Quality interweb mischief from Jared Bridges
An eye-opening L.A. Times story sheds light on Trinity Broadcasting Network cheifs Paul and Jan Crouch (yep, he’s the old guy with the bolo tie and she has the purple hair). Their doctrine is a health-and-wealth gospel, and it makes them lots of money: Much as Ted Turner did for TV news, the Crouches have … Read more
First things first, I’m a member of a Southern Baptist church and have been in Southern Baptist life for many years. So it’s from an insider’s point of view that I ask this question: why is the SBC president traveling around the country on a big goofy-looking bus on a mission to baptize 1,000,000 people? … Read more
I’ve always been a bit of a chronophile (if I may invent such a term). Time, as a concept, has intrigued me for as long as I can remember. Sci-fi which included time travel was always my favorite. In middle school, I even directed a short film, starring my brothers and cousin, which was to … Read more
In his essay “The Mind,” Jonathan Edwards offers the following definition of consciousness: CONSCIOUSNESS is the mind’s perceiving what is in itself—ideas, actions, passions, and every thing that is there perceptible. It is a sort of feeling within itself. The mind feels when it thinks; so it feels when it discerns, feels when it loves, … Read more
John Rabe points to some free online offerings by Crossway Books which include a number of John Piper’s books! Also available for free is the forthcoming When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy. I’ll agree with Rabe in that Piper is excellent, and if you’ve never read any of his works due … Read more
If Jesus were voting in November, for whom would he punch his chad? John Kerry—whose faith has “given him values to live by,” or George Bush—of whom Jesus is his favorite philosopher? A recent conference held by the Texas Faith Network attempted to answer this question. As you can imagine, the results were mixed. In … Read more
Did you ever meet somebody who read Playboy magazine “for the articles?” Sure you have—it’s a pretty standard line that’s used by anyone who wants to maintain a semblance of purity while shirking its substance. Likewise, the standard excuse for going to a Hooters restaurant is “their wings are so good.” It’s interesting that I’ve … Read more
If one reads enough blogs and editorials, one might come away with the impression that there is nothing good at all going on in the world. In some respects it is true, as sin has affected every part of the world in which we live. But is it all bad? After all, God created his … Read more
John Kerry sees his faith in terms of clothing: And let me say it plainly: in that cause, and in this campaign, we welcome people of faith. America is not us and them. I think of what Ron Reagan said of his father a few weeks ago, and I want to say this to you … Read more
When evaluating one’s religious beliefs (or any beliefs for that matter), one should not be afraid to ask the difficult questions that accompany such belief. Blogger Virginia Postrel did ask such questions last week in response to yet another Nicholas Kristof column which disparaged evangelical Christians. Postrel, an atheist, poses some interesting questions: But [Kristof’s] … Read more