Aaron Davis blogs at "The Writing World of Aaron Davis." A few days ago, I sent out a tweet on Twitter that said, “Nationalism and Christianity are mutually exclusive.” This is a concise statement (as they must be on Twitter) and deserves some explanation. The first thing to be examined is definitions. Labels are useless unless clearly defined. Nationalism does not simply refer to love or devotion to one’s country. According to Marriam-Webster, Nationalism is: “loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and … [Read more...] about Christians Must Take A Stand Against Nationalism
The Strategic Movement Toward a 50/50 Distribution (by Randy C. Davis)
Randy is the Executive Director/Treasurer of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention You are familiar with the story. Two mothers came before King Solomon with a baby, each claiming to be the mother. An argument ensued; accusations fly, and Solomon decides to divide the baby, thereby revealing the identity of the true mother. Somewhere along the way, the Cooperative Program became the baby many in the Southern Baptists Convention want to divide. Impatience fuels a call for drastic action. We’ve become too quick to draw the sword without considering the broader consequences. … [Read more...] about The Strategic Movement Toward a 50/50 Distribution (by Randy C. Davis)
Vote Your Conscience (Bill MacKinnon)
Bill MacKinnon is a regular on this site, commenting under the name "Bill Mac." Vote your conscience. Those words were spoken by Ted Cruz at the 2016 Republican National Convention. It was met with boos, jeers, and outrage. Why? Because “Vote for Donald Trump” was the only acceptable answer. Trump had repeatedly called Cruz a liar. He had mocked the appearance of Heidi Cruz. He had implied that Cruz’s father was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. And yet the party faithful expected Cruz to swallow all that and endorse Trump. Why? Because power trumps integrity, no … [Read more...] about Vote Your Conscience (Bill MacKinnon)
Three Reasons for Christians to Stay Quiet on Social Media Tonight (Joel Rainey)
Dr. Joel Rainey is husband to Amy, father of three, and Lead Pastor at Covenant Church, Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He serves on the adjunct faculty of two seminaries, and the author of three books. This was originally published at Joel's blog, themelios. "Clinton-Trump Debate Expected to Be Rare Draw in a Polarized Age." That was the New York Times headline that led my news feed yesterday. The article predicted the possibility of as many as 100 million viewers--20 million more than the 1980 debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan that has thus far held the record for the … [Read more...] about Three Reasons for Christians to Stay Quiet on Social Media Tonight (Joel Rainey)
WHEN THE CURRENT DISCUSSION SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE PAST – SORT OF! WHAT IS THE CHURCH REALLY CALLED TO DO? (Louis)
This week I was surprised to hear a portion of President Bill Clinton's 1995 State of the Union Address (It's less than 2 minutes in length). https://youtu.be/m3yesvvYEvs As you can see, President Clinton's remarks received a bipartisan standing ovation from the members of Congress in attendance at the speech. I really don't know what to say about this. There is so much that could be said. For one, Clinton sounds just like Donald Trump. A search of Hillary Clinton's former statements regarding illegal immigration are similar. Mrs. Clinton's current … [Read more...] about WHEN THE CURRENT DISCUSSION SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE PAST – SORT OF! WHAT IS THE CHURCH REALLY CALLED TO DO? (Louis)
Another View of the Trump Candidacy (by Louis)
The heat does not seem do die down in Christian circles regarding this year's election. Most of the heat that I have seen this year has come from Christian leaders belittling people who are voting for Donald Trump. I heard a discussion on NPR about why some evangelicals were voting for Trump by a well known SBC leader. The reasons given were: 1) They were betraying their values; 2) They were racist or nativist; 3) They weren't really evangelicals, but just nominal church attenders; and 4) Deep down they sought authoritarian rule (and yes, Hitler came up). So, of all the motivations … [Read more...] about Another View of the Trump Candidacy (by Louis)
And the Angels Cried (Joseph Giles)
Joseph Giles is pastor of Berkeley Baptist Church in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. There is a Christmas song performed by Alan Jackson and Allison Krauss entitled “The Angels Cried.” While the tears the angels shed in the song were tears of joy, I can’t help but think that the angels, and God Almighty, have been weeping fiercely over the complete disrespect for life that has been shown in America for these past many years. Just as sad as these murderous acts are, I can’t help but feel God’s wrath is being poured out for equally horrible acts; the hypocrisy and indifference of many … [Read more...] about And the Angels Cried (Joseph Giles)
When Your Pastor Fails (Joel Rainey)
Dr. Joel Rainey is Lead Pastor at Covenant Church, Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He serves on the adjunct faculty of two seminaries, and the author of three books. Yesterday, the elders of NewSpring Church, the 30,000 attendee, multi-site congregation in my home state, announced the release of Senior Pastor Perry Noble due to behaviors that disqualify him for pastoral ministry. This announcement was understandably shocking, both to the evangelical world, and more so to the NewSpring church family. Some predictable responses to this sad news have already transpired--from secular media … [Read more...] about When Your Pastor Fails (Joel Rainey)
Lost in the Conversation (by Paul Thompson)
Paul blogs at Paul Thompson Blog and is pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. For more than a week the conversation of the local community is about some refugee children who have been charged with sexual assault. At this point, it is an open investigation and we must trust the law enforcement and prosecution process to do its duty. In the mean time; there are many things lost in the conversation. the depravity of humanity is active in the corrupt heart of all citizens. This is not a condition that is owned exclusively by men or women. Obviously it’s not something … [Read more...] about Lost in the Conversation (by Paul Thompson)
The Eternal Subordination of the Son is a Biblical Viewpoint (by John Wylie)
Editor's Note: John Wylie is the pastor of Springer Missionary Baptist Church in Springer, OK, and a frequent commenter here at Voices. I am on the road today (technically on vacation, though I actually did a lot of work while my wife drove yesterday - and a little while I did, but we won't talk about that). I won't be around to moderate comments on a topic that often becomes pretty snippy! So, play nice boys and girls. If things get out of hand, my only recourse will be the dreaded "close comments" option! I would like to say that first of all this article will not be nearly as scholarly as … [Read more...] about The Eternal Subordination of the Son is a Biblical Viewpoint (by John Wylie)