Kirsten Powers argues in USA Today that Kansas’ recent effort to protect religious freedom is akin to enacting Jim Crow laws. She writes: What’s the matter with Kansas? A bill protecting the religious freedom of businesses and individuals to refuse services to same-sex couples passed the state House of Representatives last week. It was blessedly killed in the state Senate on Tuesday… Christians backing this bill are essentially arguing for homosexual Jim Crow laws. She goes on to argue that Christian business owners have an obligation to serve people they disagree with because that’s what Jesus taught us to do. She invokes Pastor Andy Stanley for support on this point:
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A Fundamentalist vs. Robbie George & Cornell West
Last week, Robbie George and Cornell West visited Swarthmore College to host a public discussion about “what it means for intellectuals to learn from each other despite deep differences on important questions.” As many of you know, George is a renowned conservative while West is a well-known liberal. Both have had distinguished academic careers and have held professorships at Princeton University. I watched the video of their meeting last week. The most interesting part of the discussion occurred when the Q&A period began. The first question out of the box came from a student who wanted to inquire about George’s public opposition to gay marriage. This is what the student…
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How not to get stuck in dying technologies like the Nook
I wonder how many of you have invested time and money into a certain technology only to find that technology eventually to become obsolete. If you are a Nook owner and have been building a Nook library, chances are that you’ve invested in a technology that will very soon go the way of the Dodo. It was only about five years ago that hand held video cameras were still all the rage (remember Flip Video Cameras?). Those too have largely been replaced by smartphones. The technological ecosystem seems to be in a constant state of flux with devices and technologies coming and going all the time. How do you keep…
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The most satisfying thing to the inventor of the jump-shot
Kenny Sailors is 91 years old. He is credited with inventing “the jump shot as an alternative to the two-handed, flat-footed set shot.” He won an NCAA championship, and he played in the NBA. He was married to his sweetheart for sixty years. And yet there is one thing that has been the most satisfying thing to him in all his life. Watch the video above to see what it is.
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“My Beautiful Woman”: Powerful Pro-life Message
The video above may well be the most powerful pro-life movie you’ll ever see. It is not produced by Christians. In fact, it was produced by a lingerie company. Nevertheless, it reveals the inherit value of every human life—a fact that is written across every person’s conscience. I don’t want to spoil the end, but I will say this. It is worth seven minutes to watch. Very powerful.
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The tragic case of Richard Jewell
In 1996, a bomb exploded at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In the immediate aftermath, a hero emerged who had saved lives by warning people to flee to safety. Within a matter of days, that hero unjustly came under suspicion. He was tried and condemned in the press and in the court of public opinion. When the truth finally came out, no one was paying attention anymore, and a man’s life was ruined by a false accusation. The ESPN documentary above tells the story of Richard Jewell. It’s a tragic example of what happens when we act as if news reports are flawless depictions of reality. They are not.…
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T4G Roundtable on Evangelism
The 2014 meeting of “Together for the Gospel” is just around the corner. The T4G guys recently convened a planning meeting in Louisville, and while they were here they recorded a roundtable conversation about the conference theme. It includes Piper, Platt, Chandler, Mohler, Dever, Duncan, and Anyabwile. Here’s the description of their conversation from the T4G website: Is “evangelist” a separate office in the church? Should pastors share the gospel with everyone? What’s wrong if a pastor is “a beast in the pulpit but a coward in the community?” Listen in as the T4G guys prepare for the April 2014 gathering. You can download the audio here or listen to…
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Wheaton students protest Rosaria Butterfield
Over the weekend, I read the news of Rosaria Champagne Butterfield’s recent visit to Wheaton College. The reports I read focused on a demonstration led by Wheaton students who were concerned about Butterfield’s testimony. It’s no surprise when students on a secular university campus stage a public protest against Butterfield. But it is quite surprising when about a hundred students demonstrate at an evangelical bastion like Wheaton. The question is this: Why did these students feel the need to demonstrate?
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The simplest explanation for bias in the press
I really miss Richard John Neuhaus. His regular commentary in the “On the Square” section of First Things was worth the price of the journal. He could always see right through to the heart of an issue and then expound and reprove with wit and humor. There was no one like him. In 2006, he wrote a short bit about bias among news reporters. It’s devastating and hilarious all at once. I bring it to your attention in case you have grown frustrated with the kind of reporting that we’ve had to endure in recent days. There is nothing new under the sun. Enjoy.
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Draft hopes dimmed by coming out of the closet?
You have no doubt heard that news that the SEC’s defensive player of the year has come out of the closet. This revelation could potentially make Missouri’s Michael Sam the first openly gay player in the NFL. But first, he has to get drafted. That is why one particular report caught my eye today. It says that Sam’s draft prospects are dimmed by his revelation. NBC Sports reports: Sam publicly announced that he is homosexual, putting the 2013 SEC defensive player of the year in position to be the first openly gay player in the NFL after May’s draft. Pete Thamel and Thayer Evans of SI.com spoke to eight NFL…