Common sense may be more common than sense. There are any number of shorthand aphorisms in the world and in the church that shape our thinking, but don’t stand up to scrutiny, at least right away. Below are five common expressions that might fit under the banner of common sense, that I just can’t make sense out of. There may be good arguments behind all or some of them, but that is rather a far thing from being a self-evident truth.
MORE: 5 Common Expressions I've Never Understood by R.C. Sproul Jr. | Ligonier Ministries Blog
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Friday, September 13, 2013
Football vs. faith -- can you love football and still be a good Christian? | Fox News
Football season officially began this week. The most popular sport in America will once again headline sports pages, influence workplace conversations and impact family life.
Many Americans love their football and many love their faith.
For some, football is a religion, but for many more, football and their faith are perfect partners.
MORE: Football vs. faith -- can you love football and still be a good Christian? | Fox News
Many Americans love their football and many love their faith.
For some, football is a religion, but for many more, football and their faith are perfect partners.
MORE: Football vs. faith -- can you love football and still be a good Christian? | Fox News
Baptist Press -FIRST-PERSON: Kirk Cameron's 'Unstoppable' faith - News with a Christian Perspective
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- I'm not sure I could take the slings and arrows Kirk Cameron has had to dodge or endure.
Cameron is famous and talented but add devotion to your Christian walk and there’s a huge target on your back. The star of the sitcom "Growing Pains," the "Left Behind" apocalyptic series, the breakthrough faith-based drama "Fireproof" and the insightful documentary "Monumental" is paying a price for his gifts and resolve.
MORE: Baptist Press -FIRST-PERSON: Kirk Cameron's 'Unstoppable' faith - News with a Christian Perspective
Cameron is famous and talented but add devotion to your Christian walk and there’s a huge target on your back. The star of the sitcom "Growing Pains," the "Left Behind" apocalyptic series, the breakthrough faith-based drama "Fireproof" and the insightful documentary "Monumental" is paying a price for his gifts and resolve.
MORE: Baptist Press -FIRST-PERSON: Kirk Cameron's 'Unstoppable' faith - News with a Christian Perspective
Saturday, July 13, 2013
SBTS Resources » The Challenge of Islam—A Christian Perspective
The issue of Islam is never far from our headlines. Early in his administration, President Barack Obama put the issue of Islam front and center on the international stage. His visits to Islamic-dominated lands and his public statements to the Muslim world have raised a host of questions at home and abroad.
In a speech to the Turkish parliament, President Obama declared: “The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.” He went on to say that “our partnership with the Muslim world is critical not just in rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths reject, but also to strengthen opportunity for all its people.”
But the President also spoke of his “deep appreciation for the Islamic faith.” Here is the statement in context:
(MORE): SBTS Resources » The Challenge of Islam—A Christian Perspective
In a speech to the Turkish parliament, President Obama declared: “The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.” He went on to say that “our partnership with the Muslim world is critical not just in rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths reject, but also to strengthen opportunity for all its people.”
But the President also spoke of his “deep appreciation for the Islamic faith.” Here is the statement in context:
(MORE): SBTS Resources » The Challenge of Islam—A Christian Perspective
Friday, June 21, 2013
Some Thoughts on Modern-Day Euthanasia
by Craig Lofthus, Founder and Director of The Father’s Ranch, "a a place of hope and healing for woman caught in various addictions."
June 2013
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them.” Genesis 1:28
My wife Sharon and I have been caring for her blind brother Paul for 4 months
now. He’s 58 years old and is struggling with brain seizures and dementia. He
has recently been in and out of the hospital quite a few times, but his most
recent stay was quite an eye-opener for us. The hospital medical staff and
social workers went to great lengths to “educate” Sharon and me on the only
humane and decent action for Paul or for anyone in Paul’s circumstances. Their
counsel was…“let him die peacefully and painlessly by restricting his food and
using terminal sedation agents.” Even where assisted suicide is illegal, many
hospitals now endorse this “terminal sedation” which is the ethically murky
practice of anesthetizing patients and then cutting off their nutrition and
liquids. As a matter of fact, their counsel had been more like aggressive
harassment than advice. Once they perceived we did not agree with their plans,
their euthanasia campaigning was shifted into high gear, and we were bombarded
with their “right to die” hostile rhetoric! They said that the care Paul is
requiring is so substantial, laborious, and expensive that we can’t justify not
letting him die. After all, Paul didn’t represent a viable, valuable return for
the future. I’m thinking…“so now human life has a price tag?” In addition,
they said that Paul could no longer have any kind of “quality of life”. This
one made me wonder…“who is it that defines this ‘quality of life’ ideology and
verbiage so often used by euthanasia advocates, and what metrics are being used
to determine “quality of life”?
In the course of Paul’s hospitalization and treatment, we had time to really
consider what the “living will” and the concept of euthanasia (Greek word for
good death) means today. When I contemplate the concept of “dying well,” I
can’t avoid the uneasy feeling that it actually means dying when the
intellectual elite think it is appropriate for you to die! The liberal,
euthanasia ideology that is being taught throughout our academic and medical
institutions is making its way into every corner of America’s hospitals and
nursing homes. As Paul’s medical POA, Sharon and I have refused to sign a “good
death” roadmap that would give medical staff permission to euthanize our brother
Paul.
Given advances in medical treatments and technologies, end of life issues can be
truly vexing and excruciatingly difficult — even for those who attempt to think
ahead. I realize that living wills are a central fact of life and death in
medical centers, nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals. Groups such as the
American Bar Association and the American Medical Association push living wills
and advanced directives as a way of limiting care at the (perceived) end of
life. The whole point of a living will is to allow medical personnel not to
resuscitate or to deny “artificial” food, water, and breathing assistance. This
way the patient dies through acts of omission, not commission. Somehow this
makes the participation in their death more palatable and ethical? I
wholeheartedly disagree.
The classic Hippocratic Oath and its prohibition against physicians giving
people a “deadly drug” has collapsed with the growing acceptance of such notions
as physician-assisted suicide, the “right to die,” and even giving some very
sick, disabled, or demented people a little push over the edge. People facing
end-of-life decisions may well feel strong pressure from the medical and
bioethical establishments to make the choice that will save the most money as
well as spare their relatives, medical staff, and society at large the burden of
their continued existence.
This movement toward a “good death” has spread to places once
thought safe from the temptation of euthanasia. The American Academy of Hospice
and Palliative Medicine reversed its long-standing opposition to
physician-assisted suicide (which is legal in Oregon but is obviously being
quietly practiced by many doctors elsewhere) and adopted a new set of rules that
effectively endorsed the practice. The academy even decided on a new euphemism
for the procedure: “physician-assisted death.” Changing “physician-assisted
suicide” to “physician-assisted death” is a clever manipulation of the language,
but it cannot disguise the fact that the key word to the concept is death —
assisted by a physician. Have you noticed how groups advocating death so often
use manipulative and misleading language? Let’s put the players on the field
folks. Today’s euthanasia culture is a rank violation of the 6th commandment,
commanding us that we…“shall not murder.” Euthanasia is a slippery slope.
The idea of a self-defined “good death” has its place in the pagan cultures of
history but not in the Biblical culture of Christianity. Christians should
understand and embrace the reality of death, but we must also affirm the gift
and value of life. The Bible makes it clear that we are not the masters of our
own destinies, nor are we the sovereigns of our own souls. As Christians, our
lives belong to the Lord and are in God’s hands at all times (1st Cor 6:19, 20).
This society’s pilgrimage down a wide road to euthanasia should concern all
citizens but Christians in particular. When life is believed to come from the
cosmic, evolutionary muck and mire that eventually developed into mankind as we
know him today, then the lack of care and concern for life that we are seeing is
totally consistent.
What the intellectual elite fail to take into account is that humans have been
made by God and in the image of God. This gives human life eternal value and
significance and should change the paradigm on euthanasia completely. For the
Christian, death should be longingly anticipated as the royal gate by which we
joyfully enter into the Celestial City, yet we must remember that it is the
right of the King to summon His subjects when, where, and how He deems it
appropriate and right. We understand that many of the reasons Biblical thinking
Christians are coming into conflict with secular, humanistic thinkers in the
realm of euthanasia is because of what we believe about the origins of life. Is
the topic of euthanasia connected to creationism and evolution? Yes,
undoubtedly so. In the end, my hope is not to have a “good death” according to
the euthanasia advocates but rather to die in faith and in peace according to
the Scriptures.
(used with permission from The Father's Ranch June newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, visit The Father's Ranch website.)
June 2013
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them.” Genesis 1:28
My wife Sharon and I have been caring for her blind brother Paul for 4 months
now. He’s 58 years old and is struggling with brain seizures and dementia. He
has recently been in and out of the hospital quite a few times, but his most
recent stay was quite an eye-opener for us. The hospital medical staff and
social workers went to great lengths to “educate” Sharon and me on the only
humane and decent action for Paul or for anyone in Paul’s circumstances. Their
counsel was…“let him die peacefully and painlessly by restricting his food and
using terminal sedation agents.” Even where assisted suicide is illegal, many
hospitals now endorse this “terminal sedation” which is the ethically murky
practice of anesthetizing patients and then cutting off their nutrition and
liquids. As a matter of fact, their counsel had been more like aggressive
harassment than advice. Once they perceived we did not agree with their plans,
their euthanasia campaigning was shifted into high gear, and we were bombarded
with their “right to die” hostile rhetoric! They said that the care Paul is
requiring is so substantial, laborious, and expensive that we can’t justify not
letting him die. After all, Paul didn’t represent a viable, valuable return for
the future. I’m thinking…“so now human life has a price tag?” In addition,
they said that Paul could no longer have any kind of “quality of life”. This
one made me wonder…“who is it that defines this ‘quality of life’ ideology and
verbiage so often used by euthanasia advocates, and what metrics are being used
to determine “quality of life”?
In the course of Paul’s hospitalization and treatment, we had time to really
consider what the “living will” and the concept of euthanasia (Greek word for
good death) means today. When I contemplate the concept of “dying well,” I
can’t avoid the uneasy feeling that it actually means dying when the
intellectual elite think it is appropriate for you to die! The liberal,
euthanasia ideology that is being taught throughout our academic and medical
institutions is making its way into every corner of America’s hospitals and
nursing homes. As Paul’s medical POA, Sharon and I have refused to sign a “good
death” roadmap that would give medical staff permission to euthanize our brother
Paul.
Given advances in medical treatments and technologies, end of life issues can be
truly vexing and excruciatingly difficult — even for those who attempt to think
ahead. I realize that living wills are a central fact of life and death in
medical centers, nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals. Groups such as the
American Bar Association and the American Medical Association push living wills
and advanced directives as a way of limiting care at the (perceived) end of
life. The whole point of a living will is to allow medical personnel not to
resuscitate or to deny “artificial” food, water, and breathing assistance. This
way the patient dies through acts of omission, not commission. Somehow this
makes the participation in their death more palatable and ethical? I
wholeheartedly disagree.
The classic Hippocratic Oath and its prohibition against physicians giving
people a “deadly drug” has collapsed with the growing acceptance of such notions
as physician-assisted suicide, the “right to die,” and even giving some very
sick, disabled, or demented people a little push over the edge. People facing
end-of-life decisions may well feel strong pressure from the medical and
bioethical establishments to make the choice that will save the most money as
well as spare their relatives, medical staff, and society at large the burden of
their continued existence.
This movement toward a “good death” has spread to places once
thought safe from the temptation of euthanasia. The American Academy of Hospice
and Palliative Medicine reversed its long-standing opposition to
physician-assisted suicide (which is legal in Oregon but is obviously being
quietly practiced by many doctors elsewhere) and adopted a new set of rules that
effectively endorsed the practice. The academy even decided on a new euphemism
for the procedure: “physician-assisted death.” Changing “physician-assisted
suicide” to “physician-assisted death” is a clever manipulation of the language,
but it cannot disguise the fact that the key word to the concept is death —
assisted by a physician. Have you noticed how groups advocating death so often
use manipulative and misleading language? Let’s put the players on the field
folks. Today’s euthanasia culture is a rank violation of the 6th commandment,
commanding us that we…“shall not murder.” Euthanasia is a slippery slope.
The idea of a self-defined “good death” has its place in the pagan cultures of
history but not in the Biblical culture of Christianity. Christians should
understand and embrace the reality of death, but we must also affirm the gift
and value of life. The Bible makes it clear that we are not the masters of our
own destinies, nor are we the sovereigns of our own souls. As Christians, our
lives belong to the Lord and are in God’s hands at all times (1st Cor 6:19, 20).
This society’s pilgrimage down a wide road to euthanasia should concern all
citizens but Christians in particular. When life is believed to come from the
cosmic, evolutionary muck and mire that eventually developed into mankind as we
know him today, then the lack of care and concern for life that we are seeing is
totally consistent.
What the intellectual elite fail to take into account is that humans have been
made by God and in the image of God. This gives human life eternal value and
significance and should change the paradigm on euthanasia completely. For the
Christian, death should be longingly anticipated as the royal gate by which we
joyfully enter into the Celestial City, yet we must remember that it is the
right of the King to summon His subjects when, where, and how He deems it
appropriate and right. We understand that many of the reasons Biblical thinking
Christians are coming into conflict with secular, humanistic thinkers in the
realm of euthanasia is because of what we believe about the origins of life. Is
the topic of euthanasia connected to creationism and evolution? Yes,
undoubtedly so. In the end, my hope is not to have a “good death” according to
the euthanasia advocates but rather to die in faith and in peace according to
the Scriptures.
(used with permission from The Father's Ranch June newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, visit The Father's Ranch website.)
Friday, June 7, 2013
Do you know the 7 marks of discipleship? — Transition Ministries Group
Can you give a clear, concise and biblically accurate description of a disciple of Jesus?
If so, you are a select member of an elite club.
Do you know the 7 marks of discipleship? — Transition Ministries Group
If so, you are a select member of an elite club.
Do you know the 7 marks of discipleship? — Transition Ministries Group
The five people you can count on most | Pastor Joe McKeever
If you would take a leadership role in the Kingdom of God, you will be needing fellow workers. You will not be able to nor will you be asked to do this alone.
The question will come up as to whom you can trust. You will have to decide the quality of the men and women with whom you are surrounded, particularly in determining your inner circle of leadership and responsibility.
Here are five people you can depend on no matter what is happening….
The five people you can count on most | Pastor Joe McKeever
The question will come up as to whom you can trust. You will have to decide the quality of the men and women with whom you are surrounded, particularly in determining your inner circle of leadership and responsibility.
Here are five people you can depend on no matter what is happening….
The five people you can count on most | Pastor Joe McKeever
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective
NASHVILLE (BP) -- While not all churchgoers are particularly transparent or open about their faith, mature Christians are consistent in character and identity around non-believers, LifeWay research reveals.
The survey of Protestant churchgoers identifies "unashamed" as one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of maturing Christians. Being unashamed connotes a boldness to stand for one's beliefs in conversation and lifestyle, LifeWay Research director Scott McConnell said.
MORE - Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective
The survey of Protestant churchgoers identifies "unashamed" as one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of maturing Christians. Being unashamed connotes a boldness to stand for one's beliefs in conversation and lifestyle, LifeWay Research director Scott McConnell said.
MORE - Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective
We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes: Column
When tragedies strike, deep and abiding religious convictions, shared by so many in our country, rise to the surface and reveal what was thought to be discarded.
Much has been written about the secularization of America, and in some ways that is the case. Pew Research found that one in five adults in our nation have no religious affiliation, a group identified as the "Nones."
Often times, research like this and other anecdotes about the waning influence of Christianity on the public square are presented as proof that America is no longer a religious nation. This supposedly demonstrates that we have left our religious traditions in history's dustbin. Then, a tragedy strikes. More -
We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes: Column
Much has been written about the secularization of America, and in some ways that is the case. Pew Research found that one in five adults in our nation have no religious affiliation, a group identified as the "Nones."
Often times, research like this and other anecdotes about the waning influence of Christianity on the public square are presented as proof that America is no longer a religious nation. This supposedly demonstrates that we have left our religious traditions in history's dustbin. Then, a tragedy strikes. More -
We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes: Column
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Jackie Robinson and the Pattern of Jesus - Desiring God
It was 1948, during Jackie Robinson’s second season in Major League Baseball, when some bigots in Cincinnati were really giving him the business.
Just the previous year, Robinson had been the one with the monumental courage to break the color barrier as the first African American of the modern era to play in baseball’s highest league. He had endured unthinkable cruelty and injustice for de-segregating the game, and he was succeeding on the field and off. Not only did he bat just a shade under .300 in 1947, and was named Rookie of the Year, but he was holding his tongue, and fists, and not fighting back.
But now, in his second campaign, some still weren’t convinced. Eric Metaxas tells the story of the “signature moment” that happened in 1948. MORE: Jackie Robinson and the Pattern of Jesus - Desiring God
Just the previous year, Robinson had been the one with the monumental courage to break the color barrier as the first African American of the modern era to play in baseball’s highest league. He had endured unthinkable cruelty and injustice for de-segregating the game, and he was succeeding on the field and off. Not only did he bat just a shade under .300 in 1947, and was named Rookie of the Year, but he was holding his tongue, and fists, and not fighting back.
But now, in his second campaign, some still weren’t convinced. Eric Metaxas tells the story of the “signature moment” that happened in 1948. MORE: Jackie Robinson and the Pattern of Jesus - Desiring God
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Changes in Religious Identities in the USA
Shifting Religious Identities (USA Today) "Explore this interactive graphic showing data collected over 18 years from the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). The 2008 results, to be released today, are based on 54,000 interviews with a margin of error of plus or minus 0.5%. It finds that, despite population growth and immigration adding nearly 50 million more adults, almost all denominations have lost ground since the first ARIS data was released in 1990.
FULL STORY: For many in USA, religion is now fill-in-the-blank
FAITH & REASON: What's your religious 'path?' Any? Many? or None?..."
FULL STORY: For many in USA, religion is now fill-in-the-blank
FAITH & REASON: What's your religious 'path?' Any? Many? or None?..."
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Don’t Be a Jerk Online (CNN Belief Blog). "...'So then why are there so many hateful Christian blogs? Why do Christians write bitter messages on Twitter? Why do we send hate mail? I think there are two reasons Christians are jerks online..."
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