Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
Violence, Force, and Coercion Jesus calls His disciples to follow Him on the way of the cross. He calls them to love as He loves, to love their enemies even if it means they must suffer and die as He did. This means that violence is always incompatible with the demands of Christian discipleship. Many … Read more
Most American Christians assume it goes without saying that it is acceptable for Christians to vote in state and federal elections. Most American Christians would even go farther and say that Christians have a responsibility to vote in state and federal elections. American Christians spend a lot of time discussing how they should vote (usually … Read more
Should Christians support Israel? Since the founding of the modern nation of Israel in 1948, this has been a contested question in Christian circles. Christian attitudes toward Israel and the Jewish people have ranged from Zionism, which sees supporting the modern state of Israel as a Christian duty, to, on the other end of the … Read more
The Church “The church is herself a society. Her very existence, the fraternal relations of her members, their way of dealing with their differences and their needs are, or rather should be, a demonstration of what love means in social relations. This demonstration cannot be imposed directly into non-Christian society, for in the church it … Read more
Most modern Western Christians are enthusiastic about the idea of human rights. For who can deny that the modern idea of universal, inalienable human rights has brought about much good in the world? Despite some problems and ambiguities with the discourse of human rights, the concept of human rights has provided a common ethical discourse … Read more
One of the most influential moral and political ideas of the modern period has been the idea of human rights. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America declared, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain … Read more
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
A Christian Nation? As American Christians consider the relationship of Christianity to American politics, one popular approach has been to identify the United States of America as a “Christian nation.” According to this idea, America is founded on Christian principles, has a Christian heritage, and should continue to have Christianity be dominant in shaping its … Read more
Most American Christians find their political and national identity in the nation of the United States of America. They then find their religious identity in being a Christian. From this perspective, the Christian Church is a religious institution or community. It is there to help facilitate people’s religious or spiritual experiences and to provide for … Read more
The New Testament and Politics When discussing a Biblical view of the state, it is very common for people to turn immediately to Romans 13:1-7 (“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. . .”), as if this provides the basic and central summary of a New Testament view of politics. However, this is a mistake. … Read more