In sixth grade I donned a “chili-bowl” haircut, named such because it looked like someone put a chili bowl on my head and cut off the excess hair. I thought it was the coolest haircut imaginable, but it wasn’t. In Spanish class my teacher used it as an illustration to teach us a new Spanish word, specifically how unique my haircut was. I felt like Chewbacca at a Beauty Salon Convention. I got a haircut the next day. Sometimes things happen that challenge what we’ve always believed. A heart attack can make us realize we need to change our diet, or maybe we’re being used as an illustration in … [Read more...] about Yellow Dog Christianity
Politics
What Can We Learn from “Dr. Phil” and Thabiti?
On February 11 Phil Johnson used a Facebook post to accuse Thabiti Anyabwile of mission drift. The following is a screenshot of Phil’s original post: For those who are not aware, Phil is the Executive Director of Grace to You (John MacArthur’s resource and media center), and Thabiti is pastor of Anacostia River Church in southeast Washington, D.C. What followed was a brief interaction between Thabiti and Phil, which can be viewed at the following links: Thabiti’s initial article replying to Phil Phil’s article replying to Thabiti’s initial article Thabiti’s closing … [Read more...] about What Can We Learn from “Dr. Phil” and Thabiti?
What I Wish Southern Baptists Were Known For (by Tony Jones)
Tony Jones is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Rich Hill, MO. I was watching the State of the Union address tonight. I have not watched one of these speeches in many years, but I am a history buff and State of the Union Speeches, especially final speeches, give presidents an opportunity to be and sound historic. I have no idea how history will judge the President's speech from last night, but I began thinking about what will appear in the social media news feeds of most politically motivated Southern Baptists. Sadly, I'm not expecting many positive thoughts. The following is my list of … [Read more...] about What I Wish Southern Baptists Were Known For (by Tony Jones)
Gay marriage may not be all bad news
In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling establishing gay marriage as a Constitutional right, many of us evangelicals are experiencing a wash of emotions. My initial response was one of fear. Fear that this will someday result in me being fired from my secular job like that fire chief in Atlanta. By my calculations I still have nearly 40 years to go before I can retire, and the possibility that someday it will be determined that people who think like me shouldn’t work with the public is scary. This fear, warranted or not, is sinful and betrays a lack of confidence in God and in the people of … [Read more...] about Gay marriage may not be all bad news
The Politically Incorrect Truth ISIS Teaches Us About Islam
In a recent contribution in The Atlantic, Graeme Wood published a piece entitled, “What ISIS Really Wants.” It’s an enriching read, offering a crystalline examination of ISIS. Personally, it wasn’t until I read this particular piece that I truly understood the difference between ISIS and other Islamic terroristic organizations, like Al-Qaeda or Hamas. Before today I lumped such groups into the same radicalistic category, but Wood helped me see that this is like comparing poisonous apples to explosive-laced oranges. Both are dangerous, but one is objectively more terrible. (It’s the … [Read more...] about The Politically Incorrect Truth ISIS Teaches Us About Islam
The Worst of “the Christian Right”
A recent article at The Christian Post entitled “Christian Leaders Call on Believers to be Less Rigid, Support Flawed Politicians” embodies what I consider to be the worst of what the political Christian Right has to offer. The setting of the article is the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Harbor in Maryland, and is based on interviews with John Andrews, former president of the Colorado Senate and Director of the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, and Tom Minnery, President and CEO of Focus on the Family’s political arm, … [Read more...] about The Worst of “the Christian Right”
Eschatology and Religious Liberty
Q. What is the one thing that is not present in heaven (or in the millennium, or in the New Jerusalem, depending on your take on eschatology) that we can be thankful is still present with us here today on earth? A. Religious liberty. “[The woman] gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.” (Rev. 12:5) “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown … [Read more...] about Eschatology and Religious Liberty
Scalia, Kuyper, and a “Christian” View of Economics and Politics
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recently gave a lecture (together with a subsequent Q & A session) at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, Texas. on the following topic: “Is Capitalism or Socialism More Conducive to Christian Virtue?”—(the lecture can be viewed in its entirety here). Interestingly, he is both a devout Roman Catholic and a convinced fiscal conservative. And though I am neither a Roman Catholic nor quite so convinced a fiscal conservative as he, I find much common ground with him in what he has to say in this lecture. In spite of the checkered historical legacy of … [Read more...] about Scalia, Kuyper, and a “Christian” View of Economics and Politics
The Mordecai Dilemma
Here’s a little exercise in advanced level hermeneutics for some of you theological thinkers out there. I came across this passage the other day, and although I have read it various times in the past, the implications of what it said struck me like never before, and quite frankly, left me a bit perplexed. The passage, in case you want to know right up front, is Esther chapters 9 and 10, though I want to set the stage a bit before diving into it. In order to help you understand what it is about this passage that causes me such consternation, let me go over a few of my interpretational … [Read more...] about The Mordecai Dilemma
Mormons, Missionary Strategy, and American Politics
The place was Badajoz, Spain, the time about 15 years ago. I was at that time missionary-pastor of the local Baptist church, back when there was still a place for that type of assignment within IMB strategy. We were hosting a few volunteer workers from the States, and that night they wanted to eat hamburgers, so I took them to the local Burger King and ordered their food for them in Spanish. As we were waiting in line, speaking to each other in English, the store manager took notice and started up a conversation with us in broken English. He told us he was interested in improving his English … [Read more...] about Mormons, Missionary Strategy, and American Politics