Category Archives: Christianity

A Christmas Story for Grown-Ups

Posted on December 23, 2017 by salooper57

Most Christmas story books are for kids. They either tell a story that has almost nothing to do with the first Christmas – think, A Christmas Carol, for example, or Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer – or they whitewash the first … Continue reading →

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e-Christianity and the e-Christians it Produces

Posted on December 16, 2017 by salooper57

Work schedule getting in the way of church? Don’t like the preacher? Out too late on Saturday night and unable to get up for Sunday service? No worries. There’s always e-Church. You can do church online: stream services, listen to … Continue reading →

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Increasingly Irreligious America (It’s Not All Bad)

Posted on December 9, 2017 by salooper57

Two Muslim men once came to our Sunday worship service. The morning’s Scripture text, from the Book of Genesis, featured the story of Abraham’s visit to Egypt. Muslims revere Abraham and regard him as one of the special messengers God … Continue reading →

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America Needs a Workable Sexual Ethic

Posted on December 2, 2017 by salooper57

Not Matt Lauer too. I liked Matt Lauer. He seemed like a down-to-earth guy, someone who enjoyed his work and was good at it. Unlike some of the people on television, I never felt like Matt Lauer thought he was … Continue reading →

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Which Bible Translation Should I Use?

Posted on November 10, 2017 by salooper57

Church members often ask pastors the same questions again and again. One of the more frequent ones, with a preamble, goes something like this: “Pastor, I need to get a new Bible. What would you recommend?” It’s no wonder people … Continue reading →

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The Invasion of Wild Boar: 500 Years Later

Posted on October 28, 2017 by salooper57

The Invasion of Wild Boar: 500 Years Later Tuesday, October 31, marks the 500th anniversary of the day on which an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in … Continue reading →

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What Teleportation Teaches Us About Our Entanglement With Christ

Posted on October 25, 2017 by salooper57

When news broke this summer that Chinese scientists had engineered the successful “teleportation” of a photon over a distance greater than 300 miles, Star Trek fans around the globe rejoiced. It was, however, a belated celebration: teleportation has been around … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, In the News, Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Ala Carte Menu for Theological Consumption

Posted on October 8, 2017 by salooper57

Dr. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr,. senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary, once wrote: “As the Father rescues his people from the powers of darkness and resettles them inside the kingdom … Continue reading →

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It’s Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be

Posted on September 9, 2017 by salooper57

Orthodox Christianity has, at least from the time of Augustine, upheld the doctrine of original sin. According to the church, the first man’s rebellion against his creator left all humanity guilty before God and damaged in their nature. When Adam … Continue reading →

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Avoid a Bandwagon Brand of Politics

Posted on September 2, 2017 by salooper57

I was recently asked, point-blank, if I was a liberal or a conservative. No one has ever asked me that question before – at least not directly. There have been times, however, when people have told me what I am: … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith, In the News | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments