Religion

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates

Posted by on February 7, 2021 at 11:45 pm

“Use this sword against my enemies, if I give righteous commands; but if I give unrighteous commands, use it against me.” — Roman Emperor Trajan, speaking to a subordinate In my post a couple weeks back about Romans 13 and civil government, I referred to a book called The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates (2013) […]

Obey God Rather Than Men

Posted by on January 24, 2021 at 7:17 pm

Preface: This article is not a reaction to any specific current event, though it is relevant to the general state of affairs in the U.S. and elsewhere. I have also seen instances recently of people quoting or pointing to Romans 13 in Facebook posts and articles. I would like to present three arguments that the […]

Our Country, Capitol, and Character

Posted by on January 10, 2021 at 8:01 pm

I’m struggling. Struggling with feelings of anger, frustration, appallment, disappointment, fear, sadness, etc., in regards to both our nation (the U.S.) and the invasion of the U.S. Capitol building by mostly-pro-Trump protesters on Jan. 6. (And it was neither an attempted “coup” nor “domestic terrorism”, by the way.) On the other hand, the Bible says […]

Top 10 Posts, 2019-2020

Posted by on December 27, 2020 at 7:53 pm

Many long-time readers of this blog will remember that for several years (2014-2018) I ended each year with a “Top 10” post. For whatever reason(s), I didn’t do that for 2019, but I decided to share 10 this week from 2019-2020. As usual, my hope is that someone will find an enjoyable read or three […]

On Handel’s Messiah

Posted by on December 20, 2020 at 7:18 pm

“To him I bend the knee, for Handel was the greatest, ablest composer that ever lived.” — Ludwig von Beethoven When George F. Handel decided to write a new oratorio (Messiah), he worked so feverishly that he rarely ate or slept, and some thought him either crazy or spellbound. “Handel finished Part I in only […]

Life Evolves

Posted by on December 13, 2020 at 8:49 pm

When talking or reading about the origins and diversity of life, or even simply about the life sciences generically, there are some terms that seem simple enough but are actually confusing. The reason is that, depending on who you are reading or talking to and the context of the discussion, there may be more than […]

Giving Thanks Through the Tough Times

Posted by on November 29, 2020 at 7:12 pm

“We remind ourselves that everything we have is a gift from God to be used for God, and that our hope is not found in the things of this world but in Christ alone.” — Jonathan Noyes, Stand to Reason Yes, this is a post-Thanksgiving thanksgiving post. You’re welcome. I was listening to Greg Koukl’s […]

Voting Christianly, part 2: With Biblical Principles in Mind

Posted by on November 1, 2020 at 6:19 pm

As with yesterday’s bonus post, today’s post is a citation of recent Facebook comments by Scott Klusendorf, President of Life Training Institute, the formatting of which I have adjusted for readability. “Yesterday, a pastor of a politically diverse congregation asked what he should say to his people about voting. Here is what I sent him… […]

Voting Christianly, part 1: Questions for Evangelicals for Biden

Posted by on October 31, 2020 at 8:39 pm

Tonight’s bonus post is the first of two commentaries from Scott Klusendorf, President of Life Training Institute. Though it is pretty much quoted verbatim, I have taken the liberty of adjusting the formatting a little for readability…. “Here’s what I’ve never understood about evangelicals who endorse Biden: Why is Donald Trump’s character an obstacle to […]

The Blessing of Fossil Fuels

Posted by on October 18, 2020 at 7:56 pm

We have all heard the claims and warnings — some quite hysterical — that our use of fossil fuels is recklessly irresponsible and immoral. If we don’t make dramatic changes ASAP, the end of civilization will be upon us in mere decades, if not just a few years. But, this is nothing new. Since at […]