It is widely known that Dr. R. Albert Mohler is a staunch proponent of complementarianism. What is not so widely known is that Dr. Mohler was at one time a staunch proponent of egalitarianism.On his “Conventional Thinking†weblog, Dr. Mohler recounts the story of a conversation with Dr. Carl F. H. Henry in the mid-1980’s that provoked his change of heart. Walking across the campus, Dr. Henry simply stopped me in my tracks and asked me how, as one who affirms the inerrancy of the Bible, I could possibly deny the clear teaching of Scripture on this question. I was hurt, embarrassed –and highly motivated to answer his question. I…
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Bill Frist’s Incoherent Position on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Senator Bill Frist is a political conservative. He is a Republican. He claims to be pro-life. And he is dead wrong on embryonic stem cell research.Senator Frist contributed an opinion editorial to the Washington Post on Tuesday titled “Meeting Stem Cells’ Promise — Ethically.†In this piece he makes an absolutely morally incoherent argument in favor of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Why is his argument incoherent? Because he claims to hold the pro-life convction that from conception all life has value, yet at the same time he claims that some of those valuable lives can and should be killed. In the first paragraph, he asserts his pro-life…
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‘Wow, look at that.’
The Baptist Press reports that my good friend Dr. T. J. Bettswitnessed a Hezbollah rocket attack while he was on an archeological dig in Israel last week. T. J. heard the explosion and saw the smoke billowing up after the rocket detonated about a mile from where he was working. My favorite part of the report is T. J.’s understated reaction to the attack: “Wow, look at that.†I’m happy to learn that T. J. and his team are now evacuated and back in the U. S. You can read the rest of T. J.’s story here: “Prof witnesses rocket attack at Israeli archaeological site.â€
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The Procussions Take the World by Storm
I like to listen to hip-hop. Okay, surprise, surprise. But it’s true. What can I say? I like the beat.However, I am often not listening to hip-hop because frankly so much of it is too foul to tolerate (see Philippians 4:8). I am happy to find that this is not the case with “The Procussions†latest single “The Storm,†which is iTunes’ free download of the week. Go download the song. If you are any kind of hip-hop fan at all, you’ll really like this one. Here are some of the lyrics from the single “The Stormâ€: Yo I was born in a violent storm In an endless fight between…
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Southwestern Prof. Comments on Rob Bell’s Tour
Perhaps you have read about Rob Bell, an emerging church pastor from Michigan who is traveling to major cities across the country this summer and preaching in non-traditional venues (e.g., bars, concert halls). The tour has received some significant media attention that includes articles in both the New York Times and the Houston Chronicle.My good friend Jim Hamilton, who is a professor of biblical studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, commented on Rob Bell’s national tour in the Houston Chronicle. Go check out Jim’s remarks in “Christianity Gets a Reality Check.â€
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Media Bias? Yeah, so what?
E. J. Dionne’s Washington Post op-ed really surprised me in its candor about media bias. Dionne articulates a strategy for Democrats and the media as they try to undermine Republican foreign policy. But Democrats (and, yes, the media) risk playing into Republican hands if they fail to force a discussion of the administration’s larger failures or let the debate focus narrowly on exactly what date we should set for getting out of Iraq (source). So there you have it. According to Dionne, Democrats and the media are united in their opposition to Republican ideals. If that’s not a clear admission of media bias, I don’t know what is.
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Stop Test Driving Your Girlfriend
This one’s for the boys. As I write this, I have in mind you single guys who read this blog. When it comes to dating, too many guys are more influenced by the spirit of the age than by the Spirit of God. I hope that you will take a few minutes and give careful attention to “Stop Test Driving Your Girlfriend†by Michael Lawrence. Here’s a teaser: Too often in dating relationships we think and act like consumers rather than servants. And not very good consumers at that. After all, no one would ever go down to his local car dealership, take a car out for an extended test…
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The Inimitable Douglas Wilson on N. T. Wright
The inimitable Douglas Wilson on what evangelical Episcopalians should do in light of their denomination’s decision to ordain homosexuals as bishops: I am a Presbyterian American, and so it is not really my place to give unsolicited advice to my friends who really like the prayer book. But if they asked, and if I thought I could give input without giving offense, I would encourage them to get their white little Anglican rear-ends into submission to an orthodox African bishop somewhere (source). Wilson is not the only outsider who has considered offering such unsolicited advice. I felt like doing that very thing in my interview with one such pastor two…
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Liberal Christianity Is Paying for Its Sins
You absolutely must read Charlotte Allen’s opinion editorial from Sunday’s Los Angeles Times: “Liberal Christianity Is Paying for Its Sins.†Here are some highlights: You want to have gay sex? Be a female bishop? Change God’s name to Sophia? Go ahead. The just-elected Episcopal presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, is a one-woman combination of all these things, having voted for Robinson, blessed same-sex couples in her Nevada diocese, prayed to a female Jesus at the Columbus convention and invited former Newark, N.J., bishop John Shelby Spong, famous for denying Christ’s divinity, to address her priests. The Presbyterian Church USA . . . was turning itself into the laughingstock of the…
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TIME Magazine Takes a Whack at President Bush (and misses)
Well, I can say this much. The cover story of the latest issue of Time magazine is at least provocative: “The End of Cowboy Diplomacy: Why the Bush Doctrine no longer guides the foreign policy of the Bush Administration.†I wish I could say that the article is as insightful as its title is provocative. But it’s not. It is one of the sorriest pieces of analysis that I have read in a long time.In a nutshell, the article argues that the current litany of global crises have put to the lie “the Bush Doctrine†of foreign policy. In other words, an unpopular war in Iraq, a growing insurgency in…