Outspoken atheist Bill Maher closed his “Real Time” HBO show February 5 ranting against Christianity. Such invective is common for Maher, but this tirade was shamelessly biased, infused with unveiled hatred, and remarkably uninformed. And we need to pay attention. Since the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, secularists and postmodern progressives have seized upon any opportunity to cast the Jan. 6 riot as an illustration of hateful Christians, claiming that evangelical Christians were kowtowing to…
Something just doesn’t add up in Oregon. Following trends in our postmodern “woke” culture that seek to discard any evidence of objective truth, Oregon’s Department of Education announced that it would promote “dismantling racism” in its math classes. The reason? To pursue “math equity” and to improve “engagement [and] equitable outcomes for Black, Latinx, and multilingual students.” To achieve this purpose, the Oregon Dept. of Education has created the “Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction,” a…
At the turn of the twentieth century, historians unearthed a trove of letters by Abraham Lincoln that certified one of the best-known character traits of the sixteenth President—his remarkable ability to contain his anger, his refusal to permit bitterness to take a foothold, and his ability to practice forgiveness for the greater good. Lincoln lived his adult life as simultaneously one of America’s most famous and most ridiculed public figures. He had plenty of enemies…
Should pastors support the Covid-19 vaccine? Soon we will show it by our choice to take it or decline. In my state, North Carolina, pastors and clergy will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when state officials expand to the next phase of vaccinations, regardless of our age. Following federal guidelines, NC officials are making vaccines available by groups. According to Baptist Press, “North Carolina is currently vaccinating groups 1 and 2, which include…
What happens when we die? It’s the perennial human question. It haunts and humbles, fascinates and frightens. Should the prospect of death strike fear, elicit yawns, or cause us to rejoice? Our interest in death has also generated a fascination with “Near Death Experiences” (NDEs) or reports of people who die and then “return,” usually within a few minutes. Christians are no exception, lured by books in the Christian market that fuel this fascination and…
Candice Cameron Bure took heat last week for following certain people on social media. Not for agreeing with them, mind you. But just for “following” them. Turns out, she likes to hear many sides of an issue, so she follows people and has friends in real life who represent various political and cultural perspectives. Bure is best known for her childhood role as D.J. Tanner on Full House, for her multiple Hallmark movies, for her…
At the close of 2020, former President Barak Obama was enjoying a fresh jolt of popularity. His memoirs had hit the digital bookshelves, he was being interviewed by nearly every news outlet, and he received the “Voice of Influence Award” from the free-speech advocacy organization, PEN America. And, not surprisingly, as he took laps around the speaking circuit, he was asked to weigh in on the leftward drift and the new, progressive agenda driving many…
I was gripping the handle of a hand truck, balancing a washing machine, when my mother-in-law called out from the house, “Bob, you have a phone call. It’s Don Ingle.” My wife and I had just departed Texas and returned to North Carolina. Except for some remote work, seminary was finished, so we were seeking God’s open door for ministry, hoping to serve a church as its Pastor. In the thick humidity of August 1992,…
2020 has been tough, and to make things tougher, Christians have found themselves pitted against each other over whether practicing precautions shows a lack of faith. Do we lack faith if we practice Covid precautions? Would it show a greater faith if we cut the cords that separate the seats and call everyone back into worship? Or, if we wear masks, does that show a lack of faith? After all, God will protect us from…
If I take the Covid-19 vaccine, am I accepting the mark of the Beast mentioned in Revelation 13? Kanye West thinks so. The rapper, now an outspoken Christian, suggested in a July 2020 interview with Forbes Magazine that the Covid-19 vaccine might include the mark of the Beast referenced in Revelation 13:11-18. Whether you have read the Bible or not, you are likely familiar with the “mark of the Beast,” 666, from references in pop…