There was a lot of discussion last week of the Presbyterian Church’s (USA) decision to allow for the ordination of homosexual clergy. Christopher Cocca has an article at The Huffington Post, however, that pulls a thread that many have not picked up on. Cocca’s article is essentially about hermeneutics and the way that the Bible should inform our moral evaluation of homosexuality. But he comes at the issue from a different angle and argues that there is a connection between the ordination of homosexuals and the ordination of women.
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Richard Dawkins Accused of “Cowardice”
Renowned atheist Richard Dawkins has been accused of “cowardice” for ducking a debate with William Lane Craig. The Telegraph reports that Dawkins does not want to lower himself by debating a person like Craig. According to the article, “Prof Dawkins maintains that Prof Craig is not a figure worthy of his attention and has reportedly said that such a contest would ‘look good’ on his opponent’s CV but not on his own.” I have to agree with Dawkins on this one. Losing a debate with William Lane Craig probably would not look very good on his CV.
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Texting Mom
I really appreciated this one from the guys at Igniter Media, and I’ll bet many of you will too. I love you, mom and dad, and am always happy to be your tech support!
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John Piper Endorses Hamilton’s Book
I think this is the strongest endorsement that I have ever seen John Piper give to a book. The Crossway blog has these remarks from Piper about Jim Hamilton’s book, God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology. Piper writes: “I was riveted. Never do I sit down and read sixty pages of ANY book that I get in the mail. But I could not stop—could not stop reading and could not stop rejoicing over God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment. It is the kind of overview of redemptive history Edwards wanted to write. It’s what I hoped would be written.” Piper is right. Hamilton’s book is a must-read.…
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Presbyterians Vote to Ordain Gay Clergy
Last night, the Presbyterian Church (USA) amended its constitution to allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained as ministers. Before the amendment, the constitution required clergy to live “in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness.” The amendment instead requires ministers to “submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life.”
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Gerson’s Trenchant Critique of Libertarianism
In last week’s Republican debate, Ron Paul called for a repeal of laws against prostitution, cocaine, and heroin. Paul argued that our society should treat turning tricks and shooting up in the same way that we treat freedom of religion—they are inalienable rights. This kind of libertarianism in my view is deficient in its view of human nature and would comprise an unloving and degrading way to organize society. I couldn’t agree more with Michael Gerson’s critique of Paul’s libertarian approach. Gerson writes:
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N.T. Wright and Rowan Williams Criticize Bin Laden Killing
Rowan Williams and N.T. Wright have some strong words criticizing the recent execution of Osama Bin Laden. I do not agree with either of them, but here they are nonetheless. First, Rowan Williams:
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OwenStrachan.com
One of my favorite bloggers has ended his year-long hiatus from the blogosphere. Owen Strachan has just turned the lights back on at OwenStrachan.com. Be sure to add this one to your reader if it’s not already there. Owen is a great writer and thinker, and you won’t want to miss his posts. Owen, if you’re reading this, here’s your theme song for the day: (In other Owen news, check out Dustin Neely’s interview with Owen about Jonathan Edwards on the doctrine of hell.)
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Intel Used To Find Bin Laden Came from Waterboarding
It looks like the debate over so-called “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” will be reinvigorated by the death of Osama Bin Laden. Brian Williams of NBC News interviewed the Director of the CIA yesterday, and “Leon Panetta confirms that the intelligence needed to find Osama bin Laden was gained, in part, by interrogation techniques that included water-boarding.” Here’s a transcript of the relevant portion of the interview.
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The Kids with George W. Bush on 9/11
TIME magazine has a fascinating story on the children who were with President Bush on 9-11 when he received the news that America was under attack. They are all very appreciative of his calm response and that he didn’t immediately storm out of the room. One student described it this way: “I’ll always remember watching his face turn red. He got really serious all of a sudden. But I was clueless. I was just seven. I’m just glad he didn’t get up and leave because then I would have been more scared and confused.