Featured Posts
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What Is Biblical Literacy?
We complain about it, write about it, claim it’s important or even critical, design programs to create it, but what is it? I don’t mean that none of us know what we mean when we say “biblically literate” or “biblically illiterate,” but do we all mean the same thing? I don’t think we do, and…
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Fences: Mending or Rending
The following is a sermon I presented at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Pensacola on September 11,2005 and originally posted here on September 13, 2005. I’m reposting it because when I went to look for it, I found that the original post had somehow been truncated, and also because there is a one word at a…
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Experiencing the (Baptism of the) Holy Spirit
This is a topic where I tend to make just about everyone uncomfortable. Long time readers may recall a previous discussion of speaking in tongues, and my own experience of it. Those who expect me to be intellectually oriented and rational are uncomfortable with mystical experiences, and many who are comfortable with the mystical experiences…
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In Which I Pay for Following Links
Metacatholic reports that Jim West has taken leave of his senses, and since I always read whatever Doug has to say (though not Jim)*, I wandered over to see what would make Doug say such a thing. I found there some odd notes on the relationship of science and faith, as report by Doug of…
Christian Carnival Hosting
I believe there are a number of Christian readers of this blog who have never participated in or hosted the Christian Carnival. If you are one of these, let me suggest participation. If you don’t want to do it for the fun of reading all those entries, consider doing it for the incoming links and…
If You Are Having Trouble Accessing God, Read This
When I’m teaching church members, I like to emphasize service in one’s choice of a church congregation. The best congregation for you is the one where you can best fulfill your call to minister to others. I believe everyone has such a call. That’s a generalization that often doesn’t answer that many questions, but it…
Christian Carnival CCLXI Posted
… at The Ignorant Historian. There’s some good stuff in there. I also remind folks of the new archive I’m maintaining here.
Christian Carnival Archive
I have created a new Christian Carnival Archive, which includes posts to date, and also links to the previous archives, so that you can have one central place from which to locate all available Christian Carnival editions.
Government Oversight in Action
The only thing worse than lack of oversight may be oversight. Citigroup is supposed to refuse delivery of a plane they ordered in 2005. I’d love to know the bottom line, but paying a penalty for breaking a contract doesn’t sound like a good use of the money either. Oh, it was a French company….
A Note from my Wife
… discussing the John Webb Winter Golf Tournament, which is what consumes our family at this time of year. Take a look. It’s a good cause.
Free Speech and Savings Possible
… at one blow. Eliminate these. I have never been able to understand how controls on the money people use in order to speak could be considered consistent with free speech. In fact, it’s a way to control speech. So we could eliminate regulations, reduce the federal budget, make it easier to get into campaigning…
Bad Reasons for Getting Out of a War
I’m an opponent of the Iraq war, but I oppose it on strategic grounds. Even now, I believe that we have gained very little, and are in fact worse off than when we started. After a period of time we will find that Iraq has become another haven for terrorists, perhaps not as bad as…
The Need for my Series on Interpreting the Bible
… amongst many other things. As I’m preparing to move forward in this series, which covers only one small area, I find this post from the generally enlightening Jason Rosenhouse, who lauds simplistic arguments in putting down other simplistic arguments. He approvingly quotes Coyne: Unfortunately, some theologians with a deistic bent seem to think that…
A Thousand Word Picture
… or perhaps forbidding a thousand words, at Exploring our Matrix.
Using Greek and Hebrew in Preaching
Bill Mounce has some excellent suggestions.
Dr. Reich Stirs up some Hornets
I’ve been following Dr. Reich’s blog ever since I discovered it during the primary season. He was Labor Secretary during the Clinton administration, and I recall not always agreeing with him at the time, though I don’t recall the details. In any case, from the time when TARP was passed through the auto industry bailout,…
Interpreting the Bible – Mid-Course Focus
This isn’t a summary of previous posts, but rather an attempt to focus on the issue I’m trying to address with this series before I continue. The problem with a series like this is that the examples begin to take over the topic. Since I have used complementarianism and theistic evolution as examples, and brought…
A Caution to Republicans and Democrats
I’m an independent who voted Democratic this time. Now obviously I can’t speak for independents as a group. That is, after all, what independent means. One of the things I wanted was bipartisanship, and my impression is that either I don’t know what that means or most of the people in Washington DC are pretty…
Lost Generation?
This is a great video: HT: Hit the Back Button to Move Fwd.
The Press is No More Intelligent
I just watched the initial White House press briefing. I was watching on MSNBC, and immediately afterwards one of the reporters commented that the briefing was quite contentious, that the press corps was “feisty” and that this should lay to rest any idea that the press, which was pretty negative on President Bush, would fail…
And Now for a Liberal Attack on Free Speech
… in the Netherlands.
This Should Have Happened Yesterday
Senate confirms Clinton as secretary of state. Two things will keep me annoyed with Republicans–failure to stand up for principles and useless gestures for no purpose. This was the latter.
The Freedom to be Dumb
Well, actually you should have the freedom to be dumb, but not on the public school budget. For all those who wonder why I strongly oppose so-called academic freedom bills applying to the High School science curriculum, see this site. Cool, no?
Good Place to Reduce Spending
Legalize Pot (HT: Dispatches). Less law enforcement, less jail expenses, more revenue from taxing the legalized sales. Win, win, win.
Christian Carnival Fifth Anniversay Edition Posted
… at Fish and Cans. I am overwhelmed with work and didn’t get around to making a submission, but there’s bunches of good stuff. Folks who have been reading my work on inerrancy either here or at my Threads blog should see Jeremy Pierce’s contribution
Keeping Women from Ministry is a Sin
… or so said this pastor last May, thus showing that there are folks who use harsher language about this than I do.
A Few Kicks in the Rear
I think that President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech was less about soaring rhetoric and more about giving the nation a few kicks in the rear, though only in the nicest way. Yet the kicks were firm for all of that. While government has work to do, we all need to change our attitude and get…