Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
I frequently hear Christians outside of the United States, including evangelicals, wondering how American conservative Christians can be so supportive of Donald Trump. Now, I am also aware that there were many American evangelicals who voted for Trump while “holding their noses.” There were many things about Trump that they did not like but they … Read More “Why Are Conservative Christians So Supportive of Donald Trump?” »
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has been murdered. This act of violence has shocked many. Even if Kirk was controversial, to be killed in such a public way looks more like a television plot than reality. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, I have seen two main reactions. Both concern me. There are those who … Read More “Charlie Kirk, Violence, and Polarization” »
I have been involved in some sort of theistic apologetics for a long time. I can recall presenting evidence for the existence of God while I was still in the process of moving from a general theism to a return to Christianity. After seminary, I heavily embraced what is sometimes called the “Apologetics industrial complex” … Read More “5 Trends That Have (Re)Shaped My Christian Apologetics” »
Are Christians ever allowed to lie? I once taught ethics at a Christian university and we discussed this. There is no consensus as to the answer. The discussion generally revolves around something like lying to Nazis about Jews that you are hiding and that telling the truth would lead to their death. Many Christians (but … Read More “Is It Okay For Christians to Lie If It Helps Their Cause?” »
Christians, all along the theological spectrum, develop their beliefs over time, taking positions on certain issues. But how do we determine our position, especially when there are so many issues and multiple interpretations about what is the right way? I am going to focus here not on what to do, but on what not to … Read More “The Wrong Way to Discern the Truth” »
Emotionally, I want to write a different letter than what I am going to write. I want to tell you how disgusted I have been with some of the content you have been creating. But that is not the letter I am going to write. Not exactly. I remember when Babylon Bee first came to … Read More “An Open Letter to the Babylon Bee” »
I truly believe that there will always be a need for Christian apologetics. What that apologetics looks like might shift from era to era but it will always be important. However, I have seen a change in how Christian apologetics is undertaken and it concerns me. I see an increasing adoption of a conviction that … Read More “A Plea to Contemporary Christian Apologists” »
I find that there are many Christians, both conservative and liberal, who fall into the same trap. They put much of their effort into winning the culture war. What is the culture war? Here is one definition: Culture war is the cultural conflict between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, … Read More “It’s Not About Winning the Culture War” »
I recently did a Twitter poll about conservative and non-conservative Christians. I had a number of people state matter of factly that non-conservative Christians are not Christians. Really? This is nothing new. I know numerous protestants who are confident that Roman Catholics are not Christians. To be fair, there are Roman Catholics who are just … Read More “What Kind of Christians Are “Real” Christians?” »
What happens when the gospel comes into conflict with the culture war? but does that even happen? First, we will have to make some definitions. What is the gospel? Some people narrow the gospel down to believing that Jesus died for us so we can go to heaven. You would have a lot of trouble … Read More “The Gospel vs The Culture War” »
I have been involved in Christian apologetics for a long time. It has been an important part of my personal discipleship, influenced, no doubt, by my background as an atheist. I firmly believe that Christian apologetics continues to be extremely useful, both for helping seekers and as discipleship for believers. But I do have some … Read More “Christian Apologists and Culture Warriors” »
From time to time, I surprise some of my American Christian friends about my attitudes toward the culture war. By culture war, I refer to the battle between the left and right, the liberals and conservatives. I’m told that if I identify as an evangelical Christian (which I do), I’m obligated to join the fight … Read More “Why I Reject the Culture War” »
I have a lot of patience and there is not much that will get me angry. Some time ago, I posted something on Facebook that was supportive of people with disabilities. A very conservative Christian challenged me on this. He informed me that standing up for those with disabilities is part of the liberal agenda … Read More “Evangelicals and the Disabled” »
