Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
The earliest Christians were sent out to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in a pre-Christian society. Their message about the crucified and resurrected Messiah of Israel being Lord and Savior of the whole world was entirely novel and strange in the ears of the pagan Roman society they were trying to convert. Because their … Read more
For centuries, the validity of infant baptism has been a hotly contested theological issue within the Church. Today, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans, and various other Christian traditions practice infant baptism. However, Anabaptists, Baptists, and various other Protestant groups reject the practice, arguing that only those who are old enough to make a decision … Read more
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is opposed to the coercive authority of governments and nation states. Anarchists believe that replacing the coercive power of governments with free, voluntary associations will lead to greater human flourishing. There is much diversity among anarchists, and many different types of anarchism. But they are all united … Read more
The hit television series Supernatural follows the exploits of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester as they hunt monsters, ghosts, demons, and other supernatural threats. As the show progresses, the stakes become higher and higher, as the Winchesters tangle with angels, Death, and, eventually, God Himself. After watching all 15 seasons of the series, I thought … Read more
“We shall not find God where we think we should look for Him, namely, in a supposed height. . . We must be ready to be told by Him that we shall find Him precisely where we do not think we should look for Him, namely, in direct confrontation with and at the very heart … Read more
In the traditional view of Hell, Hell is a place of eternal conscious torment (ECT), in which the damned will continue to exist forever in a state of suffering. Recently, an alternative view of Hell, known as annihilationism, has become increasingly popular. According to annihilationism, the damned will be annihilated and completely cease to exist. … Read more
According to Christian theology, the only way for a human being to be saved is for them to repent of their sins, believe in Jesus, and choose to follow Him as His disciple. It is difficult to know how to apply this theological idea to infants. Infants do not have any beliefs, nor are they … Read more
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Salvation comes through Christ alone. Human religions are not paths to God and salvation, nor can their adherents be saved and be in Christ without explicitly putting faith in Jesus. The only way for … Read more
According to the Christian Gospel, God is at work through Jesus (and, by extension, His body, the Church) to reconcile all things to Himself. Scripture makes it very clear that salvation for the world, and for each individual, comes through Christ alone (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Thus, while other world religions may contain some true … Read more
Universalism is the belief that every single human being will be saved and will experience eternal life. Some universalists believe that religions other than Christianity are alternative paths to God, and that people do not need to believe in Jesus in order to be saved. This form of universalism is a heretical denial of the … Read more