Everybody’s a Separatist
Everybody draws the line somewhere. Centered set or bounded set, there's a line out there they won't cross. The question is whether or not that line will be established by Scripture. Roger Olson, in the post I just linked to, does a good job showing why the prosperity gospel is beyond the Christian pale. (John Piper's done it, too.) If Machen were living today, he might write a book called Christianity and the Prosperity Gospel. Coincidentally, I am reading Ross Douthat's fascinating Bad...
Dear Mom(s),
Dear Mom, and Dear Mother-in-Law, Thank you for continuing to check my blog for new posts. Maybe some day you will be rewarded, and maybe some day my readership will expand beyond you two, giving me greater motivation to write. I have begun writing already at my new job. Here's my first big post. Many more to follow. I'm even gonna be on "TV" at Faithlife Today. In any case, I really like my new workplace and my family loves our new digs in the stunningly beautiful Pacific Northwest. We hope...
Sing a Better Song Apologetics
I thought this was a really great illustration from my friend Jeremy Larson: When Odysseus schemed to evade the Sirens, whose beautiful song enchanted and ultimately destroyed sailors, he had his crew put wax in their ears and ordered them tie him to the mast. The Sirens' song drove him mad momentarily, but his crew kept their course, and they made it through. However, manhandling people into a decision is rarely effective, and sometimes the brash confrontational nature of certain kinds of...
The Distinction Between Legal and Moral
The god of [any given] system is the fountainhead of [its] morality. This is why Christians have an easy distinction in their minds between “legal” and “moral.” But for those who believe that there is no intelligence beyond our corporate and collective intelligence, there can ultimately be no such distinction. Right? Christians worship the God who is outside all our systems—He is transcendent—and that is why we can distinguish sins and crimes. I thought that was really helpful. Thanks,...
Review: Myths, Lies and Half-Truths of Language Usage
Myths, Lies and Half-Truths of Language Usage by John McWhorter My rating: 5 of 5 stars Absolutely loved this. McWhorter is a brilliant lecturer (and at 1.75 speed, he sounds superhumanly brilliant). As I began, however, I wasn't sure how much more McWhorter had to teach me given the other things I've read and enjoyed by him. I'm happy to say I stand humbled and enriched and, hopefully, a little closer to "educated." Language is endlessly fascinating. Particularly helpful for me: McWhorter...