Did you know that if you have ever substituted “he or she” for generic “he,” then you have been made the accomplice of feminist propaganda? That is precisely what David Gelernter argues in his must-read article “Feminism and the English Language: Can the damage to our mother tongue be undone?” Among other things, he says that feminist idealogues have pushed generic masculines out of English style manuals and have made it a cultural sin to use them at all.
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Robbie Sagers and Friends on Elmer Gantry
My friend Robbie Sagers commented on the fictional character Elmer Gantry on NPR’s “All Things Considered” this week. He contributes along with two other students from Southern Seminary, Jenny Clark and Philip Bethancourt. You can read about and access the audio here, or you can listen below. [audio:http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/17914370/19355657/npr_19355657.mp3] (HT: Russell Moore)
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William F. Buckley, R.I.P.
The New York Times reports: ‘William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse, died Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn. ‘Mr Buckley, 82, suffered from diabetes and emphysema, his son Christopher said, although the exact cause of death was not immediately known. He was found at his desk in the study of his home, his son said. “He might have been working on a column,” Mr. Buckley said.’ Here’s the rest: “William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82.” See also the AP story: “William F. Buckley Jr. Dies at 82.”
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Tommy Nelson on the 60’s
Pastor Tommy Nelson says that the 1960’s were the best of times and the worst of times. He also says that understanding the philosophical and theological questions driving the upheavals of that decade is essential for the Christian to understand—like “the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). This particular series is a bit of a departure for Nelson, who is a consistent and tenacious verse-by-verse expositor of scripture.
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ER on the Bankruptcy of Postmodern Spirituality
The dramatization below puts some flesh and blood on what for many is an esoteric theological point—the question of atonement. Yet in the real world, there is real evil, real guilt, and a real need for reconciliation with the God with Whom we have to do. Postmodern, therapeutic platitudes have nothing to offer in the face of those realities. But the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and raised for sinners does.
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Baby Twins Save Mother’s Life
This story is unbelievable, but it has appeared in several news outlets. So I’m passing it along to you. According to the London Daily Mail, a pregnant woman was diagnosed with cervical cancer while carrying twins. After her doctors recommended an abortion so that her tumor might be removed, she declined treatment. At some point during her pregnancy, the twins’ kicking dislodged the tumor and caused it to be expelled from her body. The thankful mother has said this:
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Starbucks vs. the Little Guy
I love Starbucks coffee. I have to say, however, I have been to some stores recently that are a little bit less Starbucky than their 1990’s forebears. According to the report above, Starbucks has sold out to the man. It has replaced baristas with machines, has mass produced locations, and has compromised its ambiance with retail space. These changes over the last few years are the explanation for some of its less-than-stellar stores. The changes also explain why ma and pop coffee shops are making a comeback in certain areas. What do you think? Is Starbucks losing its luster?
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On Mocking Evangelicals
Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times writes what many evangelicals already suspected: “At a New York or Los Angeles cocktail party, few would dare make a pejorative comment about Barack Obama’s race or Hillary Clinton’s sex. Yet it would be easy to get away with deriding Mike Huckabee’s religious faith. “Liberals believe deeply in tolerance and over the last century have led the battles against prejudices of all kinds, but we have a blind spot about Christian evangelicals. They constitute one of the few minorities that, on the American coasts or university campuses, it remains fashionable to mock.” Kristof goes on to praise evangelicals for their work on poverty,…
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Rick Warren on the “Colbert Report”
Pastor Rick Warren appeared on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” last night (see video below). I have to say that the show is not the best forum for discussing things eternal. The show is too light, and the gospel is too heavy to sustain any meaningful interaction about the things of God. Nevertheless, Warren made a go at it.
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Yale Students Celebrate Abortion Rights
I just read a chilling article that was published this week in the Yale Daily News. Students there were treated to a “a week-long celebration of the 35th anniversary” of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision. The week’s events included mock abortions using papayas and a performance by a comedy troupe.