The passing of Ronald Reagan is important on a number of levels. Commentators have noted everything from the impact on the current election, to legacy of Reagan’s anti-communism. There is much to add on all this, but in the current context I simply want to note one thing. This is coming from someone who voted …
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time there was a Christian people who had drifted from the right worship of God. They had, through laziness and unbelief, neglected to worship God the Father through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. In short, they ceased offering worship that was distinctively Trinitarian. As a result, this people …
Christendom Lite
Many years ago I wrote a piece for the journal Antithesis on the necessity of Christian education. Later on, I picked that article up and modified it so that it became a chapter in Standing on the Promises. As part of the continuing debate on education in the Southern Baptist Convention, the editor of the …
The Real Reasons They Left
It was the early evening of the day in which Gideon had told his army that all who were faint of heart could return to their homes. A group of soldiers were gathered around their campfire, and they were explaining to one another why they had all decided to return to their homes in just …
Public Religion
Dear visionaries, I was gone for just one day and missed a bunch of interesting stuff. 1. Stewart’s point about atheism was a good one, although I would have preferred the phrase “dogmatic agnosticism,” which amounts to the same thing. God’s existence may not be explicitly denied, but the children are taught by precept and …
Schools and Market Choices
Dear visionaries, I tried to go away, but a few more questions have arisen. I will try to keep my answers brief so that no more of my “hate-filled” stuff spills out. In response to Ben’s question about market forces: I am not a market absolutist. Adam’s Smith’s invisible hand directs the marketing flow of …
Resentment By the Book
In his own mind, and according to his own rationalizations, Judas was the hero of the story — at least until the cold reality came crashing in on him. Once there was a hypocritical man who made a great show of his loyalty and faithfulness to his friends at a company where they all worked. …
Deficiencies in Government Schools
Dear visionaries, A thank you to Jonathan for a courteous reception. And a thank you as well to Thomas for the question. Pardon my non-brief reply. Individual deficiencies in government education that result in substandard service would include, but not be limited to: 1. Rootless experimentalism in teaching methodologies: for example, private schools that use …
Already in Rome
There was a certain minister who decided one day, while studying the Scriptures, that an appropriate posture while confessing sin was the posture of kneeling. He raised this as a possibility during a congregational meeting, and suggested that the church look into obtaining kneeling benches. To his surprise, the opposition to this suggestion was immediate …
Ah, To Have Been Submissive
A wise man once defined a classic as a book that no one wants to read, but everyone wants to have read. In the same way, submission is something that everyone wants to have done, but no one wants to do. As the old blues song puts it, “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but …