We are not surprised to hear that political freedom in the world has declined for a fifth straight year, especially in the Middle East and in North Africa. But loss of freedom in the West does surprise us. Freedom has shrunk partly because of silencing “hate speech.” Is the “climate of hate” warming or cooling here at home? No matter what the world says and no matter what consequences await us, we must speak the name and truth of Jesus for all to hear.
63: They’re Scheming for a Gray Christmas
(to the tune, “I’m dreaming…”) Going through the sterile–looking security area at the San Diego Airport last week, I happened to notice a few, almost imperceptible, golden globes the size of golf–balls hanging from the ceiling and a few red and green hints of holly bush on the walls. After my inevitable “male assist” scan […]
60: Who’s Prompting the Teleprompter?
Public life is no longer “politics as usual.” At the 1992 Clinton inauguration journalists hailed the “birth of Religious Left.” By 2009, inauguration ceremonies included blessings from a gay bishop; the Religious Left had clearly matured! “We are God’s partners in matters of life and death,” says President Obama about healthcare, while accusing his critics […]
IO46: Bali Hai, Our Island
My hosts on the faeric island of Bali, took me to see Tanah Lot, “the [Hindu] temple of the earth in the sea,” built on a large rock, completely surrounded by ocean, a hundred yards off the beach. I was the guest of the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia, in whose seminary in Jakarta I […]
Latest Articles
“Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden” Commit Two Major Mistakes in Ethics
by truthXchange | October 16, 2020By Dr. E Cal BeisnerSenior Teaching Fellow In my years as a seminary professor of ethics, I saw few things more sinister and devious than the seemingly innocuous statement, “a biblically shaped commitment to the sanctity of human life compels us to a consistent ethic of life that affirms the sanctity of human life from […]
Law & Public Policy: NOT a Gospel Issue?!
by truthXchange | September 10, 2020Senior Fellow Post by Dr. Jeffery J Ventrella In today’s 24-hour news cycle, political banter is virtually unavoidable and a lot of what we hear is distasteful. Consider a few recent examples: Robert De Niro spewing crude language toward POTUS at the Tony Awards[1] A race-baiting often-politico clergyman claiming he’s only “anti-termite” not anti-Semitic[2] Popular TV […]
The Spirituality of Politics
by Dr. Peter Jones | August 24, 2020As we approach the 2020 presidential elections, Christians should think deeply about their vote. Clearly, no current political party has any right to lay claim to being the G.O.P, “God’s Own Party.” Traditionally, believers (myself included) have sought to avoid taking a public political stance in order both to respect the political choices of fellow believers […]
Cultural Warts or Faithful Servants
by Dr. Peter Jones | August 20, 2020According to recent polls, most young people “have graded Christianity, and so far, the grades aren’t looking good.” Young believers do not want the name “Christian” because of “the baggage that accompanies the label.” We all have baggage, but there is something very fishy going on here. Why is the most ethical, humane movement in […]