Christopher Benson notes at the First Things blog that the culture wars have entered the American cinema. Below are four trailers of new movies covering the topics of same-sex “marriage,” Darwinism, and evangelical scandal. Besides being expressions of the current culture war, there is something else that these movies have in common. It appears that all of them come down on the side of the secular left on each of these issues. This is not surprising for Hollywood, but it is nevertheless a sign of the times (1 Chronicles 12:32).
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How Old Is Earth?
Dr. Albert Mohler delivered what would have to be considered a barn-burner of a theological address at the 2010 Ligonier Conference. You can watch the video of the address here or read a transcript here. The title was “Why Does the Universe Look So Old?” and at the heart of his argument is this contention. The most straightforward reading of the creation narratives in Genesis presents a young earth view of creation. It is the view with the fewest complications. In his own words: “An understanding of creation in terms of 24-hour calendar days and a young earth entails far fewer complications, far fewer theological problems and actually is the…
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Leeman on Complementarianism
Jonathan Leeman has an excellent essay in the latest 9marks journal. In short, he argues that Complementarianism is crucial to discipleship. It’s worth reading the whole essay, but I want to highlight one section that I found particularly helpful. It will frame the way I engage the “borders” from now on. He writes:
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Lakers Championship Parade
I don’t know what it is about this guy, but he slays me. This guy interviews people who have gathered to watch the Laker’s championship parade. He’s done it for the last two championships, and it’s like a cross between Marv Albert and Napoleon Dynamite. The video from this year’s parade is above. Last year’s is below. They’re both funny, but I still think the one below is the most entertaining.
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BP Has Capped the Spill
This is a sight for sore eyes. See the video of the oil not leaking above. Pray that it holds.
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Does it matter if the Bible contradicts itself?
The short answer is yes. A case in point appears in a recent article by retired Anglican minister Albert Radcliffe. Radcliffe argues that the Bible is a “library of conflicting viewpoints,” and cannot be the last word on the Church of England’s debates on the moral status of homosexuality and women pastors. He argues that even within the pages of the Bible we read about “rigorists” who prefer the letter of the law and about the “humanitarians” who don’t allow the Bible to be the last word. According to Radcliffe, someone like Ezra was in the former category, and Jesus was in the latter. As you might imagine, the upshot…
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LeBrondigestion
Did you see the LeBron James spectacle? Never has it felt so stupid to be a sports fan. At least that’s what Will Leitch argues for New York Magazine. After watching the big announcement on Wednesday, Leitch was overcome with what I like to call LeBrondigestion—that sickening feeling you get after consuming unhealthy amounts genuflecting sports journalism, the kind that coddles the egos of self-involved sports stars. You felt it a little bit at Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame acceptance speech. You felt it a lot bit if you watched the LeBron show the other night. Leitch writes:
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First Baptist Meets Lenny Kravitz… Literally!
On June 25, the youth choir from FBC Lewisville, Texas was in New Orleans doing an open-air performance of Lenny Kravitz’s song “Fly Away.” Guess who happened to be nearby, heard them singing, and came over and joined them? You guessed it. Lenny Kravitz himself. The whole thing was caught on video and posted to YouTube (see above). The Dallas Morning News has a report on the encounter. This never happened on any of the church choir tours I went on in high school. But then again we weren’t singing Lenny Kravitz songs!
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10th Wedding Anniversary
I don’t usually post personal items on this blog, but today will be an exception. Today is my 10th wedding anniversary. I’m married to the loveliest girl on the planet, and these have definitely been the best 10 of my 37 years. Leading up to today, my thoughts have been on a poem that I wrote on the occasion of our third anniversary. It’s not meant to be a sad ending, but a happy one. It’s a short narrative of a vision that I have of finishing well with my bride, whether she or I go first. Happy Anniversary, Sweetie! ——————————— A TESTIMONY AND A PRAYER The old man took…
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Irrelevant SBC?
Jeffrey Weiss has an interesting story at PoliticsDaily.com on the declining media coverage of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Weiss argues that the SBC has taken unpopular stands over the years and as a result has become increasingly irrelevant to the mainstream of American culture. Even though media coverage was overblown in past years, he argues that the coverage is too little now.