by: Denny Burk
Cathleen Falsani has recently republished the full transcript of an hour long interview with candidate Barack Obama about his faith. The information is not new, but it is relevant to recent conversations on the topic of President Obama’s Christianity. The interview took place in 2004 when Obama was still a state senator in Illinois. It was a couple days after Obama had clinched the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat that he eventually won, and four months before he was introduced to the rest of the country in his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The interview focuses entirely on Obama’s faith, and I think it opens a wide window on the version of Christianity that he professes.
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Thursday, March 1, 2012
Five Evangelical Myths or Half Truths
By RC Sproul, Jr.
It can happen even in careful systematic theology. How much more so in popular parlance? We take what the Bible actually teaches, rephrase it so we can understand it, and end up believing our own phrasing, rather than the actual biblical truth. It’s not malicious, but it is dangerous. What follows are five common thoughts, common expressions, within the evangelical church that just aren’t so.
1. “All sins are equal in the sight of God.”
Well, no. It is true enough that every sin is worthy of God’s eternal wrath. It is true enough that if we have broken part of the law we have broken the law (James actually says this.) It is true enough that unjust anger is a violation of the commandment against murder (Jesus actually says this.) None of this, however, means all sins are equal in the sight of God. To say that because all sins deserve eternal wrath means they are all equal is like saying that all numbers over 100 are equal. The truth is that Jesus said of the Pharisees that while they rightly tithed their mint and their cumin, they neglected the weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23). No sin is weightless, but some weigh more than others.
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It can happen even in careful systematic theology. How much more so in popular parlance? We take what the Bible actually teaches, rephrase it so we can understand it, and end up believing our own phrasing, rather than the actual biblical truth. It’s not malicious, but it is dangerous. What follows are five common thoughts, common expressions, within the evangelical church that just aren’t so.
1. “All sins are equal in the sight of God.”
Well, no. It is true enough that every sin is worthy of God’s eternal wrath. It is true enough that if we have broken part of the law we have broken the law (James actually says this.) It is true enough that unjust anger is a violation of the commandment against murder (Jesus actually says this.) None of this, however, means all sins are equal in the sight of God. To say that because all sins deserve eternal wrath means they are all equal is like saying that all numbers over 100 are equal. The truth is that Jesus said of the Pharisees that while they rightly tithed their mint and their cumin, they neglected the weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23). No sin is weightless, but some weigh more than others.
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ACTION ALERT: Bill Requiring Mandatory Insurance for Abortion Advances in the Legislature.
by John Geis | February 24, 2012
The Washington State Legislature (WSL) is moving a bill that forces all individuals to purchase and all businesses sell abortion insurance coverage on a maternity plan. This is clearly an attempt to impose a state abortion mandate at the hands and under the direct bidding of Planned Parenthood and NARAL.
The Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2330 passed from the House floor with 52 yes votes and 46 no votes, where three democrats voted against it. It then passed through several Senate hurdles to end up in the Ways and Means committee for a public hearing yesterday, where our testimony was excellent. The bill awaits an Executive Session in that committee on Monday, Feb 27th at 1:30pm or 3:30pm. MORE
The Bible and Birth Control
(Tim Challies) I have been asked to write about the Christian position on birth control. This is something I have discussed in the past, but there are many ways to approach the topic and this time I would like to approach it from a bit of a different angle. I intend to share how I have gone about arriving at my own position. I will begin by immediately stating what the Bible clearly forbids when it comes to birth control. From there I will survey the Bible to find principles that are helpful in the discussion. That will take us to the end of this article, leaving me to say more another day.
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Saturday, February 25, 2012
FAQ on Washington State Same-Sex Referendum 74
(Family Policy Institute)
1. When will petitions be available?
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1. When will petitions be available?
Petitions will likely be available during the first week of March. The ballot title and short description that appear on the ballot will be proposed, revised, and possibly litigated if challenged by opponents of the Referendum. After that, the petitions have to be designed to meet legal guidelines and then printed. All of this will take 2-3 weeks.
2. Where can I get petitions?
2. Where can I get petitions?
You can sign up to have a petition mailed to you at www.fpiw.org or at www.preservemarriagewashington.com. There will also be dozens of locations throughout Washington where the petitions will be available to be picked up in person. Those locations will be available on the FPIW and Preserve Marriage Washington websites once the petitions are available and the locations have been finalized.
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