Category Archives: Worldview and Culture

Jesus: Liberal or Conservative?

Posted on October 19, 2024 by salooper57

When it comes to the question of whether Jesus is a conservative or a liberal, I think there is evidence for both, but there is no evidence that he is a Republican or a Democrat. He calls Republicans and Democrats to join his side. He will not join theirs. Continue reading →

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The Gospel in a World of Fake News

Posted on June 1, 2024 by salooper57

In 2016, the Oxford Dictionaries people chose the term “post-truth” as their “word of the year.” Questions about truth and even doubts about there being such a thing pervade society. A number of things have brought us to this place, … Continue reading →

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How to Find Freedom From Anger

Posted on May 25, 2024 by salooper57

A professor at the University of Texas once gave students an unusual assignment: if you have ever thought about killing someone, write an essay about it. 91 percent of the men and 84 percent of the women handed in detailed, … Continue reading →

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Antinomianism in America: Adrift on a Perilous Sea

Posted on May 18, 2024 by salooper57

We have a problem. Americans have been infected by antinomianism, and it is modifying their behavior, impacting their relationships, and weakening social bonds. If antinomianism is a disease, it is not a physical one. If it is contagious, it is … Continue reading →

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Hope Wins in the Battle of Worldviews

Posted on April 6, 2024 by salooper57

The battle for worldviews – religious, atheistic, and materialistic – is nothing new. Today, it is dominated by monotheistic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, along with materialistic atheism, and the postmodern rejection of absolute truth. In the first century, … Continue reading →

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Faith, Politics, and the Problem of Selective Sight

Posted on February 24, 2024 by salooper57

Another election year, and it’s going to get ugly. As the citizen of a liberal democracy, I know we must have elections, but as the pastor of a church I came to dread them. People I have known to be … Continue reading →

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Christian Nationalism: The Seduction of a Different Gospel

Posted on December 2, 2023 by salooper57

In an article from 2019, Newsweek summarized a Pew Research Center Study this way: “While Americans largely have a positive view of the role of religion in public life, they overwhelmingly want religious institutions to stay out of politics.” I … Continue reading →

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The Vacant House: A Horror Story Jesus Told

Posted on November 4, 2023 by salooper57

Jesus once told a story about an “impure spirit” that “comes out of a person” and “goes through arid places seeking rest” but does not find it. The spirit then says to itself, “I will return to the house I … Continue reading →

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Did Christianity Support the Institution of Slavery?

Posted on September 16, 2023 by salooper57

Though Christians like the Apostles Paul and Peter accepted slavery as a societal institution, they also recognized the dangers inherent in it. They insisted that Christian masters treat their slaves justly, and offered counsel to slaves that would make their lives better. Continue reading →

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Finding a Place to Stand in the Culture War

Posted on September 9, 2023 by salooper57

The culture war has left little space to stand, but there remains the higher ground of Jesus’s lordship and biblical teaching. Those who stand here must refuse to allow cultural battles to force them to retreat or to move them to antipathy for those with whom they disagree.   Continue reading →

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