Russell Moore’s tribute to Chuck Colson in the most recent issue of Touchstone is a must-read. Really well done. It’s not just a reflection on Colson’s life, but also a meditation on what it meant for Colson to be a “Nixon man.” Here’s an excerpt: In the weeks and months after the death of Chuck Colson, many of us have reflected on how God changed the old White House “hatchet man,” the dirty trickster who participated in perhaps the greatest challenge to the American constitutional system in over two hundred years of our history. I was -perturbed to read newspaper and website accounts of Colson that treated him, after his…
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Should churches display the American flag?
Christianity Today hosts a forum on whether or not churches should display the American flag in their sanctuaries. Douglas Wilson says no, Lisa Velthouse says yes, and Russell Moore says “yes, but…” Wilson and Moore have some characteristic rhetorical greatness in their short reflections. After arguing against displaying the flag in the sanctuary, Wilson does insist that Christians ought to fly it elsewhere:
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Mere Patriotism
Brett McCracken has a fantastic little essay on patriotism over at the “Mere Orthodoxy” blog. In short, he extols patriotism and argues that it’s an error to confuse patriotism with nationalism. He writes: Patriotism is a good thing. It’s the natural emotional connection we have with place. We’re wired to ache for this notion of “home.” It’s what the Israelites longed for in the Sinai. It’s what the Hobbits longed for (the Shire) during their Middle Earth adventures. It’s what constitutes part of C.S. Lewis’s Sehnsucht: a nostalgic longing for the “Green Hills” of his Belfast childhood, “the low line of the Castlereagh Hills which we saw from the nursery…
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B21 Panel with Mohler, Patterson, Akin, Greear, and Platt
At the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans last month, Baptist21 hosted a very helpful and constructive panel discussion with Albert Mohler, Paige Patterson, Danny Akin, J. D. Greear, and David Platt. Fred Luter made a cameo appearance as well. It was a candid discussion covering a range of topics, including Calvinism in the SBC, the conservative resurgence, the basis for cooperation in the SBC, and more. Thanks to the guys from B21 for hosting this event and now for sharing it with everyone. Well done!
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Could gay marriage debate drive young Christians from church?
MSNBC.com interviews Rachel Held Evans and Matt Anderson about evangelicals and the gay marriage debate. Here’s the intro: As the battle over gay marriage heats up in this election year, one evangelical Christian writer is calling for a truce, fearing that the outspoken opposition to gay marriage among some church leaders could alienate an entire generation of religious youth. “Evangelicals have been so submitted to these culture wars for so long, so that’s hard to give up,” evangelical writer and speaker Rachel Held Evans, 31, told msnbc.com. But “the majority of young Christians really, really, really want to stop with the political emphasis.” You need to read the rest of…
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The Slavery of Student Loan Debt
Last April we learned that student loan debt in the U.S. surpassed 1 trillion dollars (source). We also learned that Americans owe more on their student loans than on their credit cards or car loans (source). Why is this? Many people assume that a college education is the key to prosperity and is therefore worth any cost. But that assumption is profoundly inaccurate. The video above breaks down the issue as clearly and as simply as I’ve ever seen it done (HT: Ad Fontes). It argues that Americans face a “Higher Education Bubble” that is just about to burst. I think it’s right. Whether you’re a parent or a student,…
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Jeremiah and Us on Trial
Jim Hamilton preached a message on Jeremiah 26 yesterday. He compares the suffering of Jeremiah to the suffering of the faithful in every age—even our own day. It’s really good, and you can download it here or listen to it below. [audio:http://kenwoodbaptistchurch.com/podcast/download.php?filename=2012-07-01_jim_hamilton_jer_26_jeremiah_on_trial__jul_1.mp3]
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Gagnon Calls on Exodus Leader to Resign
After reading a recent interview in The Atlantic, Robert Gagnon is calling for Alan Chambers to resign the presidency of Exodus International (an evangelical ministry to homosexuals). This call to resign carries some weight as Gagnon is the author of the single most important book defending the biblical view of homosexuality. According the Gagnon, the interview reveals serious theological error that disqualifies Chambers from remaining on as President. Gagnon says that the error represents a pattern of settled conviction on Chambers’ part. Ironically, Chambers does not revise his views on the ethics of homosexuality in the interview. Chambers still affirms the union of one man and one woman in marriage…
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Exodus Backs away from Reparative Therapy
Some big news broke this week about Exodus International, a well-known Christian ministry to homosexuals. Exodus International is backing away from the long-held view that sexual orientation can be changed through reparative therapy. Groups like Exodus have been excoriated in the mainstream press over the years for supporting such therapies, as the AP reports:
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What SCOTUS’s Decision Means for the Pro-life Cause
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC released a statement today spelling out the impact of today’s decision on Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate. Here’s an excerpt: