Having participated in two uproars back to back, and in anticipation of a hat trick, I wanted to set out a few things that describe what is actually going on, and what I believe to be at stake. I have already outlined the basic two-step that usually runs. Pick an offense, demand an apology. If …
When Life Gives You Lemons . . .
In the midst of our, ahem, robust discussion this last week, it occurred to my agent that this might be a good time to ask HuffPo if they wanted a piece from me on 50 Shades. They did, and it is now posted here. This is important because it appears that feminists are trying to …
The Politics of Outrage
Gather around, children, and I will try to provide you with a brief post mortem on the recent ruckus created by our professional indignati. The Bible certainly says to weep with those who weep. When one part of the body hurts, the rest of the body hurts. But this happens in community, face to face, …
My Very Own Trigger Alert
In this happy little imbroglio of ours, I am pleased to say that this was the very first trigger alert. (HT: Michael Terry). These are the first lines of Fidelity. But I have noticed two things about this sort of qualification. The first is liberated outrage if I suggest that you should talk to women …
Probably Not! She Thundered
Let’s play the aggrieved game, shall we? Let’s play us a round of placing the worst possible construction on the words of someone we are in a dispute with. It might not look so good in the cold light of day, but then we might learn something. Here’s hoping. Rachel Held Evans has said the …
Cloacina, Goddess of Sewers
So here’s what happened. 50 Shades of Grey went on the NYT bestseller list. For those just joining us, 50 Shades presents a demented view of sexuality, of the women-are-idiots school of thought. Jared Wilson of The Gospel Coalition posted an excerpt from my book Fidelity that he thought helped explain why people go in …
Zach and Holly
We are all privileged to participate in this Christian wedding, but we must take care that we understand this rightly. It is not a Christian wedding simply because it is occurring in a church, and it is not a Christian wedding simply because we are using Christian formulae in the ceremony itself, and it is …
Prove It
In the Old Testament law, because of man’s hardness of heart, it was possible for a man to put away his wife for trivial reasons. When men and women become bitter, every trivial thing rises to intolerable proportions, and the thing cannot be resolved. But when a woman was put away by a man for …
Discerning Worldliness
What is the difference between these two statements?1. Do not commit adultery.2. Do not be worldly. The first statement is objective and can be measured objectively. The second cannot be. Nevertheless, both are requirements of Scripture. How are we to be in submission to the will of God when we have trouble distinguishing between His …
What a Father Transplant Means
“Begat” is an important word. In our discussions of regeneration, I have consistently linked regeneration to generation, and generation is what happens when people are begotten. The same is true of regeneration. “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” …