Do We Need the Bible to Do Ethics or is Nature Enough?

Do We Need the Bible to Do Ethics or is Nature Enough?

As a student at Reformed Theological Seminary, I was taught that certain cultural applications flowed from a consis­tent appli­cation of the Bible. Simply put, I was told that the Bible applies to every area of life. To be a Christian is to make biblical application to issues beyond personal salvation (Heb. 5:11–14). No one ever questioned this theologi­cal frame­work until some of us actual­ly be [...]

On Mental Tests for Gun Ownership and Other Bad Anti-Second Amendment Arguments

On Mental Tests for Gun Ownership and Other Bad Anti-Second Amendment Arguments

Cardi B says she supports the Second Amendment but she believes gun owners should have to qualify to own a gun and have “mental check ups.” Listen, I do believe we have the right to bare [bear] arms however I do believe in order to get a gun we should get mental check ups, proper training and a older age limit to own one. If this is applied to the Second Amendment, why not the First Am [...]

Is the Bible the Original ‘Communist Manifesto’?

Is the Bible the Original ‘Communist Manifesto’?

Communism is in vogue. “A new survey released by the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation reflects that, if the younger generation gets out and votes in 2020, those running for office on the far left have reason to be hopeful.” This finding is based on “historical amnesia.” I think it’s worse than amnesia. To have amnesia is to know som [...]

If The Democrats Will Allow the Killing of Unborn Babies, They'll Also Allow for the Killing of Us

If The Democrats Will Allow the Killing of Unborn Babies, They'll Also Allow for the Killing of Us

The Virginia Democrat Governor Ralph Northam supported a law that would allow a woman to kill her unborn baby up until his or her (not “its”) birth and thereafter if the result of that birth did not meet the personhood guidelines of the mother. The Virginia government is now dominated by pro-abortion Democrats. They are good with snuffing out the most innocent of life. At the same time [...]

To Listen to Some Prophecy Pundits, Antichrist Seems Bigger and More Important than Jesus

To Listen to Some Prophecy Pundits, Antichrist Seems Bigger and More Important than Jesus

When the film Die Hard came out, the poster had a picture of the Nakatomi Tower nearly taking up the entire poster. Bruce Willis, the star of the film, was nowhere to be found. The image of Willis was only added later. I sometimes get the same type of mixed message when the end times is being discussed; it’s all about what the antichrist is going to do, not about what Jesus has done. [...]

Ricky Gervais and Borrowed Moral Capital

Ricky Gervais and Borrowed Moral Capital

Ricky Gervais is a British comedian and actor. I first saw in Night at the Museum (2006). He starred in the original British version of The Office. He has a long list of media accomplishments. I suspect that most conservatives don’t know him except for his opening remarks at the 2020 Golden Globes Awards. He tore into Hollywood. this line is classic: “If ISIS had a streaming service yo [...]

Preparing for My Debate With Kent Hovind on the Rapture

Preparing for My Debate With Kent Hovind on the Rapture

For more than a year, a supporter of American Vision has been trying to set up a debate between Kent Hovind and me on the rapture. I didn’t think it would come to pass since Mr. Hovind is busy and has concentrated his time and efforts on creation issues. But it seems that he has changed his position on the rapture, going from a pretrib position to pre-wrath. I learned that he had written a book on [...]

Is Our Latest Kerfuffle With Iran A Prophetic Sign of the Last Days?

Is Our Latest Kerfuffle With Iran A Prophetic Sign of the Last Days?

Several articles claim that “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was the main force that pushed Trump into assassinating Iranian Major General Soleimani” because of his belief in the “rapture.” The articles often quote the following comment Pompeo made at a “God and Country Rally” on June 28, 2015. Note the ellipsis: We will continue to fight these battles. It is a never-ending struggle … until [...]

Democracy Will Not Save the Islamic World

Democracy Will Not Save the Islamic World

The Middle East will never be made right by force. Competing Islamic groups often gain the trust of the United States only to turn on their benefactors once their sworn Islamic enemies are vanquished with the help of the US military. It happened when our embassy in Iraq was overrun by Iranian Muslims. Who helped to let them in past multiple security measures? The Iraqis, many of whom side with Ira [...]

Timing Issues in the Olivet Discourse

Timing Issues in the Olivet Discourse

I saw a post on Facebook related to the timing of prophetic events based on Jesus’ pronouncement to some of the disciples about the destruction of the temple (Matt. 24:1-2) and the judgment on Jerusalem that was to take place before their generation passed away (Luke 21:32). And [Jesus] said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time has dra [...]

Jesus, the Bible, and Self-Defense in Light of Armed Church Members

Jesus, the Bible, and Self-Defense in Light of Armed Church Members

In September of 2019, Joe Biden criticized a new Texas law that permitted church members to be armed while attending church services. It is irrational, with all due respect to the Governor of Texas, it’s irrational what they’re doing. … And we’re talking about loosening access to have guns? Being able to take them into places of worship, store them in schools, it’s just absolutely irrational. Bide [...]

Atheists Keep Getting More Consistent, Less Rational, and Hopeless

Atheists Keep Getting More Consistent, Less Rational, and Hopeless

Marvin Olasky has a brief review of Michael Ruse’s new book A Meaning to Life. Don’t be fooled by the title, since according to Ruse there is no meaning to life Michael Ruse’s A Meaning to Life (Oxford, 2019) begins with atheistic honesty: “You are born. You live. Then you die. If you don’t think so, then you should! We come from an eternity of oblivion. We return to an eternity of obl [...]

I’m Waiting for Christianity Today to Evaluate the Democrats by the Ten Commandments

I’m Waiting for Christianity Today to Evaluate the Democrats by the Ten Commandments

Mark Galli, an editor at Christianity Today, wrote the following about Pres. Trump in an article that took the internet by storm and received hundreds of responses by evangelical writers, including me: That [Trump] should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments. According to Galli, there is a God and the Ten Commandments are [...]

The First Church of Christian Gnosticism

The First Church of Christian Gnosticism

Many Christians believe and teach a form of factual neutrality where some subjects, for example, science, geography, politics, mathematics, can and should be taught without any regard to religion since “facts speak for themselves.” This is most evident in education where a self-conscious sacred-secular divide is maintained and supported by Christians. Ninety percent of Christian parents send their [...]

'Public Goods' and The Welfare Trap

'Public Goods' and The Welfare Trap

Congress’s new crop of socialist representatives who have never owned a business and have absolutely no knowledge of how an economy works could make permanent economic policies that could destroy the productive base of the United States. For example: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s promise to boost federal funding for social programs should not be considered “free stuff,” b [...]

Eschatological Pessimism With a Rapture Kicker

Eschatological Pessimism With a Rapture Kicker

Christian social irrelevancy manifests itself in several ways even while claiming to be fully biblical. There are those who believe the church is an earthly parenthesis—the “church age” to give its proper designation—and the world is destined for an inevitable eschatological showdown with the antichrist but only before the church is “raptured” out of the world. Look at most prophecy books that hit [...]

EL NACIMIENTO DE JESÚS FUE EL MAYOR EVENTO POLÍTICO DE LA HISTORIA

EL NACIMIENTO DE JESÚS FUE EL MAYOR EVENTO POLÍTICO DE LA HISTORIA

Traducido al español por Pedro Camino con permiso del autor. No solemos pensar en la Navidad como un evento político. Le puedo asegurar que Herodes el Grande sí lo pensó de esa manera, así como también Roma. Hubo un impuesto involucrado en dicho evento (Lucas 2:1). Herodes no habría estado tan preocupado por el anuncio de que un niño había nacido, si hubiera enterado de que dicho ser sería el salv [...]

How We Got Into This Mess

How We Got Into This Mess

The latest dustup over Pres. Trump by the editor at Christianity Today magazine has a long history. It didn’t start with Trump in 2016. As the song “A Change Is Gonna Come” goes, “It’s been a long time coming.” There are many reasons for it. Here’s one consideration: In terms of Christian theory, privatization means that the grand, global umbrella of faith [...]

The Birth of Jesus Was the Greatest Political Event in History

The Birth of Jesus Was the Greatest Political Event in History

We don’t usually think of Christmas as a political event. I can assure you that Herod the Great thought of it that way as well as Rome. There was a tax involved (Luke 2:1). Herod would not have been troubled by an announcement that a child was born if he had learned that He would be the Jews’ personal savior who would save them from their sins and when they died they would go to heaven [...]

The New Christianity Means 'Joining the Losing Side' This Side of History

The New Christianity Means 'Joining the Losing Side' This Side of History

Tremper Longman III is the Distinguished Scholar of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in California where he served as the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies from 1998 until he retired in 2017. He is opposed to Pres. Trump and wants him impeached. He believes it is wrong from Christians to support the President. He thinks the impeachment of Pres. Trump will be good for the church ev [...]