I think Alan Wisdom’s analysis of the contentious immigration debate is well worth the read. Writing for The Institute on Religion & Democracy, he advocates for no specific policy. He merely lists items that citizens (in particular Christian citizens) ought to take into account when considering competing proposals for immigration reform. He writes:
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What must you have in your dorm room this Fall?
I am a college professor, so I do pay some attention to all the back-to-school kinds of articles that get published this time of year. I came across one this morning that was a little strange. MSNBC.com has a list of “top essentials” that every college student must have in his dorm room this Fall. Color me unconvinced. It seems to me that this list is mainly composed of luxury items while leaving out actual essential items (e.g., laptop computer). I wonder if you agree. Here’s the list with my brief remarks on each:
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God in America
If you missed PBS’s “God in America” series last Fall, you can now watch it online for free. You can stream it from PBS’s website, or you can watch all six episodes below. Here’s a description of the program: For the first time on television, God in America explores the tumultuous 400-year history of the intersection of religion and public life in America, from the first European settlements to the 2008 presidential election.
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Why I Use BibleWorks
Students often ask me about the Bible software that I use during class. The program that I display to them nearly every day is BibleWorks8. Here is why. For many years, the Accordance software was the gold standard for scholars and pastors working with the primary texts of biblical studies. Its main drawback was that it only worked on Macs, thus relegating the myriads of PC users to one or more of the inferior programs that were available for the Windows operating system. The release of BibleWorks 5 and 6 began to close the gap between Mac users and PC users. With the release of BibleWorks 7 and 8, however,…
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Why We Need a Debate about the Mission of the Church
Perhaps you’ve read the announcement about the upcoming debate between Albert Mohler and Jim Wallis. The debate will be hosted by The Henry Center, and they will be addressing the question “Is social justice an essential part of the mission of the church?” Jim Wallis will be arguing “Yes,” Mohler “No.” For more information about this event, go here. Why is this question important? When evangelicals disagree with one another over this issue, that is one thing. But differences over this issue between evangelicals and progressives is quite another. Oftentimes the differences between progressives and evangelicals on this question are not only about the mission of the church, but also…
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“The Today Show” Looks at Best Colleges
On “The Today Show” this morning, Robert Franek, author of Princeton Review’s The Best 376 Colleges, talks about the schools that were top-ranked in such categories as great financial aid, best professors and top party school. I learned today that there is also a category that they rank called “the best stone-cold sober school”—the opposite of the best party school. Brigham Young has a long streak at the top of this list, but Wheaton College ranked number two. Here are others who made the list:
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Albert Mohler Weighs-in on the Debt Crisis
Albert Mohler is back from his summerly hiatus and has started into his second season of his podcast “The Briefing.” If you aren’t a regular listener to this program, you need to be. It is Mohler’s daily commentary on items in the news, and he packs it all in about 15 minutes or less. It’s smart and steeped in a Christian worldview perspective. Mohler’s take on the debt-ceiling crisis from today’s program is as thoughtful and balanced as any I’ve heard. I highly recommend that you listen to it. If you missed it, you can listen to it here or just press the play button below. [audio:http://albertmohler.com/media/audio/totl/Podcast/20110802_TheBriefing.mp3] In the podcast,…
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Mat Kearney’s New Album Drops Today
I know there are bound to be some Mat Kearney fans who read this blog. For those who are, you’ll be glad to know that his new album “Young Love” drops today. The first single “Hey Mama” was released last month, and it’s outstanding. You can watch the video for the single below or download it here. For what it’s worth: Music downloads cost less at Amazon.com than at iTunes. Kearney’s first single from this album is $.99 at Amazon.com, but it is $1.29 at iTunes. Likewise, the whole album is $5.99 at Amazon.com, but it is $7.99 at iTunes. Amazon.com downloads also have the added bonus of being MP3’s.…
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Gabrielle Giffords Returns to House of Representatives
Gabrielle Giffords returned to the House of Representatives this evening for the first time since she was shot last January. When she stepped onto the floor, the House erupted in applause. It was a fantastic moment. The video is above.
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Perry Offers Clarification on Abortion and States Rights
The Houston Chronicle reports that Texas Governor Rick Perry has clarified his stance on abortion and states rights. This statement from his spokesperson is a step in the right direction. “Gov. Perry is proudly pro-life and successfully championed strong pro-life legislation in Texas including parental consent, this year’s sonogram bill and a budget that significantly defunds abortions in Texas. The governor has long supported overturning Roe v. Wade, and would support amending the U.S. Constitution, with the backing of Congress and the states, to protect innocent life.”