Lisa Miller observes in The Washington Post that the Republican primary race has spawned many news stories raising fears about “crazy Christians.” She writes, “Their echo-chamber effect reignites old anxieties among liberals about evangelical Christians. Some on the left seem suspicious that a firm belief in Jesus equals a desire to take over the world… This isn’t a defense of the religious beliefs of Bachmann or Perry, whatever they are. It’s a plea, given the acrimonious tone of our political discourse, for a certain amount of dispassionate care in the coverage of religion. Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they’re Christian. One-third of Americans call themselves ‘evangelical.’ When millions of…
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Gay Activists Want Marriage Supporters Regarded as Bigots
Maggie Gallagher has a helpful article at The Public Discourse about the aims of the gay rights movement. She warns about the conflict that will come to those stand for traditional marriage: Advocates of gay marriage are not slow to use any lever of power, including government, to impose their new morality on America. The primary goal of the existing gay marriage movement is to use cultural, social, economic, and political power to create a new norm: marriage equality. The governing idea behind “marriage equality” is this: there is no difference between same-sex and opposite-sex unions. If you see a difference, there is something wrong with you. “You’re a hater,…
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Sermon Notes from a Seven Year Old
Jim Hamilton is my pastor and fellow elder at Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Jim just shared his 7-year old son’s sermon notes from last week’s sermon, and it is classic. I think he’s about ready to preach. Here’s the photo and transcription below. Read Jim’s post here.
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“Gender in the 21st Century” Conference
If you are anywhere near Louisville tomorrow, you should make plans to attend the “Gender in the 21st Century” conference hosted by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. The conference begins at 9am, August 22 in Heritage Hall on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The speakers include Albert Mohler, Ligon Duncan, Jim Hamilton, Russell Moore, and Randy Stinson. Also, I just read that there’s going to be an iPad giveaway to some lucky conference-goer. iPad or no iPad, I hope to see you there.
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NPR Covers Evangelical Debate about Adam and Eve
NPR covers the ongoing debate among evangelicals over evolution and the existence of Adam and Eve. The Biologos crew is represented here, and Albert Mohler is interviewed as well. Listen below or download here. [audio:http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2011/08/20110809_me_14.mp3] What’s at stake in this debate? The heart of the gospel, the authority of the Bible, and more. As far as theological debates go, this is not a question of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. It’s a question of whether or not Christianity has any coherence at all. (HT: Tim Challies)
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I Heart CCM
From some of the feedback I have gotten to yesterday’s post, I suspect that I may have given the impression that I am utterly cynical about contemporary Christian music (CCM). Nothing could be further from the truth. While CCM has its fair share of musical pablum to offer, so does secular music. And while there is some brilliant secular music, so there is also in CCM. If I tried to list every CCM artist or song that I have enjoyed over the years, the list would be too long. But there have been some that have had some staying power for me personally—meaning, there was something about the music or…
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Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace to Debate at SMU
I just heard about an event coming up in October that promises to be really interesting. The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) has announced a debate between two noted New Testament scholars, Dr. Bart D. Ehrman and Dr. Daniel B. Wallace. The debate will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 7 PM in the McFarlin Memorial Auditorium at Southern Methodist University.
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The Girl Who Lost Her Faith Listening to CCM
I just read one of the most fascinating and sad articles that I have read in a long time. The article is by Meghan O’Gieblyn, and it’s a brief narrative of her childhood transition from being a fan of contemporary Christian music (CCM) to being a fan of secular music. As an avid consumer of CCM through the 80?s and 90?s, I relate to a great deal of what is in this article. She talks about how CCM changed from the 80?s to the 90?s and became more and more adept at producing material that could compete with its secular counterparts. She loved CCM and was the ultimate fan until…
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Theological Interrogations and the 2012 Race
It’s been fascinating to watch news coverage of the Presidential race over the last week. Two of the candidates in particular have turned the attention of the pundit class to religious topics. From Rick Perry’s prayer rally last weekend to Michele Bachmann’s interpretation of Ephesians 5:22 in Thursday’s GOP debate, reporters have become focused on the candidates’ theological views and how those views might inform their presidency.
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Was it fair to ask Bachmann about wifely submission?
Conservative columnist Byron York put a tough question to Michele Bachmann in last Thursday’s Presidential debate. Here’s how it went: In 2006, when you were running for Congress, you described a moment in your life when your husband said you should study for a degree in tax law. You said you hated the idea. And then you explained, “But the Lord said, ‘Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.'” As president, would you be submissive to your husband?