Ladies and gentlemen, the pope has left the building—or should I say the country? Pope Francis made a huge splash in the United States—and not just among Catholics. Many non-religious people—and even some Evangelicals—genuinely like Pope Francis. Why is it that people who largely disagree with the pontiff’s theology find him immensely appealing as a […]
Internet buzz has been at frenzied heights with the recent Duggar molestation scandal and Bruce Jenner’s gender transition to Caitlyn. Not surprisingly, professing Christians are all over the issues with opinions trending from one extreme to the other. More often than not, conservatives encourage compassion and understanding for the Duggars, while hammering the self-professed Caitlyn […]
If what I read in the media is correct, the church in America should now be taking its final gasps of air. Christians have all become judgmental hypocrites, pastors are dropping like flies, young people are leaving in record numbers, and church after church is closing its doors. Perhaps, our best option would be to […]
The images are difficult to shake. Twenty-one bound men clothed in orange jumpsuits being paraded along the beach by masked fighters dressed in black. Some are fearful. Some are praying. All are about to have their heads severed from their bodies by members of the brutal Islamic State. All of those executed were Coptic Christians […]
Imagine that you wanted to sell a very large and beautiful diamond, but that you had a problem—there was a large gouge out of one side of the stone. What would you do? You would focus on the brilliance characteristics of the unmarred side of the gem. In a sense, this is what much of […]
Mr. Nestye was a piece of work—or so we thought. “Why,” we wondered, “is our high school principal always hassling us?” As typical teenagers, we often looked for creative ways to buck authority, but as honors students, we also excelled in the classroom. In our youthful reasoning, we felt that we deserved a little latitude […]
One of the hallmarks of conservative Christianity is an unwavering support for the nation of Israel. Through conservative eyes, Israel is God’s chosen nation, so if a nation wants to be blessed by God, she must stand with Israel through thick and through thin. Exactly how biblical, we might ask, is the conservative position? The […]
Perhaps I am worthy of a good—if there is such a thing—stoning. Even questioning our conservative values seems somewhat blasphemous. The real problem, however, is that many conservatives—the very individuals who tenaciously adhere to the supremacy of Scripture—have allowed human voices to establish their worldviews. Talk show hosts and political action committees don’t always echo […]
The tragic story of Saul’s demise provides a powerful historical lesson for anyone aspiring to leadership: unconquered insecurity will corrupt the noblest of ambitions. Sadly, Saul’s error continues to be repeated generation after generation—even among Christian leaders. Shortly after I came to Christ over thirty years ago, I began associating with a Christian movement that […]
I don’t think there is much question about it—the United States is a nation in decline. Whether we speak of a decreased standard of living or increased moral decay, we do not live in a visibly promising time. The sad reality of our current circumstances is no surprise to anyone with even a touch of […]
