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:
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Doug Wilson Takes on Gay Activists in Q&A
Doug Wilson’s recent lectures on sexuality at Indiana University are absolutely riveting. If you start these, beware, because you might not be able to stop. Wilson followed the lectures with two hours of Q&A with a raucous, offended crowd. There were forty questions and forty answers in all. Watch the first trailer above and the second trailer below. To see the lectures and the Q&A, click here. This is quite an amazing thing to watch, and it’s worth offering some reflections on this spectacle.
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Precious Coins from a Father
Jim Hamilton preached a fantastic sermon last Sunday on Jeremiah 25:15-38 at Kenwood Baptist Church. At the end of the message, he gave an illustration that I thought really connected the text to life. It’s only about five minutes long. In the audio below, it begins at 37:09. [audio:http://kenwoodbaptistchurch.com/podcast/media/2012-06-24_jim_hamilton_jer_25_1538_6_24_12.mp3] Christianity.com published the illustration today, and here’s an excerpt.
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Ed Young’s Recent Sermon on Reformed Theology
Earlier this evening, I saw that Justin Taylor tweeted a link to Ed Young Junior’s sermon from this past Sunday. It’s titled “Cool-aid: Homeboy.” At the 27:29 mark, he begins about a 12 minute attack on reformed churches. You can download it here, listen below, or watch at the bottom of this page. [audio:http://cdn.creativepastors.com/podcasts/mp3/20120624_coolaid.mp3] Among other things, Young accuses reformed believers of being non-evangelistic. Or to put it in Young’s words, “They pimp God not to reach people who are dying and going to hell.” He also charges reformed Christians with preaching the social gospel, with being more concerned with digging wells in South Africa than with sharing the gospel…
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An Interview with an Arminian
John Starke’s interview with Fred Sanders over at the Gospel Coalition is a really good read. I think it demonstrates the fraternity that can exist between brothers who differ with one another over the doctrines of grace. I welcome the warm expressions that Sanders offers towards Calvinists, and I would simply reply that the feeling is mutual. There was one section from the interview that I thought worthy of highlighting. Starke asks Sanders to complete the following sentence: “If you think Arminianism is semi-Pelagian, then…” Sanders replies: