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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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Resident Alien, Agent of a Foreign Power, Patriot
I planned to post this yesterday, but both work and family intervened, leaving me with insufficient time to complete the task. Work involved family as I helped my brother with a computer problem at his office. Family was in the form of listening to my stepson play baseball via the internet, as the Pensacola Pelicans…
Word Order and Thinking Order
There’s a new study out dealing with word order that’s fairly interesting. I’m just going to link to a post on this, other than to note that there are a number of serious questions in interpretation. The post is at Not Exactly Rocket Science, which I will add to my blogroll. Here’s the conclusion: Goldin-Meadow’s…
Oppose Fairness Doctrine
Here’s a case where I support a position taken by a number of religious right groups–the fairness doctrine. I don’t think it was ever appropriate, and it is both inappropriate and unnecessary now in the information age. The story is on the Christian Post. In the information age, all we need to do is refrain…
Lakeland as Viewed by a Pentecostal Skeptic
. . . at Lingamish. [Note: Linked post withdrawn by author Lingamish.] Well worth reading.
Christian Carnival Plug
It’s time to start thinking about submitting for the next Christian Carnival which will be hosted at Crossroads. The submission form is at http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_1551.html. Submissions are due Tuesday night by midnight each week. The upcoming hosting schedule is at Parableman.
The God Exception – Opening Shot
I’m going to try to divide this one up, because the topic promises to get a bit long. Also, objectors please note that I am aware of various approaches to theodicy and am not discussing them here. My point is simply that we assume some good explanation will be available for certain things, while do…
Christian Carnival CCXL Posted
. . . at Fish and Cans.
Peter Enns Writes on Inspiration and Incarnation
Earlier this year I commented twice on Dr. Peter Enns and the actions by WTS regarding his theology and writings. Now he has posted some additional information on his views and some responses to prior reviews of his work. (HT: An Evangelical Dialogue on Evolution, though I should note that this does not have to…
Biblical Studies Carnival XXX Posted
. . . at Codex. No, I’m not a participant, but it’s a source of good reading.
Trust the Executive Branch?
Liberals tend to trust the government to do right in social spending. Conservatives tend to trust the government on security issues. I’d suggest we do neither. It seems some appeals court judges agree. Allowing agents of the executive branch to simply declare someone outside the court system is ridiculous. I have a hard time understanding…
Todd Bentley Obedient to the Lord?
Dave Warnock links to this disturbing video of Todd Bentley. He discusses it further in his post Reflecting on cancer healing – Todd Bentley style. Peter Kirk writes on a related topic at Gentle Wisdom. Before I comment further, let me simply say that both of these are men whom I have to respect. I…
The Loom Moves
Carl Zimmer is a great science writer, and he will now be a columnist for Discover Magazine. Accordingly, his blog, The Loom, has moved there.
In Defense of Elitism
I was going to write a lengthy post with a great deal of substance, but then I spent the day working mostly on the Moderate Christian Blogroll and Blog Aggregator. I’ve already posted links to the new feeds I created, and will post the code for this tomorrow on my computer services blog, if all…
The Foreignness of the Bible
Richard Rhodes doesn’t think it’s all that foreign. Read about it at Better Bibles. I give this one 5 stars out of 5.
Continuing Moderate Christian Blogroll Saga
Since I believe there are still many Moderate Christian Blogroll members who watch this blog, but not the Moderate Christian Blogroll Blog, I’m going to link again to the current status. I have created new RSS feeds that should be including all sites properly. Go to this post to get details.
Donny Pauling on Jesus for President
There have been a number of articles on the book, the rallies, and the fact that evangelicals may no longer be a lock for either major party. As a long time independent (I switched from Republican to independent before the 1984 election after having been a Reagan activist in 1980), I am following the change…
Traveling through to Romans 8:1
So there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. — Romans 8:1 Oh how we long to get to this verse in studying the Bible. If we’re reading through, we may be tempted to rush it. It’s like working forward through a tragic book to the point at which we know…
Looking for a Good Sermon?
OK, I’m blogging on a Sunday morning before I go to church, but I will use as my excuse the fact that I get up substantially earlier than the world, or so it seems, and thus I do reading and such well before it’s time to go to church. I expect to hear an excellent…
What is the Best Bible Version?
There a teacher’s saying that there are no bad questions, except the ones you don’t ask. There’s another saying that says that once you know the right question, the right answer will follow. As with many one liners, these two seem to clash. On the front of my book What’s in a Version?, I have…
Flip-Flopping with Integrity
I an earlier post, Public Financing, Integrity, and Mixed Emotions I discussed my mixed emotions on Barack Obama’s flip-flop on public financing. I dislike public financing of campaigns, and it’s nice to see the system receive a body blow, but at the same time, I have a serious problem with Obama’s action. Before someone thinks…
Frank Hagan on Theistic Evolution
Closely related to my post today on theistic evolution is this post from Frank Hagan, also worth reading, and in response to the same pair of articles.
Evolution as God’s Tool
A post on the Panda’s Thumb today calls attention to this post from Uncommon Descent, which claims that theistic evolutionists must believe contradictory things: I would not have a problem understanding evolution as Gods creation tool, if TEs conceived of evolution as a tool in the strict sense. A tool in the strict sense is…
Moderate Christian Blogroll Feed Update
Read it here. While many people get there updates on this blog, I now post all moderate Christian blogroll data on the Moderate Christian Blogroll Blog.
A Simple Witness
The man was a good Christian. Any of us would be quite pleased to have his reputation for faith and Christian charity. He was part of a study group I led, and we were discussing witnessing. “I’m afraid to put a fish symbol on my car,” he said. “I might do something that’s not Christlike,…