I saw the sign pictured above outside a church the other day. It got me thinking—thinking about how easily Christianity is reduced to a set of political opinions. Sometimes, people allow faith to dictate their political views. But too often, I fear, it’s the other way around: political ideology defines the boundaries of faith. Religion…
Category: Social Issues
Blame
Picture from the Whitman Mission Site Last weekend, my wife and I visited Walla Walla in Washington State. Walla Walla is a cool little town surrounded by rolling prairie, farmland, and hills. It is named for one of the Indian tribes that are native to the area. During our stay, we visited the Whitman Mission….
Kavan-augh!!
Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz Last week, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed and sworn in as America’s newest Supreme Court Justice. If you followed this situation even remotely, you know it was grueling for all involved. Allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Kavanaugh. Politicians, pundits, and protesters hissed, slithered, and bared their fangs throughout the…
#MeToo
Recently, I read about a sex scandal that detonated in a major evangelical church. We are just beginning to feel the shockwaves. Those closest to the blast were knocked flat. But many who operated under this church’s umbrella or looked to it for inspiration will also be shaken. I have stopped counting sex scandals involving…
Fallen, We Divide
Recently, Facebook shut down pages disseminating disinformation. The disinformation was about issues that Americans divide over. The point of disinformation? More division. It is believed that Russian hackers are to blame. It’s the old divide and conquer approach. A divided America is a weaker America. This makes sense. Jesus said something about a divided house…
Yeats and Modern Angst
Painting: “Nebuchadnezzar” by William Blake “Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are…
Seeker-Sensitive or Seeking to Save?
Recently, a friend sent me an article which criticized a high profile church. Some of the church’s current and former members are celebrities. The former celebrity members were interviewed in this bit of “investigative journalism.” (I use quotes because this was for some online rag. Not exactly Woodward and Bernstein). Those interviewed complained that the…
Two-Faced
Recently, I watched a documentary about young-earth creationism. For the uninitiated, young-earth creationists believe a literal reading of Genesis: creation took six days, and the earth is less than 10,000 years old. This is worlds apart from the common belief that life today resulted from billions of years of natural processes. I am far from…
Crosshairs
In the wake of the school shooting in Florida, social media is flooded (again) with memes, posts, articles, and factoids for or against guns. Personally, I see guns as one of many social scapegoats. A gun is a neutral thing, not intrinsically good or bad. It can only be as good or bad as the…
Impossible People: Os Guinness
Recently, a group at church decided to read Impossible People by Os Guinness. I didn’t need a lot of convincing. Some liken him to C.S. Lewis because of his intellectual clarity on matters of faith. That sold me. Impossible People examines modernity’s challenge to Christian faith, a challenge Guinness believes is the most significant ever…
