This video is hilarious. It’s an ad for an upcoming conference hosted by Doug Wilson. It’s a parody of hipster Christianity, and it really hits the nail on the head. (HT: Patrick Schreiner)
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The Bible and Homosexuality
I’ve been reading Matthew Lee Anderson’s excellent book Earthen Vessels: Why Our Bodies Matter to Our Faith (Bethany House, 2011). I’m probably not going to take the time to do a full review of this book, but I just came across something that I thought worth sharing. In his remarks about the Bible’s clear prohibitions on homosexual behavior, he says this: The explicit rejections of gay and lesbian practices are not “clobber verses,” but rather the tip of an iceberg sticking above the surface: they reveal a much larger and deeper understanding of human sexuality and its relationship to our lives before God (p. 153). He is so right on…
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Black Pastors Withhold Support from President Obama over Same-Sex Marriage
The Coalition of African-American Pastors represents about 1,300 congregations, and they are tired of their support being taken for granted by the Obama administration. In May, they came out strongly against President Obama’s announcement in support of gay marriage (see video above). In a recent letter, they call on black voters to withhold support from President Obama over the issue. They are also demanding a meeting with the president to express their concerns to him personally.
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Requiem for a Nixon Man
Russell Moore’s tribute to Chuck Colson in the most recent issue of Touchstone is a must-read. Really well done. It’s not just a reflection on Colson’s life, but also a meditation on what it meant for Colson to be a “Nixon man.” Here’s an excerpt: In the weeks and months after the death of Chuck Colson, many of us have reflected on how God changed the old White House “hatchet man,” the dirty trickster who participated in perhaps the greatest challenge to the American constitutional system in over two hundred years of our history. I was -perturbed to read newspaper and website accounts of Colson that treated him, after his…
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The Crime of Circumcision
Michael Gerson begins his column today with a quotation from Genesis 17:10: “This is my covenant which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised.” As this text shows, the practice of circumcision is at the heart of Jewish piety, yet it is under assault from the modern liberal idea that a “child’s right to physical integrity trumps freedom of religion and parents’ rights.” Gerson writes:
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Should churches display the American flag?
Christianity Today hosts a forum on whether or not churches should display the American flag in their sanctuaries. Douglas Wilson says no, Lisa Velthouse says yes, and Russell Moore says “yes, but…” Wilson and Moore have some characteristic rhetorical greatness in their short reflections. After arguing against displaying the flag in the sanctuary, Wilson does insist that Christians ought to fly it elsewhere:
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Did you hear what happened in San Diego last night?
Last night, there was a mishap at San Diego’s 4th of July fireworks show. Through some really bad malfunction, all the explosions went off at once. What was supposed to be an 18 minute firework show set to music was reduced to 15 seconds of pyrotechnic pandemonium. In the video above, you can hear when spectators begin to realize what happened, and a little kid says “Aww!” Classic.
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Mere Patriotism
Brett McCracken has a fantastic little essay on patriotism over at the “Mere Orthodoxy” blog. In short, he extols patriotism and argues that it’s an error to confuse patriotism with nationalism. He writes: Patriotism is a good thing. It’s the natural emotional connection we have with place. We’re wired to ache for this notion of “home.” It’s what the Israelites longed for in the Sinai. It’s what the Hobbits longed for (the Shire) during their Middle Earth adventures. It’s what constitutes part of C.S. Lewis’s Sehnsucht: a nostalgic longing for the “Green Hills” of his Belfast childhood, “the low line of the Castlereagh Hills which we saw from the nursery…
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B21 Panel with Mohler, Patterson, Akin, Greear, and Platt
At the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans last month, Baptist21 hosted a very helpful and constructive panel discussion with Albert Mohler, Paige Patterson, Danny Akin, J. D. Greear, and David Platt. Fred Luter made a cameo appearance as well. It was a candid discussion covering a range of topics, including Calvinism in the SBC, the conservative resurgence, the basis for cooperation in the SBC, and more. Thanks to the guys from B21 for hosting this event and now for sharing it with everyone. Well done!
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I Miss Mayberry: Andy Griffith Dies at 86
I love Andy of Mayberry. He was the best of the best, and I was sad to hear today of his passing. Though Andy Griffith became a gospel singer later in life, he is most well-known for his acting. It’s amazing that, even after all these years, his portrayal of the iconic Sheriff of Mayberry still holds up.