I recently received a letter from a lady on the other side of Moscow’s own little version of the national cultural divide. We had been scheduled to meet, and she was writing to cancel that meeting. According to the letter, the thing that concerned her was something that had to be addressed (by me) before …
He Who Says A, Must Say B
Bear with me a moment. I would like to sketch the outlines of an argument showing how a denial of Calvinism will lead (over time) to the canons of political correctness. But before doing that, allow me to define both terms. By Calvinism I mean the doctrine of God’s exhaustive sovereignty. By political correctness, I …
Finally, a Retraction
A week ago last Friday, the Idaho Statesman ran an article by Nick Gier, in which he intimated that we were neo-Nazis, and from which, since that time, he has tried to distance himself. Some nameless individual at the Statesman caught the drift of Gier’s argument (!) and made it explicit in the headline. When …
For Love of the Code, Part Deux
One of my on-going volunteer interlocutors has pointed out that the section of the Idaho Code I cited a post or so ago (requiring Bible reading in public schools) is a four-decades old dead duck, legally speaking. She points out that it was passed in 1963 and declared unconstitutional in 1964. She did not add, …
Blowback
In the very nature of the case, over-reaching on the part of the intoleristas is a necessity. Some of them actually believe their own over-heated rhetoric, and others are foolish enough to think that if the cause is desperate, wildly inflated accusations will somehow help them. In the short run, such tactics frequently work. But …
For Love of the Code
As the ongoing harassment of Christ Church and associated ministries continues, some of the folks involved in said harassment have the cheek to maintain (in public) that their efforts are not an example of selective harassment. “You see,” they patiently explain to the rest of us, “this is about the rule of law. We may …
Sad Eyes
For those who have been following such things, the last week or so in our small town has seen quite a frenzy of tolerance. As I count the lumps on my head, I am not sure how much more tolerance I can take. I have posted some comments on this whole imbroglio, but rest assured …
A Sorry and Pathetic Business
The critical reviews are starting to roll in. Over at New West, Joan Opyr gives her readers a jaundiced view of the recent doings at our Trinity Fest. The thing that seemed to irritate her the most was the concept of conservative Calvinists playing rock music and the blues. But this is what we have …
Idaho Statesman Admits Their Own Neo-Nazi Ties
Dear Ms. ___________, I have decided to submit a column to you, for the Statesman to run at the earliest opportunity you have. I have two concerns in doing this, but am proceeding cautiously nonetheless. The first concern is that I do not want you to conclude from this that I have in any way …
Libel Simpliciter
Following an argument by Nick Gier in search of a non sequitur is like following a lit fuse in search of an explosion. And mysteriously, Nick talked the Idaho Statesman into publishing an article under the headline “Neo-Nazi Christians make presence felt again in Northern Idaho.” In the past, when Nick has published his screeds …