I love Derek Webb. I first started listening to his music in 1994 when I was in college and when he was in Caedmon’s Call. I will never forget the first time I saw Derek perform live with Caedmon’s (circa 1995). It was at Tulane University in New Orleans, and I and the other hundred or so people were mesmerized for the entire concert. When I heard Derek sing and play “Bus Driver” that night, he became my favorite of the group. It was one of the best shows I’d ever been to. Caedmon’s Call was supposed to be playing Christian music, but it didn’t sound like any of the…
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Speak Softly? Not When It Comes to Iran & Nukes
Speaking on behalf of the Bush administration, Vice President Dick Cheney vows that the U.S. will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. He also will not take the military option off of the table (click here to see the story). In this case, I think the administration is doing the right thing. Sometimes saber-rattling achieves more than “speaking softly while carrying a big stick.” Do you remember the “Axis of Evil”? It’s Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. If Iran thinks that Bush is not serious, they have another thing coming.
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Unspeakable Abortion Tragedy
I read an unspeakably tragic story today in the BBC News (click here to read it). It’s about a 16 year old girl who tried to abort her twins early in her pregnancy. Later in the pregnancy, she found out that one of them survived the procedure. Now, the surviving twin is four years old, and the mother is suing the hospital because “she suffers an impediment in her ability to obtain employment in consequence of her care for the child.†Consider these lines from the mother and weep: “I still don’t know if, or what, I am going to tell Jayde when the time comes. Maybe when she is…
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John Piper on the Danish Cartoon Controversy
John Piper’s essay on the Danish Cartoon controversy is a must-read. It clearly and respectfully delineates the differences between Christianity and Islam and calls for people to see the supremacy of Christ crucified. “Being Mocked: The Essence of Christ’s Work, Not Muhammad’s” – by John Piper Go read it. You’ll be glad you did.
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Bono’s Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast
Can a rock star preach? Apparently those who head up the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. think Bono can. Last week, he spoke at the annual event with President Bush sitting close by (for a transcript click here). I would argue, however, that although there was much to commend in Bono’s remarks, there was also much to be concerned about. We can all appreciate and affirm Bono’s desire to see the Christian church get more involved in addressing poverty and disease in Africa. We welcome the challenge that he gave to Americans to be more generous in their giving to charities that help bring relief to those who are…
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Coretta Scott King’s Funeral and No-Class Politics
At Coretta Scott King’s funeral today, some of the speakers used their eulogies as an opportunity to take cheap shots at President Bush. Indeed, it was no-class politics of the worst kind. The most notable disparagements came from former President Jimmy Carter and Reverend Joseph Lowery. Reverend Joseph Lowery protested President Bush’s Iraq war policy with a poem: “We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there/But Coretta knew and we knew that there are weapons of misdirection right down here/Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war billions more but no more for the poor†(source). President Carter drew attention to the recent wire-tapping controversy by…
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Jerry Johnson Live
A few weeks ago, President Jerry Johnson of the Criswell College (where I teach) began a Christian worldview radio show here in Dallas, TX. The program is called “Jerry Johnson Live†and broadcasts all over the metroplex area every weekday from 5-6pm Central Standard Time. Dr. Johnson has invited me to take part in today’s show as we analyze and discuss the President Bush’s State of the Union Speech. You can listen to the show live on the internet by clicking on the following link when the show airs today from 5-6pm: KCBI Live Stream Dr. Johnson’s show has been going great so far, and I am honored to be…
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Has the Iraq War Compromised Evangelical Witness?
Charles Marsh argues that Evangelicals in the United States have undermined the credibility of their moral and evangelistic witness in the world by supporting the war in Iraq. The essay is titled “Wayward Christian Soldiers.†Marsh recently read sermons delivered in 2002-2003 by prominent evangelicals who supported the President’s decision to go to war. What surprised me, looking at these sermons nearly three years later, was how little attention they paid to actual Christian moral doctrine . . . As a result, many ministers dismissed [just war] theory as no longer relevant . . . The single common theme among the war sermons appeared to be this: our president is…
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Big Security Council Members Agree on Iran
The AP reports that the members of the U. N. Security council are coming together against the recent, provocative steps taken by Iran. Here’s the article: “Big Security Council Members Agree on Iran.†The developments reported here are significant because it’s the first sign that Russia and China might oppose the actions taken by Iran. Russian and China are permanent members of the Security Council and can veto any sanctions that the other members might propose. Hopefully, this is a sign that they are moving toward challenging Iran. According to this article, Russia is hinting that it may do just that. If you are wondering what might happen if the…
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The Great Gulf War of 2007
A great big Hat Tip to Dr. Mohler for bringing our attention to Niall Ferguson’s OP-ED piece in today’s LA Times: “Tomorrow’s world war today.†This piece is narrated as if it were written by a historian looking back on the “Great Gulf War†of 2007. The essay rings eerily prescient and is a must read. If you don’t read any thing else today, read this one.