Justin hits the nail on the head: The most controversial part of the Elephant Room inviting T.D. Jakes to participate is not whether or not it’s permissible or advisable to have a conversation with someone who cannot affirm Trinitarian orthodoxy and who preaches a prosperity gospel. Rather, the bigger problem (as I see it) is that James MacDonald defended the decision under the idea that the Elephant Room is all about “Getting brothers together who believe in salvation by grace alone through faith alone but normally don’t interact.” Further, their site explains that the motivation behind the Elephant Room is “a dual desire to challenge and unite this generation’s pastors.”…
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Tim Hawkins on Bible Translation
Tim Hawkins gives us his take on The Message—a popular paraphrase version of the Bible: Boy, I love that Message Bible. That is a laid back Bible. You ever read that? I thought the Living Bible was laid back. The Message is like…the recipe for Rice Crispy Treats.
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Transgender Children and Directionless Parenting
A lesbian couple in San Francisco, California has recently decided to give hormone blockers to their adopted son. Why? Because he decided at the age of three years old that he feels like a girl even though he has the biology of a little boy. Because his gender is sort of up in the air right now, the couple felt that the hormone blockers would give him more time to decide what he wants to be when he grows up—a girl or a boy.
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Come Visit Southern Seminary’s Preview Conference
If the Lord has called you into ministry and you are wondering what seminary to attend for training, you need to know that there is no better place than The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I’m not just saying that because I work here. I work here because I really believe it. The best way to get familiar with what we are all about is to visit. Southern Seminary will be hosting a Preview conference in a couple of weeks on October 14, and it will be the perfect time for you to come and see the campus, sit in a class, and visit with professors. The Seminary will put you…
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Obama Will “Evolve” on Gay Marriage until Nov. 7, 2012
When he ran for President, then candidate Barack Obama said that he opposed gay marriage. Earlier this year, President Obama said that his views on gay marriage were “evolving.” George Stephanopoulos pressed him on the issue again yesterday, and the president once again would not endorse gay marriage (see above). He did however reiterate his opposition to DOMA, his support for gays in the military, and his belief that gay couples should have all the same benefits as married couples. If that sounds schizophrenic to you, it’s because it is. That is why the headline in New York Magazine is right on the money: “President Obama Won’t Say If He’ll…
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180 Movie
Last night I took the opportunity to watch Ray Comfort’s viral movie “180.” It is a 33-minute tour de force of pro-life argument and evangelism. In the movie, Ray Comfort quizzes people on the street about the Holocaust and about abortion. He sets his trap skillfully to convince people that if they oppose the Holocaust, they ought to oppose abortion as well. By the end of the movie, many of the interviewees make a 180 on their views about abortion. At the end of the movie, Comfort turns these conversations about abortion into conversations about the gospel. I don’t know that any of these folks actually became disciples of Jesus,…
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Does Romney’s Mormonism Matter?
Does Mitt Romney’s Mormonism matter in his quest for the GOP nomination? Michael Gerson says no: Romney’s faith should not matter. Presidents are elected for their policy views, leadership skills and character, not their soteriology. Such theological convictions about salvation may be infinitely important, but they are politically irrelevant. The whole “no religious test for office” idea remains a good one. I think there is a little bit of overstatement here. It is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which theological convictions might impact our evaluation of a person’s fitness for office. If a candidate’s religion teaches that killing infidels is a sure path to eternal life, then I…
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Interview with the Deaf Woman Who Now Hears
I linked Saturday to the Washington Post‘s coverage of a deaf woman hearing for the first time. It turns out that the Post’s initial blog post had her name wrong. The woman’s name is Sarah Churman, and the video was captured by her husband Sloan. The couple appeared on “The Today Show” this morning for an interview with Matt Lauer, and they filled in a lot of the details about her condition and the device that allows her to hear (see above). Here’s a snippet from the text form of the story:
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Would Augustine Invite Muhammad to Speak at His Conference?
Thabiti Anyabwile has written a hard-hitting piece titled, “Collateral Damage in the Invitation of T.D. Jakes to the Elephant Room.” You need to read the whole thing, but here’s a little taste: It’s difficult to see larger-than-life heretics given a platform in circles of pastors and leaders we respect and we regard as co-laborers in defense and confirmation of the truth…
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A Woman Born Deaf Hears for the Very First Time
The video above captures an extraordinary moment. The Washington Post blog explains: