Religious Exemptions in the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage Won't Last

New York’s recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage marks a big triumph for the homosexual community. The decision passed, partly due to two Republican senators who had previously been undecided voting yes and partly due to stronger religious exemptions than previous versions of the law. Gary talks about the pitfalls of this “two-kingdom” mindset, in this edition of Vantage [...]

“The Great Statute‑Book of the Kingdom”

When I was a student at Reformed Theological Seminary (1974-1979), I was taught that certain cultural applications flowed from a consistent application of Calvinism. Calvinism is synonymous with a comprehensive biblical world-and-life view. It’s not just about TULIP (Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, Perseverance of the saints). Simply put, we were tol [...]

Context! Context! Context!

While driving to an appointment, my wife and I were listening to a radio quiz show. One of the questions had to do with sport’s teams that had swastikas on their shirts. When I later had access to the Internet, I did some searching and found the photographs. Sure enough, the swastikas were big, black, and bold. I showed them to a group of young people at a worldview conference where I was speaking [...]

What Can the Casey Anthony Trial Teach About Evidence?

The verdict in the Casey Anthony trial caused quite a stir, many people criticizing the jury’s decision. Casey Anthony was on trial for murder and if convicted, would have received the death penalty. Did the jurors make the right decision? Watch this edition of Vantage Point for a biblical look at this issue. [...]

Christians in Politics

We get a mixed message from many pastors, John MacArthur is a prominent example, in the area of politics. In his book Why Government Can’t Save You, MacArthur seems to say on one page that it’s okay to get involved politically but then on other pages he seems to say we shouldn’t waste our time. Should Christians be politically active? Find out right now, on this edition of Vantag [...]

John Lennon: Republican? Theist? Anti-Evolutionist?

Former theist and now self-avowed atheist Dan Barker, who is co-president of the Freedom of Religion Foundation, promoted a “Beware of Dogma” campaign using billboards that also included the line “Imagine No Religion,” borrowed from John Lennon’s atheist national anthem “Imagine.” I wonder if the FRF’s call for everyone to “beware of dogma” includes the dogma of atheism which is funded by my tax d [...]

Declaring Independence from God: A Very Bad Idea

After the defeat of Hitler’s Third Reich, war crime tribunals were set up in Nuremberg, Germany. The purpose, of course, was to judge those who had participated in the grossest of atrocities, the planned extermination of the Jewish race. John Warwick Montgomery explains the problem the tribunal faced: When the Charter of the Tribunal, which had been drawn up by the victors, was used by the prosecu [...]

Go Thank a Rich Person!

Wealthy people get a bum rap. In spite of the higher taxes they already pay, most people are in favor of punishing them for their wealth by taxing them even more. The truth is that wealthy people have made possible many of our modern technological advances as well as creating most people’s jobs. Watch this edition of Vantage Point for a biblical view of wealth and economy. [...]

Children's Books as Worldview Wedges

Most children’s literature is innocuous. There’s no stated social, moral, or political worldview found in Pat the Bunny or Toes, Ears, and Nose!, but there is always an underlying worldview that gets more specific with age. This is why parents and grandparents need to be careful. Books are more than their covers and what other people say about them. For example, And Tango Makes Thre ((Cristina Car [...]

The First Church of Liberal Ideology

While there is great disdain for mixing traditional religious principles with science, politics, and morality, secularists don’t seem to have a problem mixing their own brand of religion with their ideology. “For many,” Douglas Young, a professor of political science and history, argues, “their new religion is politics, their faith is their ideology, and their church is their political party. Like [...]

The First Principle of Economics (Text)

What is the first principle of economics? Some economists will claim that it’s supply and demand, while others insist that it’s scarcity or the division of labor. The first principle of economics is “thou shalt not steal.” The word economics is derived from two Greek words: oikos, meaning “house,” and nomos, meaning “law.” Combined we get “rules or laws of the house.” Economics is ethical before i [...]

The Berenstain Bears Get Religion

Worldview permeates everything, even children’s literature. In this episode of Vantage Point, Gary examines several children’s books and the worldviews they contain. Christian parents and grandparents should be aware of the worldview implications and take advantage of every opportunity for exercising worldview discernment. [...]

Butchering the Pledge of Allegiance

Atheist Michael Newdow has been pestering the courts to rule that the phrase “under God,” found in the Pledge of Allegiance, and “In God We Trust,” imprinted and stamped on our currency, are unconstitutional. In 2010, even the usually liberal San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Newdow’s legal challenges that the references to God are unconstitutional and infringe on his [...]

Do Conservatives Need Ayn Rand?

Shortly after Congressman Paul Ryan’s appearance at the 2011 Faith and Freedom Conference in D.C., a Bible-waving protester confronted the Chairman of the House Budget Committee and questioned him for modeling his proposed budget after “the extreme ideology of Ayn Rand rather than the basic economic justice values of the Bible.” The protestor offered Ryan a Bible and advised him to “bone up on wha [...]

Jack Van Impe: Wrong About Bible Prophecy, Right About Islam

Although Gary DeMar and Jack Van Impe have vastly different beliefs in regard to Bible prophecy, they can agree on Islam. TBN recently refused to air one of Van Impe’s programs because it criticized “chrislam”. Watch this episode of Vantage Point for more on the lunacy of trying to blend Christianity and Islam. [...]

Conservatives, Give Up Ayn Rand

Many conservatives look to Ayn Rand to help determine their economic policy. Her book “Atlas Shrugged” was influential in the recent Tea Party movement. Rand’s ideologies are not consistent with her atheistic worldview and as Christians we don’t need Rand to form our economic policies. Watch this episode of Vantage Point for a more detailed examination of the writings of Ay [...]

Trying to Justify Homosexuality by an Appeal to the Bible

My article “Justifying Bad Behavior with a Mix of Good” (June 13, 2011) was an introductory response to a lengthy email I received from an advocate of homosexuality. In his email, Mr. Himes argues for the normality and morality of homosexuality on several levels. He began by arguing that homosexuals are good people and homosexual behavior does not do any harm. I pointed out that all good people, e [...]

Justifying Bad Behavior with a Mix of Good

A pro-homosexual advocate named Ed Himes sent a lengthy letter to American Vision decrying how groups like American Vision and the American Family Association (the targeted recipient) “continue to harass, degrade and demean the Gay Community on a regular basis.” He objects to Christians who “pick on a group of good people that are NOT BAD and who hurts [sic] NO-ONE.” Mr. Himes’ operating assumptio [...]

"That's Not in the Bible"

I just got back from American Vision’s National Prophecy Conference. If you weren’t there, you missed a great time of teaching, fellowship, and beautiful scenery at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains. The speakers were first class. The amount of material covered was amazing. A good time was had by nearly all. Only two people — a couple — walk [...]

We Should Stop Persecuting Fornicators

The media has been all over Arnold Schwarzenegger for his extramarital affairs, much like the outcry over Tiger Woods and Bill Clinton’s affairs. Other sexual lifestyles such as homosexuality, bi-sexuality and the transgendered are widely accepted and even praised. Why is there this double standard? Maybe some people are born fornicators. Find out more in this episode of Vantage Point. [...]