Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
The Bible and the Age of the Earth All Christians believe that God is the Creator of the world. In this sense, all Christians are creationists. But in the modern period, the term “creationism” has come to refer to a rejection of the scientific theory of evolution in favor of a belief that God directly … Read more
The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which had established the legal freedom to have an abortion as a Constitutional right. This has moved the question of the legality of abortion back into the democratic legislative process (where it belongs), and a number of states have quickly moved to make … Read more
The Ethical Consequences of Progressive Christianity It is no secret that progressive Christianity’s abandonment of historic Christian orthodoxy is often motivated by a desire to be free of the constraints of traditional Christian sexual ethics. While the Church has always believed that human sexuality should be expressed either through celibacy or through a lifelong covenant … Read more
What is “progressive Christianity”? The term is a little harder to define than the terms “evangelicalism” or “Protestant liberalism.” Evangelicalism is a form of Protestant Christianity that is biblicist, crucicentric, conversionist, and activist. Protestant liberalism is a form of Protestant Christianity that completely abandons historic Christian orthodoxy and replaces it with a human religion based … Read more
Jesus and the “God of the Old Testament” Marcion was a second-century heretic who believed that the god of the Old Testament and the god revealed to us in Jesus Christ were two entirely different gods. The god of the Old Testament was the creator god, a god of justice. The god revealed to us … Read more
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:8-9). Confession of sin is a vitally important part of being a Christian. There … Read more
Obsessed with Sex? The contemporary Church is way too obsessed with sexual morality. It wastes so much time and energy preaching an extreme, prudish standard of sexual ethics, rather than focusing on more important ethical issues. Obviously, justice is much more important than chastity. Insisting on the extreme, traditional standards of Christian sexual ethics does … Read more
Immaculate Conception? All orthodox Christians believe in the Immaculate Conception of Jesus, that Jesus was sinless from the moment of His conception. But the Catholic Church also teaches as dogma the Immaculate Conception and sinlessness of Mary, His mother. Is this a biblical idea? Protestants frequently point to the teaching of Scripture that “all have … Read more
Mary the mother of Jesus is an extremely important figure in Roman Catholic theology. According to Catholic Church teaching, Mary is the Mother of God, a perpetual virgin, was conceived without original sin (Immaculate Conception) and remained completely sinless, is the Ark of the New Covenant, was assumed bodily into heaven, and is Queen of … Read more
The veneration of saints is an important part of both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox piety. There is a sense, of course, in which all Christians are saints, that is, God’s holy people (Rom 1:7, I Cor 1:2, II Cor 1:1, Eph 1:1, Phil 1:1, Col 1:2). But both of these churches have officially recognized … Read more