’ home to the Federal Prison in Talladega, Alabama. I went to see my first cousin, Lonnie Lundy.
Lonnie is 49 years old and has been in the Talladega prison since 1992. That is 15 years. Lonnie is 15 years into his life sentence, without the possibility of parole.
I cannot begin to describe how profoundly impacted I was by this visit. I have never been inside a prison or a jail for that matter. The prison in Talledega where Lonnie is located is a medium security facility and is therefore pretty tight.
My time with Lonnie was very edifying and actually encouraging to me. Hopefully it was encouraging to him as well. For a man who faces the likelihood of never seeing the outside again, his faith in Christ is sustaining him very well.
I will likely write more in the days to come about Lonnie and about my visit there. Oh, by the way Lonnie was convicted under federal law for conspiracy to traffic crack cocaine. It was his first offence.
Filed under: Culture, Family
November 20, 2007 • 11:56 pm
Kirk Wellum over at Redeeming the Times has this to say about Moreland’s address at the ETS meetings recently (see the post below for what Moreland said):
I was fascinated to read how Moreland thinks that our over-commitment to the Bible is actually doing us evangelicals harm and holding us back. Fascinated because I am not sure what evangelicals he is talking about. From my experience it is not our ‘over-commitment’ to the Bible that is holding us back but our increasling ‘ignorance’ of the Bible both in the pew and the pulpit and increasingly among those who fancy themselves evangelical scholars. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Bible, Theology
Well, I was not at the recent Evangelical Theological Society in California. But, as I have said elsewhere, this blog is sometimes about what I read.
Witness this article in Christianity Today. In it, Ted Olsen writes about one of the sessions led by J.P. Moreland. According to Olsen, Moreland stated that Evangelicals are guilty of an over commitment to the Bible. What you say?
Here are Moreland’s words in his session titled “How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and What Can Be Done About It.”: Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Bible, Theology
Lord willing, my family and I will be travelling to see family and will be offline for a few days. So, I want to pray that you and yours will have a blessed Thanksgiving. Do indeed give thanks to the Great God over all!
“…The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23b
If you enjoy history at all, take a moment and be refreshed by reading the very first Presidential Thanksgiving proclamation. President George Washington issues the proclamation on October 3, 1789.
General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: General, History, Politics
November 19, 2007 • 3:14 pm
My earlier post about who should occupy our pulpits was primarily a post dealing with the inevitable consequences of feminism in the church. It was not really about whether a woman should get a Masters of Divinity degree, though I see how the discussion went that direction.
Rick Phillips wrote earlier this year over at Reformation 21 a brief commentary on the effects of feminism on the evangelical church. I found it very helpful and trust you will too. Here is an excerpt from the piece:
So, yes, Susan, I do believe that those who are at the point of stepping onto the slippery slope are often oblivious to where they are heading – if not inevitably, then consistently. And I see a consistent rhetorical approach among the feminists that suggests that emotion and passion might just be clouding their argument. But those are not the point made by the slippery slope argument. Rather, what we are maintaining is that once the arguments made by the feminists are conceded, fairness and consistency will demand that those same arguments be applied to other similar issues, among them the ordination of homosexuals, but most lamentably that such arguments will have the effect of dismantling the entire doctrinal structure of the Christian faith.
If you read the article you will see that the slippery slope argument is about slipping, not only on the woman’s role in the church issue, but slipping in other theological areas as well.
Filed under: Culture, Ecclesiology, Leadership, Men, Men & Women, Theology, Women
Last month I began some posts on the subject. In that post, if you stuck it out, Charles Hodge gave a thorough reckoning of what Presbyterianism is.This month, we move to a real live pastor of a real live (and I mean that in the truest sense) congregation. Mcilwain Presbyterian Church in Pensacola, FL is a congregation where the reformed faith expressed as Presbyterianism is being lived out.Teaching Elder Rob Looper and the other men leading that congregation are carrying on a tradition of excellence in Reformed theology dating back over 100 years. Pastor Looper wrote a brief on Biblical Presbyterianism that is well worth reading. I trust you find it helpful. Here is a excerpt:
Finally, I want to turn our attention to our brotherhood in Christ. As we consider our charge to be elders, we must remember that we are charged not only to keep watch of the flock but over ourselves (Acts 20:28). Our own individual relationships with God are critical, and my burden is to lead us in discipleship in that area. But I am also more deeply burdened that we grow in our relationships with one another, so that we grow in our love and commitment to each other as brothers who share a profound calling. We need each other—in brotherly love, friendship, encouragement, and admonition. We need clear paths of communication, open-heartedness and honesty if we are to truly lead as one.
Continur reading here. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Ecclesiology
November 18, 2007 • 4:59 pm
I have not seen the movie Amazing Grace, yet. We bought it and plan to watch it over the Thanksgiving holiday with extended family. But, I have read a book about this remarkable man.
John Piper has given a tremendous gift to the literary world in his relatively short book Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce published by Crossway Books in 2006. An electronic version is available free here.
This approximately 76 page book exceeded any expectations I had when I picked it up to read. And I have high expectations of every Piper book and am yet to be disappointed.
In case you are not familiar with Wilberforce, he labored over 46 years in the English Parliament to see the end of the slave trade in Britain and indeed the end of slavery itself. If you read this book or see the movie (I expect) you will see that the two did not happen simultaneously.
Jonathan Aitken writes in the forward that “the real wellsprings of this momentous achievement [the end of slavery] are to be found not Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Books, Culture, Reading
Pretty boys or pretty girls?
One thing about Doug Wilson: you will hardly ever wonder where he lands on important issues. Ordination of women is no exception. I congratulate him on not only his view, but on his no-nonsense, straightforward style!
Read below and see what you think. Let me know.
“The vocation of preaching is not just a simple act of communication; it is also a symbolic act. So not only must the preaching be biblical and good, but the symbolism must also be biblical and good. And our failures in this regard are why we are having such trouble today with the question of the ordination of women.
The reason the evangelical church feels the pressure to ordain women (despite clear texts) is that the standards used to evaluate the occupant of the pulpit (for well over a century now) have been the standards of feminine piety. This means that clergymen have been trying to live up to their reputation as the “third sex.” Put another way, we have insisted upon effeminacy in the pulpit, and Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Ecclesiology, Leadership, Men, Women, Worship
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