The sad thing about Joel Osteen is that he has all the marks of a sincere person. I just finished watching the profile of his ministry on “60 Minutes,” and there is not one thing about him that looks phony. He is one of the most likeable, loveable fellows that you’ll ever see. I really think he believes everything he is saying.
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More on Rudy Giuliani
This is just a follow-up to my post from earlier this week, “Why I Will Not Vote for Rudy Giuliani.” Maggie Gallagher writes a scathing critique of the Giuliani candidacy that you won’t want to miss. It’s titled “Rudy’s Mythical ‘Electability’,” and here’s the relevant excerpt: “Sean Hannity spends hours every afternoon criticizing those in the GOP coalition (such as Dr. James Dobson) who won’t vote for Rudy. Sure, Giuliani may be wrong on gay marriage and abortion, but he’ll be much better than Hillary because he’ll appoint “strict constructionist” Supreme Court justices, right?
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Dispensational Dustup
Christianity Today reports on a “Dispensational Dustup” at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. According to CT, the college removed a senior as student ministries director because of his “hyper-dispensational” views. The student believes “that the book of James was written for Israel and not for the church; that the church started with Paul and not at Pentecost; and that Israel was saved by faith and works, not by faith alone.” The administration is definitely correct to find such views troubling. I would even go so far as to characterize such views as sub-Christian. Nevertheless, it’s important to point out (as Darrel Bock does in the article) that the student’s…
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Answering Brad Pitt’s Objections to Religion
In a recent interview with Parade magazine, Brad Pitt explains why he no longer embraces Christianity. It turns out that he was raised as a Southern Baptist, but when he got to college he came upon some stumbling blocks that led him to cast aside his faith altogether. He describes his current feelings on “religion” in this way: “Guilt is the thing I find most evil about it. It’s the thing I rail against the most. . . Religion works. I know there’s comfort there, a crash pad. It’s something to explain the world and tell you there is something bigger than you, and it is going to be alright…
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Why I Will Not Vote for Rudy Giuliani
I have recently written about the candidacy of Rudy Giuliani for president and have said that I will not vote for him because he is pro-choice. I should clarify that his pro-choice position is not the only reason that I’m not supporting Mayor Giuliani. There are many other issues that also make him an unacceptable candidate (e.g., opposition to ban on gay “marriage,” support for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research). For these reasons, it is clear that Rudy Giuliani is no more conservative on moral issues than Hillary Clinton. But my concern is not so much whether people regard him as conservative. My concern is that he stands…
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Presidential Candidate Calls for Kingdom Come
At least one of the candidates for President of the United States went to church yesterday. Can you guess which candidate said the following while he was there? “I just want all of you to pray that I can be an instrument of God in the same way that Pastor Ron and all of you are instruments of God. . . We’re going to keep on praising together. I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth.” If you were to guess that it was Republican Mike Huckabee (a former Baptist Preacher) who uttered those words, you would be wrong. If you were to guess, Sam…
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The Tigers Get ‘er Done
It wasn’t pretty. LSU turned the ball over once, and they had 7 penalties for 61 yards. On top of that, the Gators were in rare form under Tebow. LSU’s vaunted defense didn’t look so good for about the first three quarters. The Tigers trailed the Gators until about the last minute and a half of the game. I don’t have the heart to gloat (even though I’m normally not above such things 🙂 ). Tebow is good. Really good. Vince Young good. I have a new respect for him and his team. Nevertheless, Jacob Hester has every bit as much heart and brawn as Tebow, and Hester was truly…
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James Dobson Speaks about Third Party Option
Don’t miss Dr. James Dobson’s Opinion piece in today’s New York Times: “The Values Test.” He writes about the decision that was reached by a subgroup within the Council for National Policy. He writes: “If neither of the two major political parties nominates an individual who pledges himself or herself to the sanctity of human life, we will join others in voting for a minor-party candidate. . .
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C. F. D. Moule, R.I.P. (1908-2007)
His was not a household name, but C. F. D. Moule was a luminary in my field. He was a great scholar who also had a reputation for having a warm evangelical spirit. For me by far, his most influential book was his first book, An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek. I have benefitted from this book immensely over the years and can say that some of the ideas in my own publications can be traced backed to nuggets found in this little volume. Would that we all could be as careful and prolific as C. F. D. Moule. R.I.P. “C. F. D. Moule: Last of the Gentlemen-Scholars” –…
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The War: Some Reflections
I just finished watching the last episode of Ken Burns’ documentary “The War.” The film is not entertainment. It’s an historical depiction of real evil and of the heartrending, gut-wrenching consequences of human sin. It’s also a reminder of the great courage and heroism of a generation of Americans who went out to fight a necessary war. I am grateful for them and their sacrifice, even as I thank God for the blessings of liberty and peace that I too often take for granted.