Contents
Apolitical Pastor
What concerns us is our pastor’s insistence on remaining unpolitical. He has mentioned in sermons that he wants to be focused on the gospel and not politics. I suspect he would be horrified if he knew our family views ourselves as Christian Nationalists, but we don’t even know for sure because he doesn’t talk about these things to the congregation. The Sunday after the assassination attempt, the event wasn’t even mentioned from the pulpit. Our pastor did pray for our nation, but very generally and with no reference to any significant events, and since he prayed the usually-elder-led prayer it seemed as though he was taking over to be diplomatic.
We look to guys like you, Joel Webbon, and Jeff Durbin for leadership in this area, but I really wish my local pastor would do it for us. It’s impossible to get to know him on a more personal level since this is a church of six hundred plus people. And that’s the other issue. It’s hard to know what the people outside of our community group think about the craziness of this world. We can’t know all of these people well, so how do we know where we all stand on these really important issues. I know what the Bible says, I know what our family believes, and I am in community with a smaller group of people in our congregation, but it’s not the majority, and I would like to know that the majority agrees with me on these big issues.
I know you are looking at this from afar, but I often wonder, What would Doug do in this situation?
And while I am here and still pondering and praying over this issue, I am wondering if you (or any of your readers) know of any solid Presbyterian churches in the Little Elm/Frisco area with a pastor that is willing to confront the culture head on?
Thanks for your time,T
T, if the worship is sound and the sermons decent, I would sit tight. Be yourself in the small groups, and that will reveal enough over time. As for churches in your area, we will have to crowd source that. I don’t know where Little Elm is. Anyone?
Urging Political Involvement
Do you have any advice for how leaders (specifically pastors/elders) should address the election? Specifically, do you think there is a duty to clearly express expectations, such as “as a body of like-minded believers, we encourage (or expect?) everyone to vote for _____”? Or how would you recommend church leaders handle that?
Thank you,Justin
Justin, I would remind everyone that they have a civic responsibility to be involved at some level, and to do so as a thinking Christian. I would not tell them who they needed to vote for, but I would feel free (if it is needed) to tell them who they couldn’t vote for. There are different pro-life strategies that are lawful, but no pro-abortion strategy is lawful.
Work Place Lust
I am writing to you because I am experiencing a significant struggle with lust. There are pretty girls everywhere, and they’re pretty easy to ignore. However, I am very attracted to a female coworker of mine. I can’t be sure, but I feel like she has a crush on me as well. It’s gotten so bad that I found myself trying to think of a way to invite her to my house while my wife was out of town. Fortunately my wife is headed home as I write this, and I didn’t do anything stupid. I’m not sure how to beat this sin. I can find ways to avoid this girl at work, but I can’t run away from my own head. I hate to admit it, but I know I would do the wrong thing with this girl if I had an opportunity. Any thoughts you might have would be appreciated.
Thanks,Anon
Anon, you need to get some accountability that is outside your own head. Go to your pastor and tell him the situation, and ask him to ask you weekly, at church, how it is going. The only acceptable answer is great. Anything less than that, he calls you in. Then tell your wife the general situation. If she asks for details, she has a right to them, so tell her. If she would rather your pastor be the cop, then leave it there.
Let’s say a man is following the Pence rule of not going out to eat and being above reproach outwardly with attractive female coworkers, but there is an inward struggle. The doors are left open, it’s professional outwardly. What then?
This raises a question: is the modern working environment setting up other women to supplant the wife in being a helpmeet? If a man works with another woman who could have easily been his wife, and she helps him many hours every week, isn’t this creationally disordered?CG
CG, it can be creationally disordered, depending. This is where the trope of a “work wife” came from. If that is happening to you, or is about to happen, get another job. In addition, both for you and Anon above, I would recommend John Owen’s The Mortification of Sin.
Project 2025
I am asking a new question that I have not heard you discuss. You seem to have a grip on how Christians ought to navigate American political landscape with discernment and faithfulness. I would like to know your thoughts on Project 2025 conservative agenda. I have talked with Christians that are left-leaning that are concerned it’s the same exact thing Hitler did when he came into power, while other conservative Christians see it as a good thing to use presidential power to impose a federal ban on abortion. It is my understanding that the Kingdom of God is not of this world, and we should eagerly seek a country, a heavenly one, whose builder and maker is God. It seems clear to me that this world is not our home. On one hand, you make in interesting case that Christians should seek to establish the Kingdom of God in earthly institutions such as America. Yet on the other hand, imposing Christianity on unbelievers doesn’t seem right this side of Glory, because sin is not fully eradicated. We will need a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells before the Government that is on the shoulder of Jesus can be fully installed.
As we await this Kingdom ruled by Jesus himself, Christians must occupy until he comes. That is why I am asking you today if Project 2025 is something that Christians should stand behind. These matters are difficult to discern and I do not want to fall into the trap of idolatrous nationalism. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Brotherly Love in Christ,Mike
Mike, yes, stay clear of any idolatrous nationalism. But Project 2025 is not that. It is simplly a set of conservative proposals that I think you should be comfortable with. As for the Kingdom not being of this world, just move your church back in time three centuries, when the slave trade was in full swing, and you were a religious nutjob if you opposed it. How does a theology of disengagement look to you now?
Pro-Life Testimonies
Over the last couple years, you and Andrew Klavan have become my favorite Christian commentators . . . which brought me to your conversation from January. I should have known. In that episode, you talked about the dangers of lying in the name of compassion—which brings me to my second reason for writing. I’m the director of a web-based pro-life ministry. We’ve published more than 800 abortion testimonies over the years, but this month we received our first-ever from a “transgender man.” It’s a rather lengthy and heartbreaking account. Since I know both these issues are close to your heart, I’m hoping you’ll take a look. I’ve never seen abortion and transgenderism overlap in quite this fashion.
You’ll find her full testimony here:
And my response here:
Or if you prefer to listen:
Many thanks for your ongoing clarity and articulation during such a time as this!Michael
Michael, many thanks for your labors.
I hope you are doing well. Recently, we read Acts 19: 1-7. This passage regards Paul encountering those who received John the Baptist’s baptism, and who needed to receive baptism of the Holy Spirit. Your book, “To a Thousand Generations,” convinced us of Presbyterian paedobaptism! We are very grateful for it. One of the biggest things which brought us over the edge, as it were, was your argument that the church’s biggest controversy in the first century was not including children, but including the Gentiles. We are curious, how does this passage in Acts fit into the paradigm you brought up in the book? More clearly, how does John the Baptist’s baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit as noted in this passage, fit into this? Thankful for all you do!O N
O N, the baptism of John was a proto-Christian baptism, not a form of Christian baptism. In other words, it is highly likely that the overwhelming number of those baptized at Pentecost had earlier been baptized by John. The two baptisms pointed to the same reality, but were not the same thing. The men in Acts 19 were pre-Christians, taught by Apollos as far as Apollos knew.
Trusting the Lord in a Difficult Place
How are people with chronic conditions to proceed with having children? I was just diagnosed with dermatographism, in which my skin reacts to heat changes and scratches/pressure with painful welts. This is troublesome enough, and doctors are completely clueless as to the cause, but general consensus is it’s a really wrecked gut. A baby gets their gut from their mother. I desperately want to have another baby (I have 3, with a 3.5 year gap between my last 2), but I don’t know what to do. I’m also 35, so time for more is running out. If the baby has a bad gut and serious health problems because of me it would be terrible. I want to press on in faith, but in all honesty I just don’t have that under lock right now, I’m struggling enough just because of my sudden skin issues interfering with life. I’m feeling very lost and sad. What do you think?Desperate
Desperate, I think you need more information. Is it in fact conclusive that a baby gets its gut from their mother? If so, what is the risk factor? One in ten or one in ten thousand? How debilitating is your affliction? And so on. Once you have the information you need, pray through it together with your husband, and ask him to make the call.
Cool Kids Intellectualism
I was reading an email post by Aaron Renn on JD Vance (July 17th) and he talks about why Vance steered towards Catholicism and the legitimacy of that as compared to the anti-intellectualism of evangelicalism. I pasted below the section where Renn basically states that Young Earth Creationism is false due to what we know about Physics. I struggle with why YEC is considered so anti-intellectual and why many would say six days is untenable for Christians. I have read over the years Ken Ham and other YECers and would tend to agree with them. I am not certain how you stand on this issue but I would appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and respond.Brian
Brian, I am a young earth creationist, and am not anti-intellectual. But I am against a cool-kids intellectualism, where an orthodoxy is simply enshrined and no questions allowed. If you have samples of soft dinosaur tissue, they will not call on you. And that is actually . . . well, anti-intellectual.
Premill Heresy?
This will be a quick one. Given that the Athanasian Creed says of Christ, “he is seated at the Father’s right hand; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. At his coming all people will arise bodily and give an accounting of their own deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, those who have done evil will enter eternal fire. This is the catholic faith: one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.” Is it true to say that Premillennialism is heresy? If heresy is defined as being out of line with the creedal tradition o the church, is Premill in that place?Anon
Anon, actually, no. Not at all. Orthodox premills believe in that final coming in judgment. Most of them have a bit of too-ing and fro-ing before that moment, but it doesn’t touch the heart of the doctrine.
The Challenges of Self-Education
I am 17-years-old, close to beginning a path through college. I feel that my calling is to become an architect; to build beautiful and functional homes that last generations. However, I live in south Mississippi, and there are no good Christian colleges that teach architecture anywhere in my vicinity. With that, it has been decided that I am to brave my education among the heathens. Do you have any book recommendations for keeping and honoring a solid Reformed Christian faith while in that situation?Peter
Peter, actually it would need to be a hundred book recommendations. Start with Idols for Destruction by Schlossberg. And you need to know that the current system will not teach you to build beautiful and functional homes, but they will give the legal license to learn how to do that on your own.
Thank you for the work you put out for Canon Plus and Christ Church. Your ministry has been a great blessing and helped me grow in maturity. I wanted to write this particular letter because this week I have been listening to your lecture on “Self Education: The Way to High Culture.” You have mentioned two ways to self-educate: through books and imagination. I need your help and wisdom here, Pastor Wilson. As an Indian, I haven’t been homeschooled or received a classical Christian education. Where and how do I start? As a single woman, I aim to educate myself and equip myself before God bestows me with children. I want to spend my time and energy preparing for this. But I am confused as to where to begin. If you address this, sir, that would be a great blessing. Thank you, Pastor Wilson.Sushma
Sushma, in the back of my book, The Case for Classical Education, I have two lists of books. One is dedicated to the task you have in mind, that of playing catch-up.
Question regarding your documentary “How to save the world”: You speak here about essentially “getting right” starting with yourself, and then progressing outward to wider and wider spheres of life. I’m curious, do you have recommended books/works you’ve done for each part of that? Especially with respect to being a “good egg” first, and then outward to the rest of the steps? Thanks for your ministry!Brandon
Brandon, I would start with my father’s book, How to Be Free From Bitterness. Then I would move on to the video series that we did at Christ Church called School of Practical Christianity. It should be at Canon+, in front of the pay wall.
Overton Window Stuff
I just listened to “Archimedes and the Overton Window,” and I found your analysis of the window’s shift to the left in the last several years to be spot-on. However, I have a question about the Overton Window as a concept. Ever since I was introduced to it, I have thought of the window as having a fixed width. When the range of acceptable ideas moves one unit to the left, one unit on the right is shoved out, and vice versa. But, hearing your comments on both the window’s recent movement leftward and also on your efforts in Moscow to pull it rightward made me think: (pardon the mixed metaphors) is it like a rope being tugged one way and then the other, until one team ends up dragged through the mud? Or is it more like a rubber band two petty little boys are fighting over, only to stretch it too far and have it snap in their hands? I’m beginning to think that it is elastic, given the current cultural bifurcation we are witnessing. What are your thoughts?Nathanael
Nathanael, both are right, depending on the situation. The progressives want to drag the window to the left, and also to size down the width of the window. Conservatives, being friends of liberty, want to pull the window to the right, and expand the width of it. That is one of the things we differ over.
Race Realism
On “Race Realism”, you say that a great-grandchild of a black man could be racially Norwegian. Well, it’s even faster than that and quite real. My very black uncle married my freckled, red-head aunt. Her visibly black (but lighter skinned) daughter married a red-headed, more or less Scottish fellow. Some of their kids have that white-with-permanent-tan look, but their eldest daughter looks basically like Merida in Pixar’s “Brave”. You would never know my black uncle was her grandpa without asking.
And that’s far from the only such example in my family. A different white aunt married an Indonesian. Their kids are routinely mistaken for being Hispanic.
Then there’s my uncle who married a lovely Filipino woman, but you get the idea. Basically, when I get together with either side of my extended family and we do cousin pictures, we’re living proof that Spangler is about as wrong as you can be. Don’t even get me started on the additional complication of the cross-racial adoptions in the family and how race and culture are not aligned in any fixed way whatsoever . . .
The reality of race is intensely and *very* quickly mutable in our melting pot of a nation. If i may shamelessly steal a woke phrase, this is very much my lived experience.Nathan
Nathan, thank you.
Thanks, Forgiveness, and Blessings
After the immeasurable benefit afforded to me by your work, it is high time I wrote you a thank you letter. I am a Reformed Baptist from Northeast Ohio, and my introduction to your work was rather unforgettable.
In my younger and more immature years, a girl I liked followed a page called “Examining Doug Wilson and blah blah blah” or something to that effect. I didn’t know anything about you, but after seeing a few of their quotes, I concluded that the evidence couldn’t be clearer: Moscow man bad. For almost a year, I was an active participant on this bandwagon; and for this sin, I ask your forgiveness.
The turning point was when EDWAMI posted a quote from your masterpiece “Get The Girl,” which at that point was still unfinished. I found the quote fascinating beyond its unconventional surface, so I got the bright idea of actually reading the context. After reading the full article, I realized that I had actually learned something new and helpful from it. Out of curiosity, I began watching your other videos in the “Dear Dawson” series. Begrudgingly, I began to acknowledge that I was growing in my masculinity because of them.
About a year later, I had let go of the lies entirely and was a completely different person. Before, I had done little with my life but drink craft beer and make non-religious film reviews for YouTube. Today, my life is consistently constructive in serving my church, doing street ministry, showing hospitality, writing, and pursuing marriage. In addition to my wonderful pastor and local church, I often turn to Canon+ for information, entertainment, and spiritual growth.
I am grateful for your personal example, your tireless bibliography, and in this particular season of life, for the time you take to address singles. “Get the Girl” not only corrected my view of you, but was one of the most prominent means that God used to teach me my responsibility of exercising my masculinity. The breakup in its premise described one of my own with uncanny accuracy; and for the first time, it made sense. I am currently reading it again (again) as I navigate the extraordinary challenge of pursuing a fatherless girl at my church.
Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to visit Moscow one day.
In Christ,Nathan
Nathan, thanks very much. And of course, you are entirely forgiven. And, go, fight, win.
Yes, But . . .
We ought to all take a certain amount of pride in who God made us through family culture and dna. It is what it is. There must be a certain amount of shame or guilt or jealousy in individuals that drives them to spurn their own family history— repentance is in order!August
August, I know what you mean, and I feel it myself. But I would urge people to call this sentiment gratitude. It makes it harder for the thing to become competitive.
Abortion and Trump
First of all, Pastor Doug, thank you. I continue to be richly blessed by your writing and speaking, and by Canon+.
Your 2020 post ‘7 Reasons Why It Is Possible for Christians to Vote for Trump in 2020 Without Getting a Defiled Conscience and/or Losing Their Soul’, says:
“So for Christians, voting for Biden is out of the question for a host of reasons, but his abortion stance makes it a settled issue. It is not possible to vote for him without voting for a man who actively supports the continued slaughter of the unborn. It is not possible to support Biden and be right with God.”
But now that the GOP has changed its stance on abortion, wouldn’t voting for Trump be much the same? By ceding the matter to individual states, and despite his personal qualms about late-term abortion, he is effectively saying, “If you want an abortion, that’s fine. You may just have to drive a bit further.”
How can I support that and still “be right with God”?Ed
Ed, great question. And the backsliding on the part of the Republicans here was egregious. As it happens, my blog post tomorrow is all about this. Stay tuned.
Given the RNC’s recent decisions to water down opposition to abortion (essentially endorsing a pro-choice position), remove language defending the sanctity of marriage, and to have a demon worshiper offer the prayer (to which everyone there bowed evidently) I’m having serious trouble with my vote this fall.
I’ve been saying for years now that voting Democrat is something that churches should excommunicate people for. Voting pro abortion is heretical. Period. A major aspect of my decision to vote for Trump twice has been stalwart resistance to abortion and the social agenda of the left (I recognize that Trump himself isn’t morally aligned with me in these matters and is quite degenerate himself). Now, I’m faced with the reality that if I am consistent with my own principles I will have a hard time justifying a Trump/Vance vote.
What are your thoughts on voting Republican this fall? I am worried that it is a hypocritical and maybe even heretical act at this point. I’m looking for some wisdom here.JPT
JPT, as I just said above, coming tomorrow.
Postmill and the Early Church
I’m not commenting on any of your posts, I only have a question. The question is this: is postmillenialism traceable through the church fathers?Mark
Mark, in one sense the question (although a good one) is anachronistic. In other words, the defined eschatological positions didn’t take shape until centuries later. But if we are allowed to categorize the early church teaching on the subject in terms of vibes, I think we can say yes. There was certainly premill thinking, called chiliasm, and there was optimistic amill/postmilly thought as well.
Femininity as a Natural Inclination
I was wondering if you had any advice for young ladies who want to be godly wives and mothers someday but who feel guilt about their lack of “typical” femininity.
For example, I grew up as a cross between a nerd and a tomboy. I preferred stories of knights and heroes to princesses and thought the boys section of the Vision Forum catalog with its swords and slingshots much cooler than the dolls and dresses in the girls’ section. (I’m grateful that God laid it on my parents’ hearts to homeschool me as I believe I would have been told I was gay or trans in the school system.)
I don’t feel a thrill when it comes to typically “girly” things like cooking, baking, sewing, etc. I love kids and I desire marriage but the excitement for homemaking is not there. I don’t devalue it, and I want to be skilled in this area, but it’s like I’m missing some natural instinct.
I’m just wondering: is there room for women to not have typical feminine interests and talents or am I doing something wrong? I feel incredibly out of place when looking at women who seem natural and comfortable in their femininity and I’m in my late 20s and just now beginning to “grow into” it, so to speak. Any encouragement or exhortation would be greatly appreciated.AM
AM, you don’t need to feel bad about the absence of this natural inclination, but you do need to lean against it. When you have daughters, for example, you will need to teach them, and you cannot teach what you do not know. It may not come naturally to you, but when it comes to the basic responsibilities assigned to the feminine role, you should learn them anyway. But don’t waste any energy feeling bad about it. You will need that energy for making really good biscuits.
A Stumper
The question is in reference to “The Forgotten Heavens”:
If the stars are angels, do you have any ideas or explanations for the things in orbit around them? The function of planets without life orbiting angels? Thank you!Raven
Raven, please note that this is not a dogmatic answer. Not an answer at all, really. But I do have a hard time looking at the craters on the moon, and the asteroid belt, and other random detritus, without thinking of battlefield debris.
Too Contrived . . .
Between “that photo” and “Battle Box,” I will no longer worry about my fiction being implausible.Jennifer
Jennifer, yes. Just imagine being a script writer who turned in a movie script of the last three weeks. You would get fired for putting together such an outlandish plot.
T, Where would you draw the line on a pastor being political in the pulpit? I assure you it can and will get out of hand and then, before you know it, the whole congregation is up in arms about the political environment at the expense of the gospel. I tell my family conservatism and being a republican is not the “good fight” that scripture speaks of and will not save us in the end. I do believe very strongly that lots of people conflate the new birth with being “conservative” and will get carried away on this wave unto… Read more »
…… “the best antidote to the hysteria is the gospel.”
Anyone who wants their pastor to preach a gospel other than Christ crucified for our sins and raised to life on the third day has already crossed the line themself, whatever line the pastor may draw.
Let those really know better give no cover to those who really don’t know (or care), for the sake of worldly, e.g. political, gain.
In response to T’s letter above, it seems to me you may have a very solid pastor. He is completely correct to stay focused on the Gospel, leaving politics, and current events out of the equation. I mean, what text would the pastor speak from concerning politics? What did Jesus or the apostles ever have to say about politics? I do not need to hear about politics from my pastor. What I need to hear from my pastor is the “Good News” of what God has done for me, in order that I might go out to serve my neighbor,… Read more »
Jack, this isn’t a defense…but what about Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41)? It seems that if enough Christians today made an impact to the economy the way that Paul and his message about idols and false gods did, a lot of good could be done. If enough Christians voted, would it be ok to outlaw strip clubs in a town, a county, or a state? Abortion legislation to the states seems to be a positive move to local control and churches should work to save lives. I agree with your statement about unconditional love, but that is just a starting… Read more »
My friend, in the passage in Acts you are referring too, Paul is not in any way attempting to enact Christian nationalism. Rather, Paul is using what is called persuasion by explaining to these folks the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Preaching the Gospel to the lost is what we as Christians are called to do. We are not called to enact and force our beliefs upon those outside. Moreover, if you read to the end of the chapter, it is said the commotion was ended, the assembly dismissed, and it was business as usual, and Paul left for another town.… Read more »
You are correct that our focus is Christ raised from the dead – of course not leaving out for our sins being the reason He died in the first place – however, we need less to make an argument for it, and more simply to proclaim it.
What makes you think needing a new rallying issue post segregation is the reason abortion became a big issue for Southern Baptists? Who in the SBC said that?
My friend, you cannot simply proclaim Christ raised from the dead. Rather, you have to make an argument based upon the facts and evidence we have concerning the resurrection. If you cannot win this argument, then you have no basis for an argument against anything else at all as far as the culture is concerned. I mean you act as if all we need to do is to proclaim Christ raised from the dead, and the culture is somehow obligated to accept what we assert. The apostles did not simply proclaim Christ raised from the dead. Rather, they made the… Read more »
Certainly in proclaiming Christ we use the facts and evidence that scripture provide us. We’re ought not be so much concerned with winning an argument. People with receive Christ or they will reject Him. Speaking of arguments, you’re getting none from me regarding Christian nationalism. A question did occur to me though: Should Christian vote? There is education, and then there are assumptions. There also is also bias and there is post hoc error. What was happening in the SBC after Roe was happening in other denominations as well, north as well as south. In large part, what happened was… Read more »
My point in winning the argument has to do with the fact that the Church has been involved in the culture wars for some 5 decades now, attempting to make arguments against abortion, the alphabet folks, etc. when the fact of the matter is, we need to be making the argument of Christ raised from the dead. The point is, if Christ has been raised, there is no other argument to be made. We have no basis to make these other arguments, unless we can make a case for Christ raised from the dead. I’m just telling you; these folks… Read more »
When I referred to Schaeffer I was just talking about the issue of abortion specifically, rather than dominionism or Christian Nationalism generally. For many, and maybe most, of us his film series was our introduction to abortion as an issue of concern. My point was, it wasn’t Southern Baptists saying “What’er we gonna do now that we don’t have segregation? Oh, hey, let’s jump on abortion”. I have heard of Rushdoony, just enough to agree his teaching is a problem. I was asking whether or not Christians should abstain from voting. To vote is to attempt to influence government. Since… Read more »
Hey John, I really enjoy the conversation as I believe it to be beneficial. I think we are agreeing that before, and after Roe v Wade, abortion was a mixed issue as far as Evangelicals were concerned, with Evangelicals falling on both sides of the issue. I could give you a good number of examples to demonstrate this to be the case, but allow me to give you just one. W. A. Criswell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas and sometime president of the Southern Baptist Convention, issued a statement praising Roe v Wade by saying, “I have always… Read more »
Hmmm. True, the Republican Party has long used Evangelicals, but since it is some Evangelicals who are the ones intent on dominionism I’d say they are attempting to use the Republicans to that end rather than the other way around. The contemporary Republican party is mostly a right-populist (not to be confused with conservative) personality cult. The Democratic party is a demented circus, kind of like the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, and would be funny if they weren’t serious. Third parties exist mostly on paper. So yeah, not voting is a rational option. On the other hand despair is not… Read more »
Very well said, in that you are correct to say that Evangelicals are using the republican party intent on dominionism. On the other hand, the republican party cannot win without the Evangelical vote, and therefore must cater to Evangelicals. I think what we have established is the fact that both are using each other in the quest for power. The question seems to be, do we vote with the Evangelicals for Donald Trump, and the republicans who are telling us plainly now, they are intent on doing away with our democratic republic in order to replace it with dominionism? Or… Read more »
Jack, this string is past its expiration date however…For all our agreement I can’t help but note one thing you said that I want you to think about. You said “…force others to carry a child to birth”. A child! You said it yourself.
What is the alternative to carrying that child to birth? Well, we all know the alternative is killing the child before birth. If I could force people to not do that I would, and not call myself a dominionist for it.
“Speaking of arguments, you’re getting none from me regarding Christian nationalism. A question did occur to me though: Should Christian vote?”
No, you should completely withdraw from politics and culture, so we can have more of this.
https://x.com/vtchakarova/status/1816953653590151412
That’s working so well. Punch right and let the Satanists take over.
Thanks for your reply Jack, I was not necessarily trying to start a disagreement, but it is a good way for iron to sharpen iron. I fully agree with Preaching the Gospel to the lost. Because I take in good faith that the majority of posters here have had that blessing afforded to them…what I’m trying to work out is “Then what?” It seems the natural progression (and you’re correct to say within the church) should be obedience to the commandments and sanctification in the form of ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ pursuit. The way I interpret your first comment is… Read more »
You ask, “then what”? The “then what” is that we begin to serve our neighbors, not out of obligation to any sort of law, but rather out of love, and great gratitude for what God has done for us. We serve our neighbors, not questioning who they are, what they believe, how they behave, who they vote for, etc. In other words, our goal is not at all to have them behave as Christians. Our goal is to simply love them as Christ has loved us. If God uses this love we share with them to bring them to Himself,… Read more »
They absolutely assumed a Christian republic when the Bill of Rights and rest of the Constitution was adopted. See here.
https://x.com/benrcrenshaw/status/1815855146326184179
This is simply nonsense. The founders were fully aware of the other religions of the world, and had they intended to found a Christian republic they would have made this plain. If this is what they had intended, they would have surely mentioned the Name of Jesus Christ. They never did. The fact of the matter is, they never mention God. Rather, they simply refer to a Creator. You certainly cannot be for real. I can assure you there was a reason the founders did not refer to God but rather a creator, and that is because they did not… Read more »
Jack O’Liar Spamley, no need to respond to your long-winded hogwash again except to say “The founders were fully aware of the other religions” is asinine and nothing more than hindsight bias. Sure they were aware, but other than a very small number of Jews, those religions weren’t in the U.S. They didn’t have a time machine to see how later generations would allow mass immigration and cultural rot. Do you know who was allowed in under our original immigration policy? The link I used was relevant. Judge Brewer, 40 years after Lincoln did much to destroy our Constitution, isn’t.… Read more »
This is SO, SO, funny. I mean, you are actually acknowledging the founders were fully aware of the other religions in the world, and yet when they used the word religion, they really did not mean “freedom of religion” but what they meant was, “freedom of Christianity”? GOOD GRIEF! This argument is completely lost just 20 years after the nation was founded when the United States signed a treaty with Tripoli which assured Tripoli, “the United States is not in any sense founded upon the Christian religion”. Moreover, this treaty passed through Congress without debate. Was the United States lying… Read more »
The only “SO, SO funny” things are your lies, horrific theology and willingness to parrot garbage from God-hating secularists.
From one such secular site:
“The provision, which may have been written by Joel Barlow (one of the American negotiators), but which is missing from its Arabic counterpart, was not repeated in other treaties with other powers in the region, and the treaty itself was superseded by another treaty in 1805 (Crane 2020, 404-405).”
1797 Treaty of Tripoli | The Free Speech Center (mtsu.edu)
You’re quoting some French Revolution supporter, not a Christian founder. And there’s this
What about when the Civil Rights act when it was adopted? Can I arbitrarily appeal to that authority when it’s convenient? You are talking about long dead slave owners at the end of the day.
You’re comparing a bad piece of legislation with foundational document. The former did much to undermine the latter and should be abolished or at least amended. There’s nothing arbitrary about what I said. By your (il)logic, no law can be appealed to at any time.
And by yours, can we appeal foundational documents created by slave owners? Oh wait, we already have, lol.
Since every elected official in the federal government takes an oath to uphold those original documents, yes we should. We should not be liars or oathbreaker or encourage others to do so.
Insofar as they are found wanting ways that go beyond mindless fallacies of association and ad hominem, we can change them, but until we do, abiding by them is the only honest thing to do.
If honesty matters to you.
I’m just trying to annoy another commenter and point out their dogma around the founding fathers as some sort of sacred group of smart people. And I think the civil rights act and the new deal(s) did more for you and me than any legislature the founding fathers crapped out.
Just as the Covid nonsense set aside those who stood firm for Christ versus those who gave in to the world, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, LBJ’s Great Society and the affirmative action efforts that followed showed the same falling six decades previously. That which was supposed to be a positive turned into a giant negative on our society 30 years after the legislation was passed. Today’s slavery is more destructive to poor folks of all colors than was antibellum American slavery. Christian leaders dropped the ball then and did not stand firm on scripture then and now we… Read more »
Is this a long winded love story about slavery again? 🥱
Founding fathers: Founded a country.
Chrissy: Sits on toilet, annoys people.
Yup, no comparison. Christina here is clearly superior.
And you founded a country too, so you have room to speak? 🤭😆🤣
Both of those horrendous acts did more to harm me, since I’m a maker and not a taker, unlike yourself.
JPT, I just switched my voter registration to independent just for this reason, not that I will be able to vote, regardless. The republican platform is sliding in the same direction of the democratic platform, just several decades in-the-rears. Why? Because the electorate is sliding and because they will lose votes by being too “moral.” What’s the point? What are we trusting in? This is why I’m not reformed. The facts on the ground line up with scripture when it clearly tells us that men will wax worse and worse in the last days.
”Tomorrow” will be interesting to see.
August, think of the challenge it is for Germans to instill a cultural pride in their kids.
You understand Germany has a history outside the 1930-40s, right? Do you think Nazism is part of their culture? Ask a few Germans that and see what they think.
Anon Workplace Lust. You have got to get another job. That woman is the Proverbs 5,6, and 7 woman for you. The Scripture is quite clear that you need to get away from her. Skip accountability and flee.
If he runs away without addressing his sin problem, it’ll just happen again somewhere else. The problem seems to be him and his lustful heart.
Everyone has a lustful heart. The problem is, from the way he wrote the letter, she is receptive. Scripture teaches that in Proverbs 5 6 and 7 an immoral woman has no problems making the first move. If he’s vulnerable what’s he going to do when she does and scripture says that she will.
It’s really remarkable to me that you would blame the woman for this. He is the one trying to think of a way to invite her over, not the other way around.
I’m not normally a lustful person. I’ve only ever slept with my wife. I’ve considered finding another job, but that’s easier said than done
My point is that gross sins of immorality do not spring up out of nowhere. If you’re wondering how to get another woman to your house while your wife is away, something else has gone awry long before this moment. Whether you’re normally lustful or not I can’t judge, but you don’t just accidentally slip into adultery one day
Since you’re so eager to participate in the discussion, do you have an actual solution to my problem?
Hello Anon, this may not be a solution supported by the proprietor…but it works for me. Find a Celebrate Recovery near you. Attend large group and men’s small group. Share what’s going on with you…find a sponsor and accountability partners. Do a step-study. Turn your life and your will over to Jesus Christ.
Feel free to email me if you would like. My testimony is that God is faithful…even to those who have fallen beyond what you may only just be considering…to those who repent and seek His face.
johnm83336@hotmail.com
Be Blessed!
Thank you, I’ll look into that program. God bless!
Reepi’s reply to you – did you read it? If you gave up after the first few sentences, which I think you did, how bored are you with your Christian life? It’s only a matter of time until you have what you want, which isn’t illicit sex (driven by lust) but escape from how you feel about yourself. You ain’t in love with Christ, man, and to her lair you are being led. It’s all hot and sexy now, but unless you commit to an affair, so you can ride the “facade” for a few miles/years, your deceitful behavior will… Read more »
When David committed adultery, God didn’t rebuke him for wanting more sex. Rather, God rebuked him for despising his commandments, including and especially because God -would- have given David more. (II Sam. 12:8-9) Of course, one of the commandments David despised is “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. Now the tree of the knowledge of good and evil says that’s an expectation. But the tree of life says it’s a promise. That is, God’s commandments are creative. As he said “let there be light”, and there was light, so also does he say, “thou shalt not commit adultery”. If we allow… Read more »
Thank you, and God bless!
Anon Ymous, I used to travel a lot for work and when I was away from home I would look at porn. For quite sometime, I tried everything except confessing to my wife. It wasn’t until I confessed to her , saw the pain it caused, and felt the shame did the lust for porn go away. Tim Bayly’s book “The Grace of Shame” is good on the fact that our shame is our pain response to sin. Like physical pain it is a grace to keep us from continuing to harm ourselves. People on here telling you fleeing your… Read more »
Thanks for your testimony, God bless!
As far as stars go, NASA has processed waveform data from stars and galaxies into the audible range. The following link is one set of data–I used this as an introduction to our church choir singing “Creation Sings the Father’s Song”. By comparison our sun is a dull hum and planets eerie violence. https://www.nasa.gov/universe/data-sonification-sounds-from-around-the-milky-way/
I wonder what metric NASA used to match waveform data with musical pitch wavelength. To my ear all the tones in that video are from the G major diatonic scale, with no chromaticism or “blue” notes. (It even sounds more major than minor, even though E minor uses the same tones.) That suggests either some arbitrary assignment of tones, or that G major is the secret harmony of the spheres embedded in creation!
Several months ago, concerned about the difficulties presented by the politically partisan and often derisive remarks being made by a few lay leaders at my congregation, I compiled some Bible verses that I thought might be worth reviewing by the church elders and council: A Bible Study Concerning Political Conversation at Church A Look at Some Reasons for Self-restraint Kingdom Priorities • Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 ESV). • Jesus said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’” (Matt. 21:13). • “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who… Read more »
Just a response to Peter. I’m Annie and I live in Starkville, MS, where we have a great architecture program. If you come here, yes, you would be attending a public institution, but there are many Reformed Christians in our church who have completed the same path. I’d be happy to connect you with any one of them.
Embryologically, the gut is entirely a product of the original fertilized egg/conceptus or zygote, formed from elements of all three major cell compartments. It is no more maternally derived than it is paternally derived.
I don’t know much about the topic except to say that I’m pretty sure she was talking about the gut microbiome and not to the digestive organs themselves.
Then perhaps more precision in language would help the writer make her point. The human gut (digestive tract) and its microbiome are not identical however much they may be co-located.
On abortion and Trump, I see Trump as a federalist who respects the rights of states to decide abortion for themselves.
Even if Trump won’t push for a federal ban on abortion, abortion has already been limited or banned by some states, and we may expect that to stand under Trump. The Democrats, however, will mandate abortion federally across the nation.
I see a significant difference between abortion everywhere, and abortion only in blue states. Not voting for Trump is almost certainly a vote for abortion everywhere.
👏👏👏
What happens when it goes to a popular vote and reproductive freedom is protected like Kansas? Isn’t this a democracy?
Dismemberment = freedom now, apparently.
COPE HARDER
That’s the cold, hard political reality. The American public is firmly pro-choice, even in red states like Kansas and Kentucky. Every time abortion rights is on the ballot, it wins. And if the Democrats keep the White House and retake the House, which at this point seems very likely, it’s far more likely there will be a national abortion rights law than a national abortion ban. Democrats are already talking about a federal law making it a federal crime to interfere with someone who wants to get an abortion, which presumably would include state officials, and that seems to be… Read more »
Firmly “pro-choice”? From Statista, “Would You Consider Yourself Pro-Life or Pro-Choice” (greater percentage in bold): 2003: 48% Pro-choice, 45% Pro-life 2004: 49% Pro-choice, 44% Pro-life 2005: 48% Pro-choice, 44% Pro-life 2006: 51% Pro-choice, 41% Pro-life 2007: 49% Pro-choice, 45% Pro-life 2008: 50% Pro-choice, 44% Pro-life 2009: 42% Pro-choice, 51% Pro-life 2010: 45% Pro-choice, 47% Pro-life 2011: 49% Pro-choice, 45% Pro-life 2012: 41% Pro-choice, 50% Pro-life 2013: 45% Pro-choice, 48% Pro-life 2014: 47% Pro-choice, 46% Pro-life 2015: 50% Pro-choice, 44% Pro-life 2016: 47% Pro-choice, 46% Pro-life 2017: 49% Pro-choice, 46% Pro-life 2018: 48% Pro-choice, 48% Pro-life 2019: 46% Pro-choice, 49% Pro-life… Read more »
The only polls that matter are the ones on election day, and so far you guys have yet to win a single election in which abortion was on the ballot, even in red states like Kentucky and Kansas. Florida’s next. It’s gotten to the point where anti-abortion election officials in places like Arkansas and Missouri are desperately fighting to keep abortion off the ballot because they know it will win even there. As for infanticide, you’re trying to win the debate through the use of inflammatory language. Not everyone considers it infanticide. But you do, so knock yourself out banging… Read more »
America is a representative republic with separation of powers, which includes states both deciding matters such as abortion for themselves, and deciding how they will decide those matters, which can reasonably include putting them on the ballot. That system is a specific implementation of democracy, or rule by the people. Democracy may be contrasted with aristocracy. Aristocracy is “rule by the best”, or more realistically, by those who think they’re the best, such as “experts” who tell the people to “trust the science”, which really means just follow orders. That’s the actual threat to democracy, and the world has already… Read more »
Wow. That’s a lot of words for I don’t like democracy when it doesn’t benefit me and my dogma.
Nobody believes democracy is absolute. For example, if a country democratically voted to exterminate an ethnic minority, that would be wrong. The people insisting on the “dogma” that genocide is wrong, against the “democratic” majority, would not be the villains of that story.
I’m not even sure pure democracy is even possible since it would pretty much require installing a voting machine in every house so everyone could vote on everything. And I think everyone agrees that there are some rights that need to be protected against majorities, though not everyone agrees on which rights those are. The problem has become that the political minority has been using “we’re not a democracy” not to protect itself, but to impose policies on the majority. Nobody seriously thinks, for example, that a majority of Americans would support Christian nationalism, or anything even close to it.… Read more »
We’re not a democracy. You won’t even find that deplorable word in the Constitution or Declaration of Independence. If you didn’t learn that in the years you wasted in your undergraduate and law school years, maybe you should ask for a refund.
Did I say we’re a democracy? No? In fact, I just said pure democracy is impossible. So why are you arguing with me about a claim I didn’t make? The specific argument you’ve made is pretty stupid though. While you are correct that the word “democracy” does not appear in the Constitution, neither do the words “separation of powers”, “fundamental rights”, “Bill of Rights” or many other co- peopncepts that no one disputes exist. And by the way, whether we are democracy depends on whether we are speaking Greek or Latin, “Democracy” is Greek for republic, and “republic” is Latin… Read more »
Sorry “co-peoplncepts” should be concepts.
Didn’t your god command at least as handful of genocides?
God uses nations to judge each other. When a nation’s wickedness has become too great, He sends in another nation to conquer them. The Canaanites were burning babies in the fire to their god Molech and committing ritual rape under their Ashera poles, so He sent the Istaelites in to wipe them out. But, He waited until “their wickedness had reached its full measure.” Other examples: God used Assyria and Babylon to judge Israel, after many warnings. God sent Cortez to judge the Aztecs after they had been doing horrific human sacrifices in Tenochtitlan for a mere 200 years. Scripture… Read more »
Blah blah blah, moralize genocide as long as God commands it.
What Jennifer said, to which I would add that it never ceases to amaze me that the modern secular unbeliever wants answers as to moral evil and why God doesn’t intervene to end it if he is loving, but then accuses God of moral evil when he has intervened, such as the overthrow of the Canaanites and other OT examples. Since God owns life and gave it in the first place, does he not have the right to back what is his anyway? Most secularists I know don’t want an intervening God, because this would end the most precious thing… Read more »
And it never ceases to amaze me that someone who claims his God is both omnipotent and omniscient has no other options at his disposal to deal with evil than mass genocide. Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah; who is to say that Canaan might not have done the same? If it did not, how about a surgical strike in which God takes out the people actually perpetrating the evil rather than thousands of innocent children and others who weren’t involved in the evil? The US, which lacks both omnipotence and omniscience, managed to rid Germany of Nazis without… Read more »
You are a freak who would commit murder if a voice in your head commanded it.
T, you might be interested in Church of the Triumphant King in Weatherford TX.
AM- Same, except I am now in my late 40s, married, with teenaged children. One thing that has helped me dress and carry myself in a feminine way is my imagination. I think of every outfit I put together as a kind of costume. Imagination also helps this nerd with homemaking: I imagine myself as a peasant woman living in Gondor, or something like that. Perhaps most women don’t need these kind of mental tricks to develop their femininity, but I do. Might help you as well. And, it doesn’t happen to everyone, but most of the time, when you… Read more »
Jennifer, I love the imagination comment. This helps me as well, even as a man, doing mannish work things.
💙
T, would recommend Frisco Bible Church. Solid, incisive, and balanced preaching. Pastor Wayne Braudrick is a wonderful leader of the congregation, and unapologetically brings the Word to a wide range of issues. On political topics, he did not advocate in an overtly partisan manner when we attended, but equipped the flock with the scriptural mettle to be well-informed, and to influence the culture biblically and effectively.
Response to T, Sounds like a church I attended for a number of years in Denton. I consider them to be saints and brothers in the Lord, but I had similar issues among others. There are a few church’s in the Denton area that are biblical, Reformed, and willing to talk about the hard things you described–though none I know that are Presbyterian. Covenant Baptist Church in Denton as well as Grace Life Church in Allen, which has small communities as well as Pastors with spines. I say all this with the assumption that this is the Little Elm/Frisco area… Read more »
Peter, aspiring architect, I recommend that you check out this fellow who kept and blossomed in his discipleship while an undergraduate (graduated ’23). He’s in Memphis last I checked. Well raised in an old-world Anglican family. Use my name, as I have had some value to their family in past. https://www.jeremyhuelin.com/
Your hypothetical in which the black race is selectively bred out of existence (in the process solving generations old problems with disparate impact and unsafe public transportation) isn’t an own of race realists. Kind of a capitulation, in fact.
Imagine thinking that widespread interracial marriage eliminates only one race but not the others. He’s using an example where one black person marries into a family on one occasion, and the rest of the succeeding marriages involve only white people. If there were really widespread intermarriage, “white” people as we conceive of them would also be eliminated.
That’s happening.
Yup. Just like races have shifted and changed over the millennia before.
But then clearly you understand that the point of Wilson’s hypothetical is not intended to describe the elimination of black people in particular, but simply a particular example of how races mix and shift in one case, so why did you launch an all out assault on a straw man?
One again, theoretically possible that you could dilute the genome of blacks through generations of breeding with whites or Asians until they become good citizens. In our lifetime, however, Doug Wilson’s would never put his grandchildren in a majority black school. Race realists are realists, it’s right in the name.
It’s nice that you now recognize that your earlier comment was completely misrepresenting Doug Wilson’s actual position.
Perhaps you may want to also reconsider your smug certainty that calling your position “realism” automatically makes it compatible with reality.
Race is a social construct homie. It’s like you are fighting who goes to 24hr Fitness vs Golds. We are all here struggling get by and work every day to do better. I certainly hope you are his racist in public and not a kkkoward.
Ad hominem and straw man are both logical fallacies. You are only making yourself, not Jane, look bad.
Did you even read the head comment? 🤣🤦
Defend race realism real quick, I’ll wait 🧘♂️
For Peter:
https://pages.thegospelcoalition.org/surviving-religion-101