“The point is to identify the desperate spiritual problem we are confronting, to call it by its biblical name, and to call for repentance. Jesus speaks of those who are in the grip of a self-important self-righteousness, which is the chief characteristic of our Intoleristas, and He says that their fundamental problem is that they …
What The Minister Does Not Do
“The church has an important role to play in witnessing the vows, and a minister may with propriety declare the vows to have been made, but the minister is no priest and marriage-maker. The couple does not stand before him to be transubstantiated” (Federal Husband, p. 110).
Weddings and Self-Expression
“So in the sixties we all began to do our own thing — write our own vows, invent our own little ceremonies, and generally march around in our own little circle. Since then we have settled down somewhat, but we still have the idea that the wedding belongs to the couple and not to a …
On the Prowl for the Lord’s Will
“How should a young man seek a wife? What should his criteria be? First, a few important pointers on what not to do. Do not hand out photocopies of this chapter at the college and career class at church, announcing in a loud voice that you are ready for the marital state and are earnestly …
The Idea of History Itself
“Our current obsesssion with multiculturalism is a prime example of this. This obsession is not an educated desire to ‘modify the emphasis,’ gently reminding us that the Chinese had a great civilization while our Anglo ancestors were still killing their meat with rocks. If the desire of the multiculturalists were simply a well-taken insistence that …
Be Strict About Not Being Too Strict
“A father should never fall into the trap of thinking that anything that is ‘strict’ is biblical. Most false religions are strict. If a man applies discipline wrongly, he can mess with his kid’s head for life. He must not confuse house rules with God’s rules. He must teach his children to make such basic …
Learning to Suspect the Received Account
“The person weighing these things must know that there is no publication called All Reputable Historians’ Review. Acceptance of what one certified historian states entails rejection of what another certified historian says. This is not the path to relativism, but is rather an acceptance of what the Christian faith plainly teaches us. Men are sinners, …
Weird Holiness
“All anti-biblical legalisms would fit into this category. ‘You are not really a genuinely committed father unless you . . . fulfill every commandment that our association of cracked brains comes up with’ — you name it — godliness through beekeeping, holiness through teetotalism, righteousness through smashing your television, and onward, into the fog!” (Federal …
Proportional Weight
“My interest in this discussion is not to show the South as a perfect place for blacks to be slaves in, but rather to show the Bible as the perfect book for Christians, then and now. In the several quotations that follow, the point is not to paint the South as a utopia. If the …
Functional Superiorities
“So which is superior, a ten-pound sledge, or a china tea cup? The answer depends entirely on what you want to do. Do you want to drink tea or drive in railroad spikes? To ascribe to a railroad spike the attributes of delicacy and beauty would be to insult the railroad (not that it would …