When a person dies his spirit is no longer in the body. This is what people mean by saying, “The person is not there, it’s just a shell,” when discussing a corpse. By saying this, are we failing to highlight the wholeness of what it means to be human? Humans are more than merely spirits. The debate tends to be over how to understand the immaterial aspect, not the material aspect. Maybe both aspects should be tackled with equal vigor. […]
Christians should hold other Christians to account. As for non-believers, Christians should call them to salvation with the message of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. There’s no need for a Christian to condemn lost sinners for their sin, as they already stand condemned by God’s Word. Instead, the Christian should call lost sinners to reconciliation with their Creator and pray that they’ll repent to become disciples of Christ. […]
Among people in the “pro-life” community there are many embracing a “two-victim” view. Have you ever heard a “pro-life” leader call for women guilty of carrying their babies to abortion mills to be arrested and charged with murder or accessory to murder”? This is as a glaring inconsistency. With all other murders, someone is arrested, charged, tried and punished if found guilty. The “abolition” movement aims to clear this up. […]
Read More from Guns, Murder, Pagans, Clowns, and Stinkin’ Badges
Changing the word used for a given reality doesn’t change the reality. Should we call ourselves “followers of the Way”, “believers in Jesus”, “the chosen”, or “disciples of our Savior”, it won’t matter. If we make our message about Him, then we commiserate with the lost, as we share the gospel that God’s rescues sinners from condemnation so that we can joyfully work to do the work of His kingdom. In Christ the yoke of guilt is lifted. […]
Non-biblical individuals advocate for what they say is right/true without contemplating the ground for their convictions. Often this is due to thinking they don’t have to contemplate such things because they feel their position is rooted in neutrality. But neutral ground is a myth. All convictions are grounded in something. Whatever that “something” might be, not all of your neighbors will agree – so it’s not neutral. […]
There’s a Hebrew verb for miscarry (shakal). This word isn’t used in Exodus 21:22-25. Instead it’s the word for “go forth” (weyatse’u). This verb doesn’t ever refer to an abortion. When referring to pregnancy, it speaks of live children “going forth”/“coming out” from the womb. So, Exodus 21 requires a fine to be paid for causing a premature birth, while injury/death (of the mother or the child) incurs a more severe punishment. […]
Personal Note: It is obvious that someone representing the church (and NOT me) wrote the original portion of the post about Easter. First, I always refer to it as Resurrection Sunday. Second, in this context I would not have made a big deal out of Christendom and the Council of Nicaea. Third, our church does not use a Paschal Candle. Other than that, it has a good beat and I can dance to it, so I will give it a ninety-eight. […]
Read More from Understanding The History And Symbols of Easter
Disease is a health issue, not a population issue. Mass starvation is an economic issue, not a population issue. Where there’s economic liberty and personal freedom we see societies flourish, regardless of the size of their population. Even in places where the government and the economy aren’t as free as they could be. Each and every individual is a blessing. There’s plenty of room (and need) on our planet for more blessings. […]
Read More from Bacteria on Mars are Life; Heartbeats on Earth are Not?
It’s not enough to be pro-life. That’s a strategy that clearly won’t work because it’s based on the idea that murder’s a political issue to be settled at the ballot box. Pursuing this strategy was/is a grave error. Murder shouldn’t be an election season issue to be resolved by majority vote. “Pro-lifers” must join the movement which aims to totally abolish human abortion – embracing an “anti-murder” stance. Christians should lead the way. […]
Does one read the Bible and see the redemptive historical message laid out by a covenantal God or does one read the Bible and see the unfolding of history by a dispensational God? This question is at the heart of the divide on this issue. The Bible student does well to recognize the perspective that “Israel”, “God’s chosen”, “the people of God”, “Christ’s Bride”, “body of Christ” etc. are all different ways of saying the same thing. […]
