Totalitarian propaganda can outrageously insult common sense only where common sense has lost its validity.Hannah Arendt In the historical record, it seems it is normal for normal people to worry they are losing their minds while totalitarians come to power. Propaganda, censorship, and the use of violence are so common, that we can scarcely read... Continue Reading →
Do No Orwellian Harm
Part of the transformational shift happening in our culture right now is a redefinition of terms leading to consequences that baffle and anger a lot of people. One such example comes in the form of a bill introduced to Congress by (then) Senator Kamala Harris, which is now back on the table, dubbed the Do... Continue Reading →
Storming the Capitol
There is still hope in Christ, and in the Christian church as it faithfully follows Christ. It is true that Christianity is about the love and grace of Christ, but it is too often overlooked by many that Christianity is a faith of knowledge, truth, and reason. Protests are, more often than not, an expression... Continue Reading →
My 2020 in Books
I really thought I would get a lot more reading done in 2020. Afterall, I, along with billions of my closest friends, was confined to my home for weeks. It turns out, however, that lockdown time is not the same thing as down time. Nevertheless, I managed to get through a lot of books, including... Continue Reading →
Faithful Pastors in Pandemics
I think faithful pastors are heroes right now. I have nothing to take away from the hard work and suffering of those we consider to be first responders during the COVID pandemic. Nurses, doctors, police and fire, grocery workers, delivery drivers, a lot of teachers, and so many more, have all extended themselves in 2020... Continue Reading →
Pastor on Prow and at the Wheel
Pastors face pressure all the time from people both within and from without their congregation. Christians have varying sets of expectations of pastors, and people with no particular religious affiliation also believe they know what pastors should be doing. In a twist of very-like-a-human irony, people who hate the idea of God also think they... Continue Reading →
Bonhoeffer and Loving Our Enemies
Every Christian needs to be informed of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A theologian and pastor, he also enters the historical record as a spy, a cultural prophet, and eventually a martyr. He pastored and led during the rise of Nazi Germany, through World War II, and lost his life in a concentration camp hours... Continue Reading →
There is Hope in Original Sin
The American culture has made the decision that in order to fix what is wrong with society it needs to split people up into small groups of individuals according to some of the most superficial traits we have: skin color, genitals, and income. Think about that for a moment. We think we have identified a... Continue Reading →
Lockdowns are not an Inconvenience. They are Inhumane.
There is an economic principle that we should all learn in a Civics class sometime in Middle School. The catchy acronym is: T.A.N.S.T.A.A.F.L. (pronounced, “Tanstafl”). It stands for, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” The principle is a simple observation of the choices we make – there is always a trade-off, and... Continue Reading →
Christian Love and its Fruits
Jonathan Edwards on self-love, selfishness, and Christian Charity (love): “Sin, like some powerful astringent, contracted his soul to the very small dimensions of selfishness; and God was forsaken, and fellow-creatures forsaken, and man retired within himself, and became totally governed by narrow and selfish principles and feelings. Self-love became absolute master of his soul, and... Continue Reading →