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.
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The Legacy of Roe v. Wade 35 Years Later
Today marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Roe v. Wade decision. 50 million unborn babies have been killed by abortion since 1973. Last year, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on a procedure called partial-birth abortion, but abortion is still legal up until the moment of birth in all 50 states as determined by Roe vs. Wade. I believe that many people are able to dodge this issue in their own consciences because they have been conditioned to do so by a culture of death and because the unborn themselves are silent and out of sight. One way to cure this indifference is by making images…
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Letter from a Birmingham Jail
On Saturday, John Piper exhorted pastors to use the occasion of Martin Luther King Day to shine the light of the gospel on racism. He also quoted at length from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Dr. King’s description of Jim Crow South is one of the most gut-wrenching things you’ll ever read. It’s hard to believe that people once spoke so openly in racist terms, but they did. Here’s Dr. King in his own words: