I appreciated these careful and gracious and scriptural comments from Dr. Stephen Jones. I was particularly struck by Dr. Jones' use of Titus 3:3, which I had never thought to apply to ethnic divisions: For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray,...
Mark Ward
I Was Clearly Censored
I was censored. And as a blogger who has occasionally deleted comments (I generally contact the commenter to explain), I understand why. I did not read the commenting policy, and perhaps I would have adjusted my comment if I had. But over at Rachel Held Evans' blog,...
Stumblingblocks
In my personal experience, violations of the following Pauline command mostly tend to fall into one category. Let us ... decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (Rom 14:13) That category is entertainment. In my own life nothing...
Limits on Meaning in Language
I received a nice e-mail from an appreciative reader not long ago; I confess it was a big encouragement to know that one of the droplets of water I've been spraying into the Internet ocean hit a surfer. Actually, he found me while searching for "God and...
Marriage Termination Fees
In this country you can come home from work and tell your spouse the marriage is over and he or she can do nothing but cry, and fight for the best financial payout possible. Try doing that with Verizon. Or while under contract to buy a home. Or with your gym...
Fantastic Piece by Douthat
I'm really coming to enjoy reading Ross Douthat's columns. I should have subscribed a long time ago. He's reasonable and measured, and though (and because) he's Catholic, we have similar worldviews. This was just a fantastic—but still measured, not...
The New Calvinism in the New York Times
Two little points about this interesting little New York Times article (which doesn't end up saying much): 1. I wouldn't exactly agree with Oppenheimer's off-handed summary of Calvinistic belief: The Puritans were Calvinist. Presbyterians descend from Scottish...
Sotomayor Blocks HHS Contraception-Coverage Mandate
Praise the Lord, I think. Fuller details will come out soon, I'm sure.
Let Me Make the Songs of a Nation, and I Care Not Who Makes Its Laws
Andrew Fletcher famously said, "Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws." I've heard this and similar arguments many times, and I just read another example in a helpful book, Gordon Wenham's The Psalter Reclaimed: The words hymn writers...
Review: Christ and Culture Revisited
Christ and Culture Revisited by D.A. Carson My rating: 3 of 5 stars Carson serves up reminder after reminder that the question of context is all-important both in the interpretation of scripture and in its application to our current situation(s). Where Niebuhr is a...