Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
If there is one thing people seem to agree upon in American society, it is that being inclusive and tolerant are good things, and being exclusive and intolerant are bad things. Labeling something inclusive and tolerant means that it is positive, healthy, and good, while labeling something as intolerant means that it is beyond the … Read more
“Do not judge,” said Jesus, “or you too will be judged” (Matt 7:1). For many American Christians, this saying of Jesus encompasses all that needs to be said about judging others in a nutshell. Instead of ever judging others, we should instead always show them tolerance, understanding, and grace. Instead of rebuking others for their … Read more
Is it Wrong to Judge Others? A very common ethical claim made in contemporary American culture is that it is wrong to judge others or to be judgmental. Instead of judging others, we are told, we should be accepting of people doing whatever they sincerely believe is right. We should want other people to be … Read more
Should Christians Protest? Many Christians simply assume that it is obvious that Christians should engage in political protests or even civil disobedience if they disagree with the government’s actions. However, this is by no means self-evident. After all, we cannot judge those outside the church (I Cor 5:12), nor can we reasonably expect people who … Read more
In contemporary political debates, a phrase that frequently appears is the “separation of church and state.” Most often, people appeal to this phrase in an attempt to argue against certain religiously-grounded beliefs from having an influence on government policy. Since this has significant implications for some of the most important and controversial political issues of … Read more
Natural Law Christians know what the will of God is. They know what is morally right and wrong. They know this because God has revealed this to His covenant people in His word, the Scriptures, and ultimately in His Word, Jesus Christ. But what about those who do not know God in this way? Is … Read more
Harris, Sam. Letter to a Christian Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. I originally wrote this commentary for a friend who told me that this book had inspired him to leave Christianity. The fact that someone could, over a decade after it was written, point to this book as a primary factor in their … Read more
Two Contrasts The highly successful television series 24, which aired from 2001 to 2010, follows the exploits of Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer, as he repeatedly races against the clock to prevent major terrorist attacks against the United States of America that will occur within the next 24 hours. In addition to killing hundreds … Read more
Old Testament and New Testament Ethics It is obvious to anyone who reads through the Bible that there are significant discontinuities between the ethics of the Old Testament and the ethics of the New Testament. For example, the Old Testament Law allowed for divorce (Deut 24:1); Jesus absolutely forbids it (Matt 5:32). The Old Testament … Read more
When faced with the fact that there is no universal or self-evident morality, there are a number of ways in which some people will try to establish morality on a merely secular basis. I will argue that all these attempts fail to provide any sound basis for morality. In order to establish a sound basis … Read more