The debate over “don’t ask, don’t tell” reveals that virtually no one understands what is going on. The absence of discipline is impossible in any society, still less in the military. This means that the question is a “not whether but which” question. It means that it is not whether we will discipline servicemen in …
Special Parking Privileges
So, a professor at Columbia has been charged with some kind of incestuous relationship, and everybody was apparently a consenting adult, and so we are, again, face to face with the public incoherence of our rudderless sexual ethic. How is it possible, given all that we as a society have already granted, for us to …
You Don’t Get to Keep the Brick
When we say that one doctrine is more important than another one, we are not making a quantitative assessment. It is not the case, for example, that justification by faith alone is beach ball and baptismal modes are a baseball. The doctrines of the Bible are interrelated, and mutually dependant. Many of the doctrines of …
More on Nuisance Lust
“This is the way men deal with their enemies. They search out their plans, ponder their goals, and consider how and by what means they have prevailed in the past. Then, they can be defeated. This is a most important strategy. If you do not utilize this great strategy, your warfare is very primitive. We …
Most of Us Aren’t That Cute
People who follow trends are often very bad at reading them. People who read trends are often reluctant to join in the general merriment because they actually know what is being said. G.K. Chesterton once commented how gloriously wonderful and bright and cheerful Times Square would be . . . if you didn’t know how …
Dealing with Nuisance Lust
Note: this is an imaginary Christian couple, assembled as a composite from various counseling situations. Dear Tony, Thanks for the email and the follow-up phone call. I am glad you decided to get help with this, and I am glad that you and Suzanne are talking about it. A central part of this letter will …
Audio Reading of Post
Pod Porn
One of the older fears about pornography that has not been borne out has been the fear that widespread pornography would create a sexually enflamed male populace. But what has happened is that porn has actually dampened sexual interest in real women, serving many men as a cheap substitute. When it comes to real people, …
The Groove of Ashtaroth
A few days ago I noted that when Jesus compares false teaching to leaven, He is requiring His ministers to exhibit high levels of discernment (Matt. 16:6). Earlier in Matthew, He had told us to guard against wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15) — an image that certainly requires vigilance and courage, but not quite …
Like Relativistic Girls
Now here’s a story that tells you everything you need to know about the moral bankruptcy of the secular West, and the impossibility of a secular multiculturalism. A true multiculturalism is something to be desired, but it is only possible in Christ. The concept of something like the United Nations is a good one — …
Disobedience in the Warehouse and Almost Ready to Ship
Intimacy without obedience is promiscuous and pathetic. As it turns out, authority and obedience are erotic necessities. But you can’t have either without a covenant — and covenant vows, of necessity, obligate the husband to take responsibility and require the wife to render honor and obedience. This is why the common practice of removing “to …