David and Nancy French are evangelical Christians and two of the most outspoken conservative opponents of Donald Trump in the country. Taking this stand has not been without a cost for them. Today, they have both written searching reflections on what their opposition has cost them. The pieces linked below are difficult to read, but I think that they are necessary to read if you want to understand the darkness lurking just beneath the surface of this election season. Thank you for fighting the good fight, David and Nancy. There are many of us who admire you and your principled stand this past year. Your moral clarity in the midst…
-
-
Robbie George calls for charity among conservatives currently divided
Dr. Robbie George of Princeton University is regarded by many as the leading intellectual of conservatism. In a Facebook post today, he calls for charity among conservatives who are currently divided over how to vote in the 2016 presidential election. George writes: Lincoln famously said: “With malice towards none, with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right.” Friends, we are in a terrible fix here. And it is putting some of us at each other’s throats. it must not be permitted to do that. Donald Trump is dreadful. Hillary Clinton is horrible. One called for the killing of the innocent family…
-
Is a church anti-gay for practicing church discipline?
Watermark Community Church is an evangelical congregation in Dallas, Texas. It has been in the news this past week after a former member wrote a Facebook post announcing the one year anniversary of his excommunication from the church. The Dallas Morning News picked up the Facebook post and published it under the title “Watermark church dismissed me for being gay.” As you can imagine, no little bit of controversy ensued. A columnist at the paper excoriated the church in an opinion piece titled “Watermark megachurch banned a gay man that it didn’t deserve to have as a member.” Just today, the pastor of Watermark contributed a column to the News…
-
Why more evangelicals may need to follow CT’s lead
Christianity Today has published an unusually scathing editorial by Andy Crouch. Crouch makes the case that “Evangelicals, of all people, should not be silent about Donald Trump’s blatant immorality.” He writes: Since his nomination, Donald Trump has been able to count on “the evangelicals” (in his words) for a great deal of support. This past week, the latest (though surely not last) revelations from Trump’s past have caused many evangelical leaders to reconsider. This is heartening, but it comes awfully late. What Trump is, everyone has known and has been able to see for decades, let alone the last few months. The revelations of the past week of his vile…
-
Last night’s debate and my burden going forward
The measure of last night’s disgrace is measured by the lengths I had to go to to conceal it from my children. When there is a presidential debate, our usual routine is to turn it on in the family room and to watch it. The kids may be in and out of the room if they are not in bed already. But it is a conspicuous viewing in the middle of our home if it is anything else. Last night was different. I retreated into a room by myself to view the debate. On two or three occasions, my children came into the room. And on each occasion, I had…
-
Russell Moore weighs-in on the InterVarsity decision concerning sexuality
-
InterVarsity says TIME story is inaccurate
Elizabeth Dias has written a story for TIME magazine saying that InterVarsity plans to dismiss all staff members who fall short of the InterVarsity’s views on marriage and sexuality. InterVarsity has responded with a series of tweets disputing her article. There are eight tweets, and I encourage you to read them all. But it is the first and fourth tweets that I don’t know how to reconcile. 1/8 Sadly @elizabethjdias‘ @TIME article is wrong. We have no policy on employee views on civil marriage. https://t.co/Uktr1GAgUL — INTERVARSITY USA (@INTERVARSITYusa) October 7, 2016 4/8 We do hold to an orthodox view of sexuality and Christian marriage, as you read in our…
-
Is Trump accelerating evangelical break with the GOP?
The video package above was produced by Jon Ward for Yahoo News. There are a variety of personalities that appear in it. What struck me while watching it is how the label “evangelical” is being pulled apart at the seams. The apparent break-up with the GOP is but one sign of a larger conflict that evangelical Christians are facing in post-Christian America. As we move from “moral majority” to prophetic minority, we are feeling more uneasy in Babylon. That is not altogether a bad thing. Christianity’s contrast with the world is becoming more evident and will compel us to theological clarity. And that is happening now. (HT: Justin Taylor)
-
The self-authenticating power of the Bible
In case you missed it, Andy Stanley posted a lengthy rejoinder to criticism he has received since telling his church that the Bible is not the foundation of the Christian faith. I responded to this last week. Just tonight, both Jared Wilson and David Prince have posted thoughtful responses. For my part, I would reiterate what I said last week. I really appreciate Stanley’s clear affirmation of biblical inerrancy. He writes: I believe the Bible is without error in everything it affirms. I believe what the Bible says is true, is true… So for anyone out there who is still a bit suspicious, I affirm The Chicago Statement on Biblical…
-
Why Is God’s Sexual Ethic Good for the World?
Rosaria Butterfield, Sam Allberry, and Jackie Hill Perry discuss why God’s sexual ethic is good for the world. Source: The Gospel Coalition