Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
Pride and Self-Esteem When I was in grade school, we sang a song in music class with the lyrics, “I am proud of who I am, proud of what I am, proud of where I’m going, proud of what I’m doing. My life is my life; I have the power to be.” The purpose of … Read more
Previously, I have briefly made the case for Christian pacifism. I have also responded to some of the most common theological objections to Christian pacifism. Here, I will examine the logic of Christian just war theory and show why it is deeply problematic. Just War and Christian Love According to Christian just war theory, it … Read more
A year ago, I made the case for Christian pacifism. Here, I revisit this topic, responding to some of the most common theological objections made against Christian pacifism. Old Testament Violence The Objection: In the Old Testament, God not only allowed His people to use violence, but He actually commanded them to use violence on … Read more
Most modern Western people tend to think of ethics in a very individualistic manner. They consider the primary ethical question to be, “What should I do?” The same can be said of most modern Western Christians. They consider the primary ethical question to be, “What does God want me to do?” The Church may be … Read more
For many Christians, the significance of the cross of Jesus Christ is that Jesus suffered, so we do not have to suffer. Jesus died, so we do not have to worry about dying. Jesus paid the penalty of our sins, so we do not have to worry about repenting from sin and making painful sacrifices … Read more
A year ago, I made the case for the importance of theological ethics. If Christians want to live faithfully, we cannot uncritically absorb the ethical ideas of our surrounding culture. Nor can we rely on our intuitions and feelings, since these often lead us astray. Nor can we simply look in the Bible for proof … Read more
Theological Method Before beginning an investigation of a particular subject, it is important to establish a clear and consistent method for determining what is true as it relates to that subject. This is true regarding the subject of theology, just as much as it is with other subjects, such as science and history. A person … Read more
The Bible is the Church’s primary and ultimate Authority for determining what Christians should believe and how they should live. But what does that mean? How can this collection of writings from 2,000 years ago or more tell us how we should think and live today? How can this one book have things to say … Read more
One of the most prominent contemporary theological debates among Christians who believe Scripture is the Authoritative word of God revolves around the inerrancy of Scripture. According to the doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture, the Bible is completely free of any errors on any topic, including science, history, and so forth (This is to be … Read more
In recent decades, some Christians have claimed that the Authority of the Jesus of the Gospels is greater than the authority of the apostle Paul. Since Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God, is the ultimate revelation of God, they argue, the example and teaching of Jesus in the Gospels is of higher Authority than the … Read more