I saw a headline in the Associated Press that caught my eye: “Abortion doesn’t trigger mental distress, says study: Postpartum depression much more of a factor, according to Danish research.” The article attempts to summarize the findings of a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. I have read enough articles like this one to know that you often cannot take these reports at face value. I have now looked at the actual findings from the New England Journal of Medicine. Despite the cheerleading for abortion, it is clear that the AP has gotten this one wrong.

John Piper preaches a message on racial reconciliation every year on the Sunday before Martin Luther King Day. One of my favorites is his sermon from 2000 on Ephesians 2:11-22 titled “Race and Cross.” Piper begins the message with his own testimony of growing up in segregated Greenville, South Carolina. Across town another boy was growing up at the same time—Jesse Jackson. Piper’s testimony is below, but it will be worth your time to read or listen to the entire message. You can listen to the message below, or read the entire manuscript here. “Race and Cross” [audio:http://cdn.desiringgod.org/audio/2000/20000116.mp3]

I don’t know about you, but I have been appalled by the punditry since Saturday’s shooting. The rush to judgment. The crass attempts at political one-upmanship. The non-sequiturs like, “Perhaps this young man wasn’t motivated by political ideology, but we all need to tone down the rhetoric a bit. Because look what it leads to.” These people get paid a lot of money, but the analysis in this case has not been worth two bits. One of the most frustrating features of this commentary is the inability to speak in moral terms of what this young killer has done. That is why Kevin DeYoung’s remarks this morning are a must-read.…

CNN’s Belief Blog asked 10 religious leaders and commentators to make a faith-based prediction about 2011. Don Miller, the author of Blue Like Jazz, weighed-in with the following: “As religious tensions grow over the coming presidential election and domestic cultural issues involving perceived legislation of morality, the media will find more zealous Christians reacting to the issues of the day whose extreme positions will further divide the evangelical church into radical positions, and turn away seekers looking for a peaceful resolution to the churning in their own souls. In other words, the devil will play a trick on the church, and the church will, like sheep, lose their focus on…

Frank Turk has given two thorough critiques of Derek Webb’s recent interview with The Huffington Post: “Open Letter” and “Notes”. Turk’s engagement with Webb is not for the faint of heart. He’s pretty tough, though I think also very fair. His critiques and questions are along the lines of the ones I asked earlier this year (see here and here). To give you a sample of Turk’s take on this, I’ll highlight two items. First, Turk criticizes the ironic legalism of moral permisiveness. He writes, “The legalism of permissiveness” is merely license raised to a moral imperative.” This is an insight that you don’t want to miss. Make no mistake,…

I thought about commenting on this interview, but I don’t think there’s anything to say that I haven’t already said (see here and here). Nevertheless, The Huffington Post is a large platform, and it’s noteworthy that Webb has taken his message there as well.

Michael Gerson on Christmas: Christmas has become a kind of alternative religion, offering watered-down versions of profound theological doctrines. Its miracles are found on 34th Street, not in Bethlehem. The visitation of Gabriel has become the visitation of Clarence, assuring us that it is a wonderful life. The modern cult of Christmas offers a domesticated form of transcendence. Naughty or nice instead of good or evil. A jolly old elf rather than an illegitimate child, destined for an early death… I choose to take a more liberal view of the Christmas cult. Its tacky materialism can be unattractive. But the desire for Christmas miracles and visiting angels – for Tiny…

I want to add a hearty “amen” to Ross Douthat’s column in today’s New York Times. He writes: “Christmas is hard for everyone. But it’s particularly hard for people who actually believe in it. “In a sense, of course, there’s no better time to be a Christian than the first 25 days of December. But this is also the season when American Christians can feel most embattled. Their piety is overshadowed by materialist ticky-tack. Their great feast is compromised by Christmukkwanzaa multiculturalism. And the once-a-year churchgoers crowding the pews beside them are a reminder of how many Americans regard religion as just another form of midwinter entertainment, wedged in between…