April 2022 |
All text by Zorek Richards
unless otherwise noted |
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One could conclude that conspiracy theories are thus anti-modern, but that would be a mistake. Conspiracy theorists do not want to leave the current world and step into a mediaeval universe, à la J.R.R. Tolkien. Just as religious fundamentalists do not want to live a life entirely identical to the one presented in ancient scriptures, fundamentalism is not traditionalism (though there can be some overlap). Conspiracy theorists do not reject modernity but have instead been rejected by modernity, which incites them to create an alternative modernity.................. Richard Hofstadter, a pioneer in conspiracy research, saw as the main source of conspiracy theories “a frightening view of the opposition as the superhuman incarnation of perfect evil”. The main threat is not the system’s evil character but its perfection. No matter who they are, conspiracy theorists are against the “perfectionated” brand of Enlightenment. --Thorsten Botz-Bornstein; Against perfection: Conspiracy theories and “alt-Enlightenment”
Today, extreme right wing, which has shown how political leverage can be got out of the animosities and passions of a small minority. Behind such movements there is a style of mind, not always right-wing in its affiliations, that has a long and varied history. I call it the paranoid style simply because no other word adequately evokes the qualities of heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy that I have in mind...............Webster defines paranoia, the clinical entity, as a chronic mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions of persecution and of one's own greatness. In the paranoid style, as I conceive it, the feeling of persecution is central, and it is indeed systematized in grandiose theories of conspiracy. But there is a vital difference between the paranoid spokesman in politics and the clinical paranoiac: although they both tend to be overheated, oversuspicious, overaggressive, grandiose, and apocalyptic in expression, the clinical paranoid sees the hostile and conspiratorial world in which he feels himself to be living as directed specifically against him; whereas the spokesman of the paranoid style finds it directed against a nation, a culture, a way of life whose fate affects not himself alone but millions of others. Insofar as he does not usually see himself singled out as the individual victim of a personal conspiracy, he is somewhat more rational and much more disinterested. His sense that his political passions are unselfish and patriotic, in fact, goes far to intensify his feeling of righteousness and his moral indignation................Of course, the term "paranoid style" is pejorative, and it is meant to be; the paranoid style has a greater affinity for bad causes than good. But nothing entirely prevents a sound program or a sound issue from being advocated in the paranoid style, and it is admittedly impossible to settle the merits of an argument because we think we hear in its presentation the characteristic paranoid accents. Style has to do with the way in which ideas are believed and advocated rather than with the truth or falsity of their content. A few simple and relatively non-controversial examples may make this distinction wholly clear. Shortly after the assassination of President Kennedy, a great deal of publicity was given to a bill, sponsored chiefly by Senator Thomas E. Dodd of Connecticut, to tighten federal controls over the sale of firearms through the mail. When hearings were being held on the measure, three men drove 2,500 miles to Washington from Bagdad, Arizona, to testify against it. Now there are arguments against the Dodd bill which, however unpersuasive one may find them, have the color of conventional political reasoning. But one of the Arizonans opposed it with what might be considered representative paranoid arguments, insisting that it was "a further attempt by a subversive power to make us part of one world socialistic government" and that it threatened to "create chaos" that would help "our enemies" to seize power.
--Excerpted from The Paranoid Style in American Politics by Richard Hofstadter. Copyright © 2008 by Richard Hofstadter. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
--Excerpted from The Paranoid Style in American Politics by Richard Hofstadter. Copyright © 2008 by Richard Hofstadter. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Toward the close of the 20th century, the novelist Saul Bellow wisely wrote that “there is simply too much to think about.” We cannot contain everything within our finite limits. We are starting to discover some of the consequences of too much data. Such a surplus of data seems to produce a deficit of trust. When there is too much to even think about (much less trust or verify), we tend to stop thinking. Too much information makes us numb.
What are we to do when we literally cannot believe what we see, hear, and read?For the first time, however, data is being created not only by human beings but also by our creations. “Artificial intelligence is close to enabling the limitless spread of highly believable disinformation,” Haidt writes. “The AI program GPT-3 is already so good that you can give it a topic and a tone and it will spit out as many essays as you like, typically with perfect grammar and a surprising level of coherence. In a year or two, when the program is upgraded to GPT-4, it will become far more capable.” Developments in digital video and audio technology, including the refinement of so-called “deep fake” videos, raise new questions about the future of trust and communication. -Jordan J Ballor: Embracing truth in an age of distrust
What are we to do when we literally cannot believe what we see, hear, and read?For the first time, however, data is being created not only by human beings but also by our creations. “Artificial intelligence is close to enabling the limitless spread of highly believable disinformation,” Haidt writes. “The AI program GPT-3 is already so good that you can give it a topic and a tone and it will spit out as many essays as you like, typically with perfect grammar and a surprising level of coherence. In a year or two, when the program is upgraded to GPT-4, it will become far more capable.” Developments in digital video and audio technology, including the refinement of so-called “deep fake” videos, raise new questions about the future of trust and communication. -Jordan J Ballor: Embracing truth in an age of distrust
| --Carl Truman |
Nationalism...is the multifaceted and contested ideology that forms the vocabulary and imagination of a political community. And religion has always played an important role in the development of nationalism. Sometimes nationalism is harmful, but sometimes it is a necessary part of our collective effort at identifying ourselves and our ideals. In one sense, we are all nationalists. If we look to the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, then we are nationalists of one sort. If we look to America as a New Israel, then we are nationalists of another sort. But not all nationalisms are the same.
Three Kinds of Nationalism
Elie Kedourie, a twentieth-century scholar who taught at the London School of Economics, mapped nationalism’s subtleties and complexities, particularly those introduced by the influence of religious and philosophical ideas. Kedourie wrote or edited over twenty books in his career, and Anthony Smith summarized his work on nationalism by observing that he saw three kinds of relationships between nationalism and religion. First, some nationalistic expressions are secular. Secular, revolutionary nationalism displaces and stamps out traditional religion as a partner alongside the state in securing order and social cohesion. Its key marker is its open hostility to traditional religion. This kind of nationalism is exemplified by eighteenth-century revolutionary France and twentieth-century revolutionary Russia. But even the violently secular revolutionary French and Soviets employed religious rituals, symbols, and behaviors for nationalistic purposes.
Second, some nationalistic expressions find an alliance with traditional religion. In this model, institutional religion subordinates itself to a nation in support of its political agenda. Under this kind of nationalism, acquiescent religions are subsumed into the state and become defined by the nation’s aims rather than by trans-political creedal tenets. An example of this would be the Anglican established church in England, with the monarch as the head of the church. English nationalism, especially as it was manifested in the nineteenth century, was informed by the sacred texts, images, symbols, and rites of the Anglican establishment.
We do not have to look far for examples of Christian nationalism emanating from the right. But equally troubling is the secular nationalism and state-driven civil religion that’s emerging from the left.
Third, nationalism often takes traditional religion and fashions it into a political theology. This kind of nationalism consists in a composite of theological themes that are articulated for a nationalistic agenda. For example, biblical ideas such as mission or election are borrowed from a coherent theological framework and redefined according to political goals. So in the 1840s, American manifest destiny represented a redefinition of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19–20 from carrying the gospel of salvation in Christ to the world to extending the American Union over all North America. This third brand of nationalism takes religious doctrines and perverts them for purposes for which they were never designed, as opposed to the second brand of nationalism, in which traditional religion is not essentially redefined. Such a model seems consistent with how Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry define today’s Christian nationalism in their book, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States (Oxford, 2020).
Three Kinds of Nationalism
Elie Kedourie, a twentieth-century scholar who taught at the London School of Economics, mapped nationalism’s subtleties and complexities, particularly those introduced by the influence of religious and philosophical ideas. Kedourie wrote or edited over twenty books in his career, and Anthony Smith summarized his work on nationalism by observing that he saw three kinds of relationships between nationalism and religion. First, some nationalistic expressions are secular. Secular, revolutionary nationalism displaces and stamps out traditional religion as a partner alongside the state in securing order and social cohesion. Its key marker is its open hostility to traditional religion. This kind of nationalism is exemplified by eighteenth-century revolutionary France and twentieth-century revolutionary Russia. But even the violently secular revolutionary French and Soviets employed religious rituals, symbols, and behaviors for nationalistic purposes.
Second, some nationalistic expressions find an alliance with traditional religion. In this model, institutional religion subordinates itself to a nation in support of its political agenda. Under this kind of nationalism, acquiescent religions are subsumed into the state and become defined by the nation’s aims rather than by trans-political creedal tenets. An example of this would be the Anglican established church in England, with the monarch as the head of the church. English nationalism, especially as it was manifested in the nineteenth century, was informed by the sacred texts, images, symbols, and rites of the Anglican establishment.
We do not have to look far for examples of Christian nationalism emanating from the right. But equally troubling is the secular nationalism and state-driven civil religion that’s emerging from the left.
Third, nationalism often takes traditional religion and fashions it into a political theology. This kind of nationalism consists in a composite of theological themes that are articulated for a nationalistic agenda. For example, biblical ideas such as mission or election are borrowed from a coherent theological framework and redefined according to political goals. So in the 1840s, American manifest destiny represented a redefinition of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19–20 from carrying the gospel of salvation in Christ to the world to extending the American Union over all North America. This third brand of nationalism takes religious doctrines and perverts them for purposes for which they were never designed, as opposed to the second brand of nationalism, in which traditional religion is not essentially redefined. Such a model seems consistent with how Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry define today’s Christian nationalism in their book, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States (Oxford, 2020).
“I love the simplicity of the Scriptures, and I wish to receive and inculcate every truth precisely in the way, and to the extent, that it is set forth in the sacred Volume. Were this the habit of all divines, there would soon be an end to most of the controversies that have agitated and divided the Church of Christ. My endeavor is to bring out of Scripture what is there, and not to thrust in what I think might be there. I have a great jealousy on this head—never to speak more or less than I believe to be the mind of the Spirit in the passage I am expounding. I would run after nothing, and shun nothing. . . . The truth is not in the middle, and not in one extreme, but in both extremes. . . . I formerly read Aristotle, and liked him much. I have since read Paul, and caught somewhat of his strange notions, oscillating (not vacillating) from pole to pole. Sometimes I am a high Calvinist, at other times a low Arminian, so that if extremes will please you, I am your man. Only remember, it is not one extreme that we are to go to but both extremes.”
— Charles Simeon, quoted in H. C. G. Moule, Charles Simeon (London, 1956), pages 77-78.
— Charles Simeon, quoted in H. C. G. Moule, Charles Simeon (London, 1956), pages 77-78.
In all of his rhetoric, in all of his efforts to elicit the Christian vote, though, Josh Mandel never once mentioned his own Judaism. I am embarrassed to admit that I did not even know this Ted Cruz-backed candidate’s Jewishness until after the rally, contrary to Flynn, who referenced Catholicism throughout his speech. No one would have doubted that Mandel is a sincere Christian, particularly as he parades through evangelical churches throughout the state. Perhaps his constant reference to his time as a Marine, and thus his scars, make up for any religious insincerity. He gave the nod to Ohio’s new open carry laws as a victory for this Christian church.
Then there is Michael Flynn, the Catholic nationalist people’s general, whom Mandel strategically used as his “Pro-Trump” portion of his campaign. While President Trump did not endorse Mandel, opting for his rival J.D Vance instead, Flynn gave his backing to Mandel. When someone asked why Trump backed Vance despite his anti-Trump remarks in the past, the answer involved the divine mystery of the former President: No one knows what is going on in his head. At the end of the day, the candidate with the “Pro-Trump” campaign did not receive President Trump’s backing and had to rely on Michael Flynn instead. Regardless, Mandel promised the crowd to dismantle the January 6th insurrection on the capital commission and instead create a November 3rd commission to take back Trump’s rightful victory. -Tiffany Hunsinger; Righting America
Then there is Michael Flynn, the Catholic nationalist people’s general, whom Mandel strategically used as his “Pro-Trump” portion of his campaign. While President Trump did not endorse Mandel, opting for his rival J.D Vance instead, Flynn gave his backing to Mandel. When someone asked why Trump backed Vance despite his anti-Trump remarks in the past, the answer involved the divine mystery of the former President: No one knows what is going on in his head. At the end of the day, the candidate with the “Pro-Trump” campaign did not receive President Trump’s backing and had to rely on Michael Flynn instead. Regardless, Mandel promised the crowd to dismantle the January 6th insurrection on the capital commission and instead create a November 3rd commission to take back Trump’s rightful victory. -Tiffany Hunsinger; Righting America
Just days before Smith Wigglesworth suddenly passed away, he sit with a young man of whom he was mentoring. Mr. Wigglesworth wept as he looked at all the invitations of those who wanted him to come speak at their churches and or ministries.
He said to his young friend, “people have their eyes on me, God will take me out of the way.”
A week or so later, he was dead.
Today, people continue to put their eyes on men they esteemed as “great” and they even do so with Smith Wigglesworth. Yet Wigglesworth was broken that people had their eyes on him in such a manner, rather than having their eyes on God -Rooted & Grounded in Christ
He said to his young friend, “people have their eyes on me, God will take me out of the way.”
A week or so later, he was dead.
Today, people continue to put their eyes on men they esteemed as “great” and they even do so with Smith Wigglesworth. Yet Wigglesworth was broken that people had their eyes on him in such a manner, rather than having their eyes on God -Rooted & Grounded in Christ
I believe that the single biggest threat to religious freedom in the United States today is Christian nationalism. Christian nationalism is antithetical to the constitutional ideal that belonging in American society is not predicated on what faith one practices or whether someone is religious at all. The political ideology that seeks to merge American and Christian identities is deeply embedded in American society and manifests itself in a number of different ways, some more obviously harmful than others. -Amanda Tyler of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
Apr 26, 2022: Roys Report: Jesus Saved Beth Moore’s Life. Twitter Blew It Up. A New Memoir Will Tell the Story.
For the past few years, Bible teacher and best-selling author Beth Moore has been one tweet away from disaster.
Moore, perhaps the best-known ex-Southern Baptist in the country, will recount her Twitter battles, her split with her former denomination and, more importantly, her lifelong journey with Jesus, in a new memoir titled “All My Knotted-Up Life,” due out from Tyndale in April 2023.
For the past few years, Bible teacher and best-selling author Beth Moore has been one tweet away from disaster.
Moore, perhaps the best-known ex-Southern Baptist in the country, will recount her Twitter battles, her split with her former denomination and, more importantly, her lifelong journey with Jesus, in a new memoir titled “All My Knotted-Up Life,” due out from Tyndale in April 2023.
Apr 26, 2022: Real Clear Religion: What SCOTUS Would Risk by Imposing Christian Nationalism
It is right up front in the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." There is a reason both the establishment and free-exercise clauses start the Bill of Rights. If there was a single driving force behind the founding of the American colonies, it was religious liberty -- the right of non-Anglican "dissenters" to worship a they saw fit. Numerous colonies were founded on that basis. Pennsylvania expressly forbade establishment of a church.
It is right up front in the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." There is a reason both the establishment and free-exercise clauses start the Bill of Rights. If there was a single driving force behind the founding of the American colonies, it was religious liberty -- the right of non-Anglican "dissenters" to worship a they saw fit. Numerous colonies were founded on that basis. Pennsylvania expressly forbade establishment of a church.
As the years have passed, I don’t know that I’ve become less conservative. I still hold policy positions and opinions that make my progressive friends squirm. But one thing has changed for me: I no longer need the fight. And I don’t need the fight because I don’t need to prove anything. Safe in the goodness of God and the righteousness of Christ, I’m free to work for goodness in the world around me. I’m free to love my neighbor as I love myself and struggle for their good, not my own.
So as a new set of culture wars rage, take a word of advice from an old veteran: Speak truth and speak love, but don’t think for one minute that holding a certain position or voting a certain way makes God love you any more or any less than he already does. Don’t think for one minute that he loves your neighbor any more or any less than he loves you. Don’t think for one minute that your righteousness originates anywhere except with him.
And having tasted the goodness of God, having experienced his unmerited grace, go into the world and share it with others. --Hannah Anderson; Christianity Today
So as a new set of culture wars rage, take a word of advice from an old veteran: Speak truth and speak love, but don’t think for one minute that holding a certain position or voting a certain way makes God love you any more or any less than he already does. Don’t think for one minute that he loves your neighbor any more or any less than he loves you. Don’t think for one minute that your righteousness originates anywhere except with him.
And having tasted the goodness of God, having experienced his unmerited grace, go into the world and share it with others. --Hannah Anderson; Christianity Today
April 27, 2022:
I just heard today that Gary North died on February 24, 2022. If you do not know who he is, he was a major player in pushing Christian Nationalism...and dominionism..This is one of his quotes: “Theocracy is government by God’s law--not just civil government, but all government. It is not a top-down imposition of biblical law by an elite of priests, but, in contrast, a bottom-up imposition of biblical standards over every area of life--areas not regulated by civil law for the most part--by those people who are morally responsible for making decisions. As the process of dominion extends the authority of Christians over more and more areas of life, we will see the creation of a comprehensive theocracy. It will not come as the result of some sort of ‘palace revolution.’”
Clearly, the goal was not to take over churches...but instead wanted to see all political leaders to be Christian and create Christian laws. In 1981, Mr. North wrote that “Christians must begin to organize politically within the present party structure and they must begin to infiltrate the existing institutional order.” He joined with the late RJ Rushdoony in the 70s and pushed what has been called "Christian Reconstruction"
R.J. Rushdoony and Gary North have spent their lives outlining a strategy for transforming all of culture in accordance with their understanding of “biblical law,” which they maintain is applicable not only to church life, but family life and civil affairs. The most important components of these efforts were undermining and replacing public education, because they saw Christian education as their most important tool.
What Rushdoony, with his appeal to the right wing evangelicals, provided is a package that included attacking what these fundamentalists hated and feared most in society, often expressed in terms of "This is communist. This is socialist." And remember that when you confront any of them...one of their favorites expression is to call you a a "communist" or a "socialist." It is, in essence a war cry of sorts. Very few, if any, actually would know what a "communist" or a "socialist" would look like or know what they would do if they were really confronting one.
In "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry define Christian nationalism as “a collection of myths, traditions, symbols, narratives, and value systems — that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity with American civic life…. It includes assumptions of nativism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity, along with divine sanction for authoritarian control and militarism. It is as ethnic and political as it is religious.”
Rachel Mivka, in an article from the USA Today in Jan 2021, wrote this about Ted Cruz:
The agenda is not always explicit. When Sen. Ted Cruz talks of “restoring” America, he means to recover what he believes is its original identity as a Christian nation. Historian John Fea argues that Cruz’s outlook reflects the Seven Mountains Dominionism of his father — a conviction that Christians are called by God to exercise dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions (religion, family, education, government, media, arts and entertainment, and business). While Cruz is too politically savvy to endorse dominion theology outright, he uses code words like “religious liberty” to sustain Christian privilege and cultural authority.
I just heard today that Gary North died on February 24, 2022. If you do not know who he is, he was a major player in pushing Christian Nationalism...and dominionism..This is one of his quotes: “Theocracy is government by God’s law--not just civil government, but all government. It is not a top-down imposition of biblical law by an elite of priests, but, in contrast, a bottom-up imposition of biblical standards over every area of life--areas not regulated by civil law for the most part--by those people who are morally responsible for making decisions. As the process of dominion extends the authority of Christians over more and more areas of life, we will see the creation of a comprehensive theocracy. It will not come as the result of some sort of ‘palace revolution.’”
Clearly, the goal was not to take over churches...but instead wanted to see all political leaders to be Christian and create Christian laws. In 1981, Mr. North wrote that “Christians must begin to organize politically within the present party structure and they must begin to infiltrate the existing institutional order.” He joined with the late RJ Rushdoony in the 70s and pushed what has been called "Christian Reconstruction"
R.J. Rushdoony and Gary North have spent their lives outlining a strategy for transforming all of culture in accordance with their understanding of “biblical law,” which they maintain is applicable not only to church life, but family life and civil affairs. The most important components of these efforts were undermining and replacing public education, because they saw Christian education as their most important tool.
What Rushdoony, with his appeal to the right wing evangelicals, provided is a package that included attacking what these fundamentalists hated and feared most in society, often expressed in terms of "This is communist. This is socialist." And remember that when you confront any of them...one of their favorites expression is to call you a a "communist" or a "socialist." It is, in essence a war cry of sorts. Very few, if any, actually would know what a "communist" or a "socialist" would look like or know what they would do if they were really confronting one.
In "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry define Christian nationalism as “a collection of myths, traditions, symbols, narratives, and value systems — that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity with American civic life…. It includes assumptions of nativism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity, along with divine sanction for authoritarian control and militarism. It is as ethnic and political as it is religious.”
Rachel Mivka, in an article from the USA Today in Jan 2021, wrote this about Ted Cruz:
The agenda is not always explicit. When Sen. Ted Cruz talks of “restoring” America, he means to recover what he believes is its original identity as a Christian nation. Historian John Fea argues that Cruz’s outlook reflects the Seven Mountains Dominionism of his father — a conviction that Christians are called by God to exercise dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions (religion, family, education, government, media, arts and entertainment, and business). While Cruz is too politically savvy to endorse dominion theology outright, he uses code words like “religious liberty” to sustain Christian privilege and cultural authority.
Apr 26, 2022: Wall Street Journal: Anti-Semitic Incidents in U.S. Jump to New High, Report Says
The number of reported anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S., including assaults, vandalism and harassment, rose to a new high last year, according to data from the Anti-Defamation League.
The number of reported anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S., including assaults, vandalism and harassment, rose to a new high last year, according to data from the Anti-Defamation League.
Apr 26, 2022: Mission News Network: Russia targets infrastructure, US sends more aid to Ukraine
A string of Russian attacks targets critical infrastructure, hitting rail and fuel facilities deep inside Ukraine. Meanwhile, the United States pledges another $465 million in support to Ukraine, bringing the U.S. aid total to over $4 billion since the invasion began.
According to the United Nations, approximately 25-percent of Ukraine’s population needs humanitarian aid inside the country or in a neighboring nation.
A string of Russian attacks targets critical infrastructure, hitting rail and fuel facilities deep inside Ukraine. Meanwhile, the United States pledges another $465 million in support to Ukraine, bringing the U.S. aid total to over $4 billion since the invasion began.
According to the United Nations, approximately 25-percent of Ukraine’s population needs humanitarian aid inside the country or in a neighboring nation.
April 25, 2022: NPR: The Supreme Court ponders the right to pray on the 50-yard line
The U.S. Supreme Court jumps back into the culture wars Monday in a case that involves a football coach's asserted right to kneel and pray on the 50-yard line at the conclusion of a public school football game.
The U.S. Supreme Court jumps back into the culture wars Monday in a case that involves a football coach's asserted right to kneel and pray on the 50-yard line at the conclusion of a public school football game.
April 25, 2022: Kentucky Today:Ukrainian Baptist finds water in wasteland, reunion in time of war
Yura knew reunion was on the horizon and he found an oasis on the way.
Carrying three heavy bags, the Ukrainian man stopped at the station Romanian Baptists established and Southern Baptist Disaster Response (SBDR) and Send Relief teams are now manning near the border of Romania and Ukraine.
Yura accepted a bottle of water offered at the station, noticing the Southern Baptist Convention sign on the station and the vests and hats of the volunteers.
“I’m a Baptist too!” he exclaimed.
Yura knew reunion was on the horizon and he found an oasis on the way.
Carrying three heavy bags, the Ukrainian man stopped at the station Romanian Baptists established and Southern Baptist Disaster Response (SBDR) and Send Relief teams are now manning near the border of Romania and Ukraine.
Yura accepted a bottle of water offered at the station, noticing the Southern Baptist Convention sign on the station and the vests and hats of the volunteers.
“I’m a Baptist too!” he exclaimed.
Who are you? If we read your Twitter bio, browsed your Instagram feed, or connected with you on Facebook, would we know the answer?
The school of the world trains us to oversell in our bios, inflate our LinkedIn skills, obsess over the right angle to take the perfect selfie, and have a social stream that is a montage of half-truths (at best) about our lives.
But as Christians, we serve the God of truth. We follow the One who said, “You shall not bear false witness…” (Exodus 20:16). On the world’s largest stage we need to be vigilant. It takes an intentional commitment to truth, and a daily reliance upon the Holy Spirit, to combat the current of our culture. -Nathan Bingham; The Ninth Commandment and the Pain of Social Media
The school of the world trains us to oversell in our bios, inflate our LinkedIn skills, obsess over the right angle to take the perfect selfie, and have a social stream that is a montage of half-truths (at best) about our lives.
But as Christians, we serve the God of truth. We follow the One who said, “You shall not bear false witness…” (Exodus 20:16). On the world’s largest stage we need to be vigilant. It takes an intentional commitment to truth, and a daily reliance upon the Holy Spirit, to combat the current of our culture. -Nathan Bingham; The Ninth Commandment and the Pain of Social Media
Apr 18, 2022: New York Times: Ukraine War Divides Orthodox Faithful
In a small parish in northern Italy affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, the mostly Ukrainian worshipers — IT specialists, migrant factory laborers, nurses and cleaners — decided to repudiate the full-throated support for the war in Ukraine from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
In a small parish in northern Italy affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, the mostly Ukrainian worshipers — IT specialists, migrant factory laborers, nurses and cleaners — decided to repudiate the full-throated support for the war in Ukraine from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
The credibility of Jesus has been marred by the hypocrisy of his namesake’s religion.
American Christianity became a clanging cymbal when it sent missionaries to other countries but refused to accept these same “foreigners” into their homeland. The sad irony is that while American Christianity created destabilization throughout the world by enthusiastically endorsing military interventions and devious foreign policies, they also saw themselves as an antidote to the resulting poverty, violence, and cultural ruin that was left behind. This pattern doesn’t glorify God, and it became a form of colonization disguised as religious charity.
American Christianity became a noisy gong when it gained political, social, cultural, and economic power at the expensive of vilifying LGBTQ individuals, oppressing people of color, deporting immigrants, denying refugees, abusing children, and assaulting women.
American Christianity promised eternal salvation in heaven while refusing to save refugees on earth. American Christianity promoted citizenship in God’s kingdom while denying citizenship to asylum seekers. American Christianity evangelized under the premises of grace and mercy while ruthlessly deporting people using cruelty and legalism. American Christianity claimed to be based on the pillars of truth and honesty, but endorsed politicians who lie and cheat. American Christianity pretended to worship the Prince of Peace while perpetuating endless wars across the world. American Christianity paid lip service to love and acceptance, but thrives on fear and oppression.
American Christianity became nothing when it promoted salvation by grace through a middle-eastern refugee who was arrested, incarcerated, tortured, and given the death penalty under Roman law, but refused to address a broken justice system infested with police brutality, unjust incarceration rates, state-sponsored torture, and the immorality of capital punishment. -Christians For Social Action
American Christianity became a clanging cymbal when it sent missionaries to other countries but refused to accept these same “foreigners” into their homeland. The sad irony is that while American Christianity created destabilization throughout the world by enthusiastically endorsing military interventions and devious foreign policies, they also saw themselves as an antidote to the resulting poverty, violence, and cultural ruin that was left behind. This pattern doesn’t glorify God, and it became a form of colonization disguised as religious charity.
American Christianity became a noisy gong when it gained political, social, cultural, and economic power at the expensive of vilifying LGBTQ individuals, oppressing people of color, deporting immigrants, denying refugees, abusing children, and assaulting women.
American Christianity promised eternal salvation in heaven while refusing to save refugees on earth. American Christianity promoted citizenship in God’s kingdom while denying citizenship to asylum seekers. American Christianity evangelized under the premises of grace and mercy while ruthlessly deporting people using cruelty and legalism. American Christianity claimed to be based on the pillars of truth and honesty, but endorsed politicians who lie and cheat. American Christianity pretended to worship the Prince of Peace while perpetuating endless wars across the world. American Christianity paid lip service to love and acceptance, but thrives on fear and oppression.
American Christianity became nothing when it promoted salvation by grace through a middle-eastern refugee who was arrested, incarcerated, tortured, and given the death penalty under Roman law, but refused to address a broken justice system infested with police brutality, unjust incarceration rates, state-sponsored torture, and the immorality of capital punishment. -Christians For Social Action
Kristin Kobes Du Mez’s ingeniously titled Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation left me with a similar, but more widespread, sense of disappointment in Christian men. Her book convincingly and methodically reveals how American evangelical culture—a loose consortium of pastors, speakers, booksellers, convention organizers, radio personalities, church planting networks, lay people, televangelists, con artists, and political advocates—discipled men into a toxic, twisted, even anti-Christian way to think about sex, gender, and power. It’s a brutal read, but for me it provided context for my disparate memories of the evangelical world’s attempt to synthesize masculinity and Christianity.
Du Mez shows how evangelical leaders over decades attempted to articulate and defend a certain vision of masculinity, one embodied by John Wayne (and intentionally projected by our former president). The Christian man, according to this vision, is a (white) American one; he gets things done; he isn’t afraid of a fight and getting his hands a little dirty; he believes boys should be boys; he drinks beer and he loves guns; he would beat up anybody who dared call him a sissy. He is a tough, frontier man, the good guy, who nobly uses violence when needed to defend women and children from the scary threats of outsiders, who generally are people of color (be they Native Americans, Mexicans, African-Americans, Muslims). Du Mez draws this convincing image from decades of popular evangelical books on masculinity, such as Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson and Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. She quotes the Baptist scholar Alan Bean as saying, “The unspoken mantra of post-war evangelicalism was simple: Jesus can save your soul; but John Wayne will save your ass.”
Du Mez narrates how the patriarchal theology of evangelicals, in which men were treated like kings and male pastors like God, created an environment conducive to the current scandals of abuse in the evangelical world (particularly in churches of the Southern Baptist Convention). The #ChurchToo movement, inspired by Hollywood’s #MeToo movement, revealed a church culture that permitted, covered up, and denied the very real abuse of women and children in the evangelical world.
While reading this book, there were many times I heard myself saying, “Not all people who call themselves evangelicals are this way!” I wondered if everyone mentioned in the book got a fair hearing, and there’s really no way for me to verify this one way or another. But the evidence Du Mez presents is overwhelming and convicting. It left me with a general sense of disgust and grief, and even a healthy sense of fear at how many have morally failed in this work of ministry. -Cambron Wright; Firebrand
Du Mez shows how evangelical leaders over decades attempted to articulate and defend a certain vision of masculinity, one embodied by John Wayne (and intentionally projected by our former president). The Christian man, according to this vision, is a (white) American one; he gets things done; he isn’t afraid of a fight and getting his hands a little dirty; he believes boys should be boys; he drinks beer and he loves guns; he would beat up anybody who dared call him a sissy. He is a tough, frontier man, the good guy, who nobly uses violence when needed to defend women and children from the scary threats of outsiders, who generally are people of color (be they Native Americans, Mexicans, African-Americans, Muslims). Du Mez draws this convincing image from decades of popular evangelical books on masculinity, such as Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson and Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. She quotes the Baptist scholar Alan Bean as saying, “The unspoken mantra of post-war evangelicalism was simple: Jesus can save your soul; but John Wayne will save your ass.”
Du Mez narrates how the patriarchal theology of evangelicals, in which men were treated like kings and male pastors like God, created an environment conducive to the current scandals of abuse in the evangelical world (particularly in churches of the Southern Baptist Convention). The #ChurchToo movement, inspired by Hollywood’s #MeToo movement, revealed a church culture that permitted, covered up, and denied the very real abuse of women and children in the evangelical world.
While reading this book, there were many times I heard myself saying, “Not all people who call themselves evangelicals are this way!” I wondered if everyone mentioned in the book got a fair hearing, and there’s really no way for me to verify this one way or another. But the evidence Du Mez presents is overwhelming and convicting. It left me with a general sense of disgust and grief, and even a healthy sense of fear at how many have morally failed in this work of ministry. -Cambron Wright; Firebrand
"Just because we can say something doesn’t mean we should. There are ways of confronting abuses of power, and I am certainly not condoning a mindless obedience. But Christians need to understand that the best place for difficult conversations is usually not online.”
"Outrage exhibits few if any of the short- or long-term characteristics Scripture associates with righteous anger. Righteous anger is aimed at the glory of God,, but outrage is an angry reaction to personal injury or insult. Where righteous anger is purposeful and designed to advance specific objectives and ends, outrage exhibits little critical thought as to its underlying focus, motivations, expressions, or ends.
"Outrage is motivated by a desire to punish or destroy rather than reconcile or refine. It is frequently accompanied by hubris and a confidence in its judgment, categorically rejecting any nuance. Outrage is fast and decisive rather than reflective, choosing to exhibit God’s retribution rather than reflect his persistent, steadfast love." -Ed Stetzer; Christians in the Age of Outrage
"Outrage exhibits few if any of the short- or long-term characteristics Scripture associates with righteous anger. Righteous anger is aimed at the glory of God,, but outrage is an angry reaction to personal injury or insult. Where righteous anger is purposeful and designed to advance specific objectives and ends, outrage exhibits little critical thought as to its underlying focus, motivations, expressions, or ends.
"Outrage is motivated by a desire to punish or destroy rather than reconcile or refine. It is frequently accompanied by hubris and a confidence in its judgment, categorically rejecting any nuance. Outrage is fast and decisive rather than reflective, choosing to exhibit God’s retribution rather than reflect his persistent, steadfast love." -Ed Stetzer; Christians in the Age of Outrage
The trend of specifying preferred pronouns on everything from Twitter to business cards—a fascinating sign of our times. Even some Christians are participating. Whether people do it out of genuine confusion, positive commitment to queer theory, or in pre-emptive anticipation of it becoming the equivalent of Havel’s greengrocer shop sign in our brave new world, it is an action that most would have regarded as absurd even five years ago. Most (probably) still regard it as absurd today. But that old consensus is crumbling, just like every other once-unquestionable Western cultural belief. Queerness is moving rapidly from arcane, implausible theory to practical, everyday reality.
While many on the right default to accusations of cultural Marxism when confronted with such iconoclasm, I would argue that this latest trend is reminiscent of nothing so much as Friedrich Nietzsche’s haunting statement in Twilight of the Idols: “I fear we are not getting rid of God because we still believe in grammar.” This sounds odd but in the context of his argument, it makes sense. What Nietzsche is saying here is that language tricks us into thinking that it expresses reality but it does not do so; rather, it constructs concepts that it presents as real and seductively traps us into thinking of the world in particular ways.
If ever there was a philosophical position that placed the individual and his (or her or zir) will at the center of the universe, then this is it. Such radical nominalism may be nonsense but, like sex, it sells, appealing as it does to our intuitive sense of freedom and desire for autonomy. And rather like current attitudes toward sex, it makes the world’s purpose making us feel good about ourselves. To accomplish this, it asserts that God, and all that he created, from male and female to notions of right and wrong, are simply linguistic constructs, mere con tricks that capture the imagination of the unthinking herd. -Carl Trueman
While many on the right default to accusations of cultural Marxism when confronted with such iconoclasm, I would argue that this latest trend is reminiscent of nothing so much as Friedrich Nietzsche’s haunting statement in Twilight of the Idols: “I fear we are not getting rid of God because we still believe in grammar.” This sounds odd but in the context of his argument, it makes sense. What Nietzsche is saying here is that language tricks us into thinking that it expresses reality but it does not do so; rather, it constructs concepts that it presents as real and seductively traps us into thinking of the world in particular ways.
If ever there was a philosophical position that placed the individual and his (or her or zir) will at the center of the universe, then this is it. Such radical nominalism may be nonsense but, like sex, it sells, appealing as it does to our intuitive sense of freedom and desire for autonomy. And rather like current attitudes toward sex, it makes the world’s purpose making us feel good about ourselves. To accomplish this, it asserts that God, and all that he created, from male and female to notions of right and wrong, are simply linguistic constructs, mere con tricks that capture the imagination of the unthinking herd. -Carl Trueman
| German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) |
Apr 19, 2022: Church Leaders: Celebration Church Pastor Announces Resignation Amid Bitter Legal Dispute
Stovall Weems, who on Jan. 7 was suspended as the senior pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Fla., announced on Instagram Monday night that he was resigning from his positions at the church effective immediately. Weems’ resignation comes in the middle of a bitter legal dispute with Celebration Church.
Stovall Weems, who on Jan. 7 was suspended as the senior pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Fla., announced on Instagram Monday night that he was resigning from his positions at the church effective immediately. Weems’ resignation comes in the middle of a bitter legal dispute with Celebration Church.
The church has gone over to a “practical” ministry. It stresses psychology, services to the young, to couples, to senior citizens, and so on. Its preaching is tailored to gaining interest on a superficial level, not to solid, doctrinal teachings. Because sin is unpopular, it talks about codependency, victimhood, and other like psychological garbage. The greatest preachers of the centuries would today bore most congregations because their preaching was centered on the triune God, not on the people and their “needs.” The modern church has forgotten that the greatest true need of people is to know God, and too much preaching is about what God can do for you. Whether the church be Catholic or Protestant, charismatic or non-charismatic, the emphasis is too often humanistic; it is on emotions, feelings, and, above all, benefits. -RJ Rushdoony; 1993
April 18, 2022:
If you are a Christian and repeatedly attack politicians through name-calling or other character assassinations...you need to heed the word of Paul in Timothy 2:1-4. It says this, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications and prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings,” yes, thanksgivings, “be made for all of people,” all people. “For kings and all who are in high positions.” If you do not do this you are voiding any God given authority you might think you have,
This is the goal and agenda for any Christian addressing politics: 1 Timothy 2:1-6: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. God can take care of everything else.
Our ultimate goal in this life is not to win at politics. A great part of it is to not have to hear "Go away from me, I never knew you" on that final day.
If you are a Christian and repeatedly attack politicians through name-calling or other character assassinations...you need to heed the word of Paul in Timothy 2:1-4. It says this, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications and prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings,” yes, thanksgivings, “be made for all of people,” all people. “For kings and all who are in high positions.” If you do not do this you are voiding any God given authority you might think you have,
This is the goal and agenda for any Christian addressing politics: 1 Timothy 2:1-6: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. God can take care of everything else.
Our ultimate goal in this life is not to win at politics. A great part of it is to not have to hear "Go away from me, I never knew you" on that final day.
.....when you hear a politician who identifies as a Christian or identifies as a conservative and they’ve whipped the crowd up into a frenzy and you yourself get kind of carried away. When your conscience tells you, “Boy, I wish he hadn’t said, or she hadn’t said that,” or, “I think I see what they’re doing there. They just led me down a path where I started to hate the political opponent instead of just disagreeing with them,” that’s when you probably… that little ping of your conscience should indicate that that is probably not a candidate who you should be supporting.
Secondly, I think that you have an obligation to call out in a gentle way, in a text, in a phone call, in an email, say, “I heard you speak in front of that church, in front of that audience. And I heard you refer to your opponent as a,” fill in the blank. “Do you think next time you could avoid saying that term, because I think your point would be much more well-received if you just left it out.”
But thirdly, when you pray for political candidates, don’t just pray for their victory. I hear people saying, “I manifest this victory on your behalf,” or, “I pray against the others that they would be defeated and that you would win.” Let God make the determination on who wins and loses. You can pray for victory and then resign the consequences to Him. But also, pray for people to come to know Christ and the peace that defies understanding. When you begin to pray for your political opponents to come to know the peace of Christ, you’re not going to call them a name. You’re not going to call them… belittle them or mock them. -Jeff Coleman
Secondly, I think that you have an obligation to call out in a gentle way, in a text, in a phone call, in an email, say, “I heard you speak in front of that church, in front of that audience. And I heard you refer to your opponent as a,” fill in the blank. “Do you think next time you could avoid saying that term, because I think your point would be much more well-received if you just left it out.”
But thirdly, when you pray for political candidates, don’t just pray for their victory. I hear people saying, “I manifest this victory on your behalf,” or, “I pray against the others that they would be defeated and that you would win.” Let God make the determination on who wins and loses. You can pray for victory and then resign the consequences to Him. But also, pray for people to come to know Christ and the peace that defies understanding. When you begin to pray for your political opponents to come to know the peace of Christ, you’re not going to call them a name. You’re not going to call them… belittle them or mock them. -Jeff Coleman
Mabry talks about where our culture is on certain issues and the approaches we see around us. His cultural engagement is helpful, particularly in the chapter on ‘Politics and Kingdom’ where he helpfully shows us the dangers of putting our hope in politics:
If his party wins, he wins. If it loses, he not only loses but faces an existential crisis. It’s not just that he’s not ok; he cannot be ok. Why? Because he’s relocated his peace from the unchanging promises of God to the changing winds of politics. (132)
Mabry’s solution is that by ‘embracing the biblical tension between present politics and the future kingdom, we can develop the virtue of justice not only in ourselves but in our cultures’ (148) -Be Thinking
If his party wins, he wins. If it loses, he not only loses but faces an existential crisis. It’s not just that he’s not ok; he cannot be ok. Why? Because he’s relocated his peace from the unchanging promises of God to the changing winds of politics. (132)
Mabry’s solution is that by ‘embracing the biblical tension between present politics and the future kingdom, we can develop the virtue of justice not only in ourselves but in our cultures’ (148) -Be Thinking
April 14, 2022: Baptist News Global: Let’s consider the moral courage it takes for some to reconnect with church after the pandemic
It turns out that returning to church, reconnecting with one’s faith community after an extended absence, is harder than you might think. Although we may imagine returnees rushing into the fellowship with jubilation and joy, many are right now visualizing the opposite. They see themselves slinking in the back after the prelude has begun, hesitant to make eye contact, fearing imagined judgment.
It turns out that returning to church, reconnecting with one’s faith community after an extended absence, is harder than you might think. Although we may imagine returnees rushing into the fellowship with jubilation and joy, many are right now visualizing the opposite. They see themselves slinking in the back after the prelude has begun, hesitant to make eye contact, fearing imagined judgment.
“The siren song of cynicism,” is “that strangely alluring voice that lulls us into a negative state of complacency at best and abject nihilism at worst,” wrote Annie Reneau in an essay cited by Bishop Robert Barron on a recent “Word on Fire Show” podcast episode. She observes that cynicism “requires no deep digging, real reflection or soul searching.” On the contrary, she writes, “It’s the easiest thing in the world to call the world a dumpster fire, toss up our hands and say, ‘Welp, everything and everyone sucks, so what’s the point?’ ”
But if we find ourselves falling for this siren song, Bishop Barron argues that we ought to fess up to being intellectually and theologically “incoherent.” That would be the honest thing to do. We ought to openly admit that we are choosing the “intellectually cheap” and “morally questionable” approach to life.“
Metaphysically,” Bishop Barron explains, describing the cynic’s first mistake, “evil is parasitic upon the good, so good will always be greater.” When we fall prey to a cynical mindset, throwing up our hands and saying, “The world is evil,” then we forget something profound: “Good is always greater than — and more metaphysically fundamental than — evil.”
Recalling the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, we know that evil is not created, but rather “privatio boni” or a “privation of a due good.” Good comes before evil. Or as theology professor Adrian Walker explains, “Because the good has an absolute ontological primacy over evil,” the good has “nothing to prove.”....But the cynic commits a second and even worse error. “Theologically, the resurrection triumphs over the cross,” Bishop Barron explains. When we choose cynicism, we deny Christ’s triumph. “It’s really incoherent to be cynical,” Barron concludes. -Soren Johnson; Arlington Catholic Herald
But if we find ourselves falling for this siren song, Bishop Barron argues that we ought to fess up to being intellectually and theologically “incoherent.” That would be the honest thing to do. We ought to openly admit that we are choosing the “intellectually cheap” and “morally questionable” approach to life.“
Metaphysically,” Bishop Barron explains, describing the cynic’s first mistake, “evil is parasitic upon the good, so good will always be greater.” When we fall prey to a cynical mindset, throwing up our hands and saying, “The world is evil,” then we forget something profound: “Good is always greater than — and more metaphysically fundamental than — evil.”
Recalling the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, we know that evil is not created, but rather “privatio boni” or a “privation of a due good.” Good comes before evil. Or as theology professor Adrian Walker explains, “Because the good has an absolute ontological primacy over evil,” the good has “nothing to prove.”....But the cynic commits a second and even worse error. “Theologically, the resurrection triumphs over the cross,” Bishop Barron explains. When we choose cynicism, we deny Christ’s triumph. “It’s really incoherent to be cynical,” Barron concludes. -Soren Johnson; Arlington Catholic Herald
The bishops of the Church of Ceylon, the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka, have warned of a potential “human catastrophe” in the Indian Ocean nation, where public unrest over an unprecedented economic crisis has spilled over into violence in recent days.
The Right Rev Keerthisiri Fernando, the Presiding Bishop of The Church of Ceylon, and the Bishop of Colombo the Right RevDushantha Rodrigohave called on the government to “listen to the cries of the people” and take urgent action to address the escalating crisis.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic collapse since it became independent from the UK in 1948. The nation is witnessing massive inflation, while basic goods like food and fuel are in short supply. Across the country, people are suffering lengthy power cuts. -ACNS News
The Right Rev Keerthisiri Fernando, the Presiding Bishop of The Church of Ceylon, and the Bishop of Colombo the Right RevDushantha Rodrigohave called on the government to “listen to the cries of the people” and take urgent action to address the escalating crisis.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic collapse since it became independent from the UK in 1948. The nation is witnessing massive inflation, while basic goods like food and fuel are in short supply. Across the country, people are suffering lengthy power cuts. -ACNS News
There are those who say, "We need to take America back for God!" So, at one point then, America was, to say it as the pledge does, "under God."
Exactly when was America under God? In the eighteenth century when it was legal to own another human being? Did God not view black people as being in his own image? After all, what's a little slavery among friends?
How about the nineteenth century with the many atrocities committed against indigenous people-- the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811), the Trail of Tears (1830-1840), the Sand Creek Massacre (1840)? Just three out of many examples. What's a little murder, mayhem, and terrorism in the name of divine manifest destiny?
How about the twentieth century? Jim Crow throughout the first half+ of the 1900s? The illegality of interracial marriage? Race riots where whites murdered and destroyed the property of black Americans-- Georgia in 1906, Tulsa in 1921? How about repeatedly using the law to suppress the minority vote? And I cant forget lynching? After all, what's a little racism among friends?
Please clarify for me what has happened in the past fifty to seventy years that has been so disastrous that America has rejected God and needs to be welcomed back? What needs to be done politically to take America back for God? What kind of myopic view of American history, and spiritually truncated understanding of Christianity is it that sees American history from 1619 to 1950 as somehow God blessed, but in the past fifty years we have so fallen morally that we "have turned our backs on Him?"
"Tis a puzzlement. -Alan R Bevere
Exactly when was America under God? In the eighteenth century when it was legal to own another human being? Did God not view black people as being in his own image? After all, what's a little slavery among friends?
How about the nineteenth century with the many atrocities committed against indigenous people-- the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811), the Trail of Tears (1830-1840), the Sand Creek Massacre (1840)? Just three out of many examples. What's a little murder, mayhem, and terrorism in the name of divine manifest destiny?
How about the twentieth century? Jim Crow throughout the first half+ of the 1900s? The illegality of interracial marriage? Race riots where whites murdered and destroyed the property of black Americans-- Georgia in 1906, Tulsa in 1921? How about repeatedly using the law to suppress the minority vote? And I cant forget lynching? After all, what's a little racism among friends?
Please clarify for me what has happened in the past fifty to seventy years that has been so disastrous that America has rejected God and needs to be welcomed back? What needs to be done politically to take America back for God? What kind of myopic view of American history, and spiritually truncated understanding of Christianity is it that sees American history from 1619 to 1950 as somehow God blessed, but in the past fifty years we have so fallen morally that we "have turned our backs on Him?"
"Tis a puzzlement. -Alan R Bevere
April 16, 2022:
An article at "Active Christianity" states that "When we think of Jesus’ coming to earth, we understand that it was to create an upheaval – a transition of power. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” was His message from the very beginning (Matthew 4:17). When Jesus was born, the land was occupied by the Roman empire. The Emmaus pilgrims who spoke to Jesus on the road after His resurrection told Him that they hoped that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel (Luke 24:21). They were thinking of an external political upheaval, in which Israel was freed from the yoke of the Romans. It took time for the disciples to realize that it was a completely different kind of transition of power that Jesus brought about. It was the dominion of the throne of the heart that was at stake. For the life of a person proceeds from the heart (Proverbs 4:23)."
I believe this is being played out even today by people who believe, like the Emmaus pilgrims, that their assumed relationship with God is to bring about change through politics. That is not true and, in fact, think it just more likely to make things worse. Their effort will not be Biblically based even though they claim it is. It appears to be of those movements that does whatever it wants to push its own political ends and by peppering it with Bible verses it makes it a "mission from God." God really isnt impressed by how many Bible verses you can quote. True wisdom begins with the the fear of the lord which is the beginning of wisdom and where knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
An article at "Active Christianity" states that "When we think of Jesus’ coming to earth, we understand that it was to create an upheaval – a transition of power. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” was His message from the very beginning (Matthew 4:17). When Jesus was born, the land was occupied by the Roman empire. The Emmaus pilgrims who spoke to Jesus on the road after His resurrection told Him that they hoped that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel (Luke 24:21). They were thinking of an external political upheaval, in which Israel was freed from the yoke of the Romans. It took time for the disciples to realize that it was a completely different kind of transition of power that Jesus brought about. It was the dominion of the throne of the heart that was at stake. For the life of a person proceeds from the heart (Proverbs 4:23)."
I believe this is being played out even today by people who believe, like the Emmaus pilgrims, that their assumed relationship with God is to bring about change through politics. That is not true and, in fact, think it just more likely to make things worse. Their effort will not be Biblically based even though they claim it is. It appears to be of those movements that does whatever it wants to push its own political ends and by peppering it with Bible verses it makes it a "mission from God." God really isnt impressed by how many Bible verses you can quote. True wisdom begins with the the fear of the lord which is the beginning of wisdom and where knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
Apr 16, 2022: Aleteia: The “girl in a red coat” from Schindler’s List helps Ukrainian refugees
Oliwia Dąbrowska helps Ukrainian refugees cross the Ukraine-Poland border and is still vociferously against war.
Oliwia Dąbrowska helps Ukrainian refugees cross the Ukraine-Poland border and is still vociferously against war.
April 15, 2022:
There is a blog called "A Biblical Worldview" that adds to the name this qualification: "The most politically incorrect blog on the internet, devoted to the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ." I thought, well OK, let's see what is here. The latest post was from April 9 and titled "The End is Near." The author writes a bit of history to back his comments and then mentions, BTW, that organizations like BLM can be summarized this way: Money appears to be the goal of this group, and now that they have a lot of it from corporations and private donors alike.. ????????
But the author expands his rhetoric with comments that would make Tucker Carlson proud: Rulers in power making it illegal to buy the very medicine that would cure the ailment, they also closed businesses, caused people to lose their livelihoods, forced medical treatment on free citizens, and forced people to wear face diapers in order to manipulate them and cause psychological damage. {??} Of, course, we know who is responsible for that kind of insane rhetoric and hyperbole.
In authors next post is titled "Black American Must Do Better" and, of course, he rates the incident with Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars as a major part of his theme that "Black American Must Do Better." He then pontificates by using right wing nonsense being sent around the internet. Because, you know, when you are pushing "A Biblical View" of the world..the best place to get the news is from some right wing nutjob pushing propaganda and then adding Bible verses to explain things as racist and how because of the Oscars event "black people need to do better."???really??
I, unfortunately, do have experience in understanding these right wing positions as I used to push them myself not all that long ago. The author (I have to say "the author" because I dont know if its male or female..though my guess would be that it is a white male) likely feels very smug and proud of having addressed the problem with such "Biblical" expertise. The author does use Bible verses but they are kind of a filling. The intent of the verse, in the authors mind, aids the authors worldview...but only in the authors mind. Not in the real world. But, thats how right wingers and Christian Nationalists operate. Racism doesn't count if you use Bible verses to accentuate it.
There is a blog called "A Biblical Worldview" that adds to the name this qualification: "The most politically incorrect blog on the internet, devoted to the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ." I thought, well OK, let's see what is here. The latest post was from April 9 and titled "The End is Near." The author writes a bit of history to back his comments and then mentions, BTW, that organizations like BLM can be summarized this way: Money appears to be the goal of this group, and now that they have a lot of it from corporations and private donors alike.. ????????
But the author expands his rhetoric with comments that would make Tucker Carlson proud: Rulers in power making it illegal to buy the very medicine that would cure the ailment, they also closed businesses, caused people to lose their livelihoods, forced medical treatment on free citizens, and forced people to wear face diapers in order to manipulate them and cause psychological damage. {??} Of, course, we know who is responsible for that kind of insane rhetoric and hyperbole.
In authors next post is titled "Black American Must Do Better" and, of course, he rates the incident with Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars as a major part of his theme that "Black American Must Do Better." He then pontificates by using right wing nonsense being sent around the internet. Because, you know, when you are pushing "A Biblical View" of the world..the best place to get the news is from some right wing nutjob pushing propaganda and then adding Bible verses to explain things as racist and how because of the Oscars event "black people need to do better."???really??
I, unfortunately, do have experience in understanding these right wing positions as I used to push them myself not all that long ago. The author (I have to say "the author" because I dont know if its male or female..though my guess would be that it is a white male) likely feels very smug and proud of having addressed the problem with such "Biblical" expertise. The author does use Bible verses but they are kind of a filling. The intent of the verse, in the authors mind, aids the authors worldview...but only in the authors mind. Not in the real world. But, thats how right wingers and Christian Nationalists operate. Racism doesn't count if you use Bible verses to accentuate it.
| Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909) |
“An important way that a theological tradition such as Methodism can remain both a faithful witness in terms of its past heritage as well as relevant to the challenges of today is the frank recognition that this tradition has been called forth by God to participate in the broad, rich, and generous life of the church. . . Simply put, the church is never only about us or the present moment,” but about the whole sweep of the purposes of God through all the world -The Next Methodism: Theological, Social, and Missional Foundations for Global Methodism
Apr 13, 2022: Religion News: National Association of Evangelicals launches racial justice collaborative
Mekdes Haddis, the new initiative’s director, was hired for the full-time role a month ago after serving in church and nonprofit circles for more than a decade. She is working remotely from South Carolina for the Washington-based evangelical organization.
“I’ve talked with many NAE member organization leaders and have been excited to discover a great deal of self-awareness and earnest desire for reconciliation,” she told Religion News Service in a statement. “There is a lot of synergy and commitment to the task.”
Mekdes Haddis, the new initiative’s director, was hired for the full-time role a month ago after serving in church and nonprofit circles for more than a decade. She is working remotely from South Carolina for the Washington-based evangelical organization.
“I’ve talked with many NAE member organization leaders and have been excited to discover a great deal of self-awareness and earnest desire for reconciliation,” she told Religion News Service in a statement. “There is a lot of synergy and commitment to the task.”
Apr 12, 2022: Christian Today: Christian doctors send £300k of medical supplies to Ukraine
Over £300,000 worth of medical supplies are being shipped to frontline doctors in Ukraine.
The shipments have been made possible by a fundraising appeal by the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA).
Over £300,000 worth of medical supplies are being shipped to frontline doctors in Ukraine.
The shipments have been made possible by a fundraising appeal by the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA).
Apr 7, 2022: Pheonix New Times: Too Close for Comfort: The Ku Klux Klan's Global Headquarters is in Glendale
The global headquarters of the Aryan Nations Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is hidden in plain sight, not in some part of the country you might expect, but right here in metro Phoenix.
The KKK evokes images of mass rallies and terrorizing Black churches in the South, but today it's a far cry from the violent, secret fraternal society founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, on Christmas Eve 1865 to resist the emancipation of slaves.
The global headquarters of the Aryan Nations Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is hidden in plain sight, not in some part of the country you might expect, but right here in metro Phoenix.
The KKK evokes images of mass rallies and terrorizing Black churches in the South, but today it's a far cry from the violent, secret fraternal society founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, on Christmas Eve 1865 to resist the emancipation of slaves.
Proverbs 12:15:
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise
Sixty-nine verses in the King James Bible include the word “fool.” The most well-known would probably be Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1; both tell us, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” The book of Proverbs contains more than half of the “fool” verses. It is interesting how Proverbs, a book known for its wisdom, repeatedly tells us how a fool behaves.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise
Sixty-nine verses in the King James Bible include the word “fool.” The most well-known would probably be Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1; both tell us, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” The book of Proverbs contains more than half of the “fool” verses. It is interesting how Proverbs, a book known for its wisdom, repeatedly tells us how a fool behaves.
A Facebook post by Pastor Timothy Keller on Apr 7 explains the problems with mega churches:
Thread on why we multiplied Redeemer into three (now five) congregations, rather than give the megachurch to a single successor?
First, because megachurches have some design deficits. In general, they are poor places for formation and pastoral care due to their size. In our current cultural moment that is a deadly problem because Christians are being more formed by social media than local Christian community. We need thick communities and the size of our churches factor into that.
2nd, because megachurches are grown large under a founder, they are not usually sustained by being given to one successor. That person is always excessively and sometimes harshly compared in every way to the founder. It’s lose-lose for them and the movement.
3rd-because megachurches—tend to grow fast under a founder, they usually depend too much on the gifts and personality of that founder so the sooner that addictive dependence is broken, the better.
4th, because often the founder comes to see the church as their personal possession-and an extension of their personality and self-image, they often never want to leave, nor do they know how to well. It is good to leave sooner rather than later as a spiritual discipline.
5th, because I was able to hand off Redeemer to a more diverse group of leaders-instead of one white American, Redeemer has now been led by Sr Pastors who were Chinese, Korean, British, and Nagamese/Lebanese. All, though solidly united on Reformed theology, bring their distinct-enriching cultural perspectives, experiences, and wisdom.
6th, because smaller congregations must make use of a greater percentage of lay persons’ gifts & talents there is less dependence on staff and a smaller number of onlookers who only attend to observe and not participate.
7th, we didn't just want to build one megachurch, our core vision was centered on “to help build a great city for all people through a movement of the gospel.” Gospel movements are fueled by the multiplication of generative churches, and diverse leaders.
8th, megachurches tend to draw people from great distances who then are not geographically close enough to take part in community building, discipleship, and local ministry to the neighborhood of the church. It is harder for them to be other-focused in the local area. Cities and regions can benefit from the unique resources of a megachurch (eg counseling centers, seminaries). But in general, the area—and the Christians—will benefit more from 10 churches of 400 scattered throughout the city, rather than one church of 4,000 in the middle of it.
That was our thought process. Now, while still having the resources of a megachurch, through their size and model, they can be more nimble to the needs of those who attend and the surrounding area.
Thread on why we multiplied Redeemer into three (now five) congregations, rather than give the megachurch to a single successor?
First, because megachurches have some design deficits. In general, they are poor places for formation and pastoral care due to their size. In our current cultural moment that is a deadly problem because Christians are being more formed by social media than local Christian community. We need thick communities and the size of our churches factor into that.
2nd, because megachurches are grown large under a founder, they are not usually sustained by being given to one successor. That person is always excessively and sometimes harshly compared in every way to the founder. It’s lose-lose for them and the movement.
3rd-because megachurches—tend to grow fast under a founder, they usually depend too much on the gifts and personality of that founder so the sooner that addictive dependence is broken, the better.
4th, because often the founder comes to see the church as their personal possession-and an extension of their personality and self-image, they often never want to leave, nor do they know how to well. It is good to leave sooner rather than later as a spiritual discipline.
5th, because I was able to hand off Redeemer to a more diverse group of leaders-instead of one white American, Redeemer has now been led by Sr Pastors who were Chinese, Korean, British, and Nagamese/Lebanese. All, though solidly united on Reformed theology, bring their distinct-enriching cultural perspectives, experiences, and wisdom.
6th, because smaller congregations must make use of a greater percentage of lay persons’ gifts & talents there is less dependence on staff and a smaller number of onlookers who only attend to observe and not participate.
7th, we didn't just want to build one megachurch, our core vision was centered on “to help build a great city for all people through a movement of the gospel.” Gospel movements are fueled by the multiplication of generative churches, and diverse leaders.
8th, megachurches tend to draw people from great distances who then are not geographically close enough to take part in community building, discipleship, and local ministry to the neighborhood of the church. It is harder for them to be other-focused in the local area. Cities and regions can benefit from the unique resources of a megachurch (eg counseling centers, seminaries). But in general, the area—and the Christians—will benefit more from 10 churches of 400 scattered throughout the city, rather than one church of 4,000 in the middle of it.
That was our thought process. Now, while still having the resources of a megachurch, through their size and model, they can be more nimble to the needs of those who attend and the surrounding area.
April 8, 2022: Desiring God: Did Jesus Need the Spirit?
How did Jesus walk on water, multiply loaves, and raise the dead? The New Testament witness to the Spirit as Christ’s “inseparable companion” and source of divine power is too pronounced to ignore. Jesus, the God-man, apparently needed the Spirit. The terms of the incarnation, in honoring the fullness of humanity, were that the second person of the Trinity did not immediately provide divine power and help to the human Christ. Rather, he did so mediately through the Spirit. It was the great Puritan theologian John Owen (1616–1683) who perhaps first ventured the formulation that now has stood for almost four centuries: “The only singular immediate act of the person of the Son on the human nature was the assumption of it into subsistence with himself” (The Works of John Owen, 3:160).
How did Jesus walk on water, multiply loaves, and raise the dead? The New Testament witness to the Spirit as Christ’s “inseparable companion” and source of divine power is too pronounced to ignore. Jesus, the God-man, apparently needed the Spirit. The terms of the incarnation, in honoring the fullness of humanity, were that the second person of the Trinity did not immediately provide divine power and help to the human Christ. Rather, he did so mediately through the Spirit. It was the great Puritan theologian John Owen (1616–1683) who perhaps first ventured the formulation that now has stood for almost four centuries: “The only singular immediate act of the person of the Son on the human nature was the assumption of it into subsistence with himself” (The Works of John Owen, 3:160).
I Peter 1:13:
Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope fully on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
It’s interesting that Peter includes the word “fully” at all. Why not just tell us to set our hope on the grace that will be brought to us? Why “set our hope fully on grace”? Because it’s possible, and indeed common, for the believer to function as one with a hope placed partially on grace and partially elsewhere. We’re prone to placing our hope on our own good deeds, or on a spouse or our children, or on a pastor or president. We may place it on a bank account or a career, or even on the size of our social media accounts. We tell ourselves that we hope in Christ, but what we mean is that we hope in Christ and __________. -Jen Wilkin; Gospel Coalition
Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope fully on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
It’s interesting that Peter includes the word “fully” at all. Why not just tell us to set our hope on the grace that will be brought to us? Why “set our hope fully on grace”? Because it’s possible, and indeed common, for the believer to function as one with a hope placed partially on grace and partially elsewhere. We’re prone to placing our hope on our own good deeds, or on a spouse or our children, or on a pastor or president. We may place it on a bank account or a career, or even on the size of our social media accounts. We tell ourselves that we hope in Christ, but what we mean is that we hope in Christ and __________. -Jen Wilkin; Gospel Coalition
Proverbs 28:2:
The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion
Scripture states, “The righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1), but we must be righteous. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), but I must ask him to strengthen me. We can answer the ongoing challenges of these days with sacrificial courage, but we must first say with David, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).
The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion
Scripture states, “The righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1), but we must be righteous. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), but I must ask him to strengthen me. We can answer the ongoing challenges of these days with sacrificial courage, but we must first say with David, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).
Proverbs 11:1:
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. a. Dishonest scales are an abomination: The term abomination was reserved for terrible, horrific things. This shows just how deeply God cares about simple honesty and fairness. He regards dishonest scales as an abomination. b. A just weight is His delight: To the degree that God condemns the dishonest who defraud, to the same degree He has delight in just and fair business practices. i. The Law of Moses clearly commanded God’s people to have honest scales (Leviticus 19:35-36 and Deuteronomy 25:13-16). -Enduring Word Commentary |
Since the American Revolution, we have seen some Christians connect the Kingdom of God with the United States. Based on their interpretation of "Manifest Destiny," some have even called America the "New Israel" because they claim this nation was the only other nation besides Israel that was founded upon a covenant with God. For example, when men signed the Mayflower compact and initiated a covenant with God. However, Abraham, the father of Israel, never initiated a covenant with God. God initiated it with Abraham and the nation of Israel (Genesis 15:7-20; Hebrews 6:13-19).
In recent days, some of the so-called prophets and their followers seemed to connect the Kingdom of God with the political destiny of America, with some even saying that Donald Trump has been crowned as the only recognized U.S. president in Heaven. Connecting any political party, person or secular movement with the Kingdom is unbiblical. The Kingdom transcends all nations and systems and never depends upon a top-down political control to prosecute the will of God. -Joseph Mattera |
There will always be racism because it is a product of pride. My pride will seek out something or someone to criticize and discriminate against to make myself appear better in my own eyes. I point my finger at others and their falsely implied faults to avert any attention to my egregious faults. The Bible calls pride the greatest sin (Psalm 19:13). Self-pride is all about me and must always be defended. “I hate pride and bragging, evil ways and lies.” Proverbs 8:13. There are over 60 verses condemning pride and none condoning it.
Skin color is an easy attribute to use when discriminating against people. It’s worse for Black people because we’re taught that black hats are for bad people and white hats for good people, giving us a negative connotation on the color. These colors have nothing in common and are at opposite ends of the color spectrum. When we apply them to race we insinuate we don’t have anything in common. Our colors are not black and white, probably more like brown and beige, well within the same color range. If I put a white puppy and a black puppy in front of people there would be no discrimination, but if they were children there would be. How crazy and inhumane is that!
“Pride will ruin people.” Proverbs 29:23. -Nancy Dollard
Skin color is an easy attribute to use when discriminating against people. It’s worse for Black people because we’re taught that black hats are for bad people and white hats for good people, giving us a negative connotation on the color. These colors have nothing in common and are at opposite ends of the color spectrum. When we apply them to race we insinuate we don’t have anything in common. Our colors are not black and white, probably more like brown and beige, well within the same color range. If I put a white puppy and a black puppy in front of people there would be no discrimination, but if they were children there would be. How crazy and inhumane is that!
“Pride will ruin people.” Proverbs 29:23. -Nancy Dollard
The Truth is what sets us free, not the personal, political, or cultural opinions we are often guilty of holding tighter than our Savior. This sets a precedent to others that we would rather have our way on earth than store up treasures in heaven. -Brad Rhoads
The Truth is what sets us free, not the personal, political, or cultural opinions we are often guilty of holding tighter than our Savior. This sets a precedent to others that we would rather have our way on earth than store up treasures in heaven. -Brad Rhoads
Denzel Washington wasn’t the only person to go over and speak to Smith in the break – Tyler Perry did too – but it was Washington’s words that rang in Smith’s ears: “At your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
I don’t know what ongoing impact those words have had, but they certainly hit home at the time, as Smith referenced them in his own Oscar acceptance speech.
Sound advice
Washington’s words seem to echo what we read in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
This is something that we would all do well to remember, but I think we can too easily forget in our day-to-day lives. But do we have those around us who are willing to remind us? -The Paradise
I don’t know what ongoing impact those words have had, but they certainly hit home at the time, as Smith referenced them in his own Oscar acceptance speech.
Sound advice
Washington’s words seem to echo what we read in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
This is something that we would all do well to remember, but I think we can too easily forget in our day-to-day lives. But do we have those around us who are willing to remind us? -The Paradise
Proverbs 22:6:
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it
The original language of the verse is Hebrew and it contains an idiom that is difficult to translate into English. The verse literally says, “Dedicate a child in the way of his mouth and when he is old he will not turn aside from it.” Hebrew speakers liked to use human illustrations to describe action and emotion. We have all heard how God brought the Hebrew people out of Egypt “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” (Deuteronomy 4:34) Job cried out against his oppressors by saying, “My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.” (19:20) That last saying was brought directly into our English translations of the Bible and since it is such a vivid illustration we still use it today!
The same cannot be said about Proverbs 22:6. We do not talk about raising up a child “in the way of his mouth.” That is a foreign idea to us, but if we take the time to understand what it means we can gain a better grasp of Scripture and have clearer expectations about raising children according to God’s word.
The phrase “way of his mouth” is used throughout the Old Testament. It usually refers to what someone has said, but in Leviticus 24:12 it is translated as “the will of the Lord.” This is helpful for understanding Proverbs 22:6 because the emphasis is on the will of the child. The author is saying “Train up a child according to his own will and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Understanding Proverbs 22:6 in its original context reveals that it is a warning, not a promise. It is a warning to parents that if they allow their children to have their own way, they will not depart from that foolishness when they are older. As professor Edward Wilde has written, “When we look at the surrounding proverbs (which may give a hint) we have warnings of what NOT to do: V. 5: keep away or suffer the consequence. V. 7: Don’t borrow, or suffer the consequence. V. 8, don’t be unjust, or suffer the consequence.” Professor Wilde offers his own translation, “Dedicate your child to his desire and he’ll be happy to go there – and stay there.” -Tim Dinkins
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it
The original language of the verse is Hebrew and it contains an idiom that is difficult to translate into English. The verse literally says, “Dedicate a child in the way of his mouth and when he is old he will not turn aside from it.” Hebrew speakers liked to use human illustrations to describe action and emotion. We have all heard how God brought the Hebrew people out of Egypt “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” (Deuteronomy 4:34) Job cried out against his oppressors by saying, “My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.” (19:20) That last saying was brought directly into our English translations of the Bible and since it is such a vivid illustration we still use it today!
The same cannot be said about Proverbs 22:6. We do not talk about raising up a child “in the way of his mouth.” That is a foreign idea to us, but if we take the time to understand what it means we can gain a better grasp of Scripture and have clearer expectations about raising children according to God’s word.
The phrase “way of his mouth” is used throughout the Old Testament. It usually refers to what someone has said, but in Leviticus 24:12 it is translated as “the will of the Lord.” This is helpful for understanding Proverbs 22:6 because the emphasis is on the will of the child. The author is saying “Train up a child according to his own will and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Understanding Proverbs 22:6 in its original context reveals that it is a warning, not a promise. It is a warning to parents that if they allow their children to have their own way, they will not depart from that foolishness when they are older. As professor Edward Wilde has written, “When we look at the surrounding proverbs (which may give a hint) we have warnings of what NOT to do: V. 5: keep away or suffer the consequence. V. 7: Don’t borrow, or suffer the consequence. V. 8, don’t be unjust, or suffer the consequence.” Professor Wilde offers his own translation, “Dedicate your child to his desire and he’ll be happy to go there – and stay there.” -Tim Dinkins
In case the legislators think a pastor couldn’t possibly understand the political realities of the day, (Pastor Andy) Stanley reminded them that one location of his congregation meets in heavily conservative Forsyth County and another meets in the more liberal Atlanta suburb of Decatur.“I understand this,” he said. “It’s like two different countries.”
Yet success — making Georgia “amazing” — will only happen in the middle, Stanley emphasized.
“Do you love the state of Georgia more than you love your party? If not, maybe you should do something else.”
“I understand, but not as well as you do, it is hard to raise money in the middle. It’s hard to get people angry enough to vote in the middle. It’s hard to get people to turn out and vote if you’ve not made them afraid of their enemy. … It’s hard to do what you do if you don’t play this silly game, and I just wish we would stop with, ‘Oh no, we’re losing, we’re losing, we’re losing.’”
In politics, Stanley said, “the goal is to always appear as if you’re losing but not to actually lose. What a terrible way to lead. What if we just stop with all that and when we catch each other doing that, we call each other out.
Sitting in political rallies where such divisive rhetoric is used, he challenged partisans to say, “Even though I’m in your party, even though I’ll probably vote for you, I’m not buying it and I’m not going to respect it by clapping for it.”
Taking such a stand “requires a lot of personal maturity and personal security. To lead from the middle, it will require you to love our state more than you love your party. Do you love the state of Georgia more than you love your party? If not, maybe you should do something else.” -Baptist News Global
Yet success — making Georgia “amazing” — will only happen in the middle, Stanley emphasized.
“Do you love the state of Georgia more than you love your party? If not, maybe you should do something else.”
“I understand, but not as well as you do, it is hard to raise money in the middle. It’s hard to get people angry enough to vote in the middle. It’s hard to get people to turn out and vote if you’ve not made them afraid of their enemy. … It’s hard to do what you do if you don’t play this silly game, and I just wish we would stop with, ‘Oh no, we’re losing, we’re losing, we’re losing.’”
In politics, Stanley said, “the goal is to always appear as if you’re losing but not to actually lose. What a terrible way to lead. What if we just stop with all that and when we catch each other doing that, we call each other out.
Sitting in political rallies where such divisive rhetoric is used, he challenged partisans to say, “Even though I’m in your party, even though I’ll probably vote for you, I’m not buying it and I’m not going to respect it by clapping for it.”
Taking such a stand “requires a lot of personal maturity and personal security. To lead from the middle, it will require you to love our state more than you love your party. Do you love the state of Georgia more than you love your party? If not, maybe you should do something else.” -Baptist News Global
Anglican leaders worldwide have condemned the war in Ukraine and called for an "immediate" ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops.
The call came at the end of the Primates' Meeting held in the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London and attended by leaders from across the Anglican Communion. -Christian Today
The call came at the end of the Primates' Meeting held in the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London and attended by leaders from across the Anglican Communion. -Christian Today
April 1, 2022: Relevant Magazine: Here’s Your First Look at Patton Oswalt as Chuck Colson in ‘Gaslit’
Patton Oswalt is Chuck Colson in a new image from Gaslit, Starz’ limited series about the Watergate scandal. The show stars Julia Roberts, Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin and Oswalt in the story of the defenders, zealots, insiders and whistleblowers inside the Nixon administration who oversaw the fall of a political regime, and is based on Leon Neyfakh’s excellent Slow Burn podcast.
Patton Oswalt is Chuck Colson in a new image from Gaslit, Starz’ limited series about the Watergate scandal. The show stars Julia Roberts, Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin and Oswalt in the story of the defenders, zealots, insiders and whistleblowers inside the Nixon administration who oversaw the fall of a political regime, and is based on Leon Neyfakh’s excellent Slow Burn podcast.
