02Sep 2024 by Post

Voting as a Kingdom Ambassador

abortion, Apologetics, Christian Nationalism, Christianity, cultural apologetics, FreeThinkingMInistries, Gospel, How should Christians vote, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Politics, Tito Santiago
During the presidential elections there are many voices “crying out in the wilderness,” as it were, proclaiming all sorts of weird ideas. One of those ideas is the thought that within this seemingly hostile and divided political and cultural climate even within the church, Christians who hold to a particular view are looking to crown a new political messiah and usher in some sort of a new kingdom. Voting for President, not a Messiah I cannot speak for all who claim to follow Jesus Christ. Perhaps there is some odd and rare breed of believers who sees the presidency as salvation. I do not! So I will speak for myself as to how I view the privilege and honor of voting not only as an American citizen, but more importantly…
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28Aug 2024 by Post

The Ethics of AI in Writing

Academic Integrity, Apologetics, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, cheating, Christianity, Gospel, John Ferrer, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, plagiarism, publishing, Writing ethics
When it comes to Artificial Intelligence, I’m a luddite. I’m analog over digital. Forget Pandora® and Spotify® or even CD’s. Vinyl LP’s rule them all. I grew up playing outside, climbing trees, chasing things, reveling over sticks – not joysticks, just sticks. If they look like a sword or a gun, even better. I’m a Labrador retriever, but literate. I have the tech-savvy of your average canine too. That’s because I’m Gen X. I was raised before the interweb, before social media and Netflix. I remember Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, and Alladin’s Palace. I slogged through the dial-up era. I even met my wife on Myspace. Rock on! When Sunday comes, I actually leave my house to go to church! I turn my phone off to listen to the sermon.…
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26Aug 2024 by Post

In the Gospels, Jesus is Pro-Life

abortion, Apologetics, bioethics, ChristianConcern.com, Christianity, Gospel, Jesus, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, New Testament, pro-choice, pro-life, Sean Redfearn
When you encounter Jesus in the gospels, it’s not hard to see why the world would be a better place if everyone was more like him. And in the gospels, Jesus is pro-life. In fact, life is the issue for Jesus. ‘Life’ is why Jesus came into the world. The Bible is About Life The Bible’s most famous verse even says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV) Humans weren’t originally created to face death (Romans 5:12), and Jesus hates death – that’s why he conquered it (Romans 6:9; 2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus’ mission is to bring dead people to life (Mark 10:45; John 5:24; 1 Timothy 1:15)…
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14Aug 2024 by Post

Dealing with Hurt and Trusting God: Biblical Tips for Overcoming Pain

Apologetics, Christianity, Gospel, grief, Jason Jimenez, Problem of Evil, problem of pain, Stand Strong Ministries, StandStrongMinistries.Org, Suffering, Theology and Christian Apologetics, trusting God
Life presents numerous trials and challenges, many of which result not from our own actions but from the behavior and transgressions of others. Betrayal, injustice, or rejection can inflict profound emotional pain and distress. The overwhelming nature of the suffering, particularly when caused by another individual, prompts natural questioning of how an omnibenevolent God could permit such affliction during the darkest moments. I can tell you from my own personal pain that it’s tough to be at peace in life after being wounded and betrayed by someone you trusted. The emotional pain can leave you feeling as though you cannot trust God and forgive others. However, it’s essential to recognize that this pain does not reflect the absence of God’s love or presence in our lives. Instead, it offers a…
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07Aug 2024 by Post

The New Cultural Christianity

Apologetics, Christianity, Culture, FreeThinking Ministries, Gospel, Josh Klein, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, LGBTQ, Nietzsche, Post Christian, Progressive Christianity, Ubermensch
A few months ago I wrote an article on the West’s move towards a post-Christian culture (Post-Christianity: What’s That?). Since the article’s publication at least two prominent atheists decried the fall of Christianity in the West. One claims to have converted to Christianity (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) and the other maintains atheism but embraces “cultural Christianity” (Richard Dawkins).[1] They, along with fellow atheists Bret Weinstein and Tom Holland recognize that the fall of the West will be accomplished with the dismantling of the Church. The New Atheists of twenty years ago assumed that logic, reason, and science would provide the basis for a moral society as it abandoned God and moved into the post-Christian era. Much to their chagrin, however, this has not been the case. Dawkins began to recognize the threat radical…
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05Aug 2024 by Post

Character Matters

Annie Brown, Apologetics, character, Christian Ethics, Christianity, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, morality, SES, Southern Evangelical Seminary, Virtue
Character and morality often intersect in their definitions. Even for the non-Christians, all people are given a moral compass from the time of our birth. As image bearers of God, a person is able to recognize right from wrong. Though these matters have been declared more subjective over time, murder is still deemed hateful by the large majority. Stealing is considered a crime by most law-abiding citizens. There are obvious signs that either positively or negatively allude to one’s character. Character Defined Character, defined by the world, is commonly based on what is done rather than what is believed. A person is considered morally good by the things that they do for themselves or someone else. For instance, donating to multiple charities and volunteering at a homeless shelter may lead…
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29Jul 2024 by Post

Is Social Justice Hijacking the Gospel?

Alisa Childers, Apologetics, Christianity, Deconstruction, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Progressive Christianity, Social justice, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Progressive Christian blogger and author John Pavlovitz wrote,  “We believe that social justice is the heart of the Gospel…” Is he right? And what exactly is social justice? I recently posted an article in which I described Progressive Christian churches as swapping out the gospel for social justice. I got a lot of pushback on this point, but I believe that most of this pushback comes down to a misunderstanding of words. Some are quick to say, “Social justice is good!” or “Social justice is bad!” without giving any nuanced thought to what the phrase actually means. Recently, I listened to a Mortification of Spin podcast episode called “Hijacking Social Justice,” that brilliantly dove into the history and meaning of the phrase and how it interacts with the gospel. It inspired this article, and I highly recommend listening to it. What is Social Justice?  Justice is a strong and…
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24Jul 2024 by Post

Promise of Genuine Immortality: AI or the Divine

AI, Apologetics, Bellator Christi, Brian Chilton, Christianity, Gospel, Heaven, immortality, salvation, Theology and Christian Apologetics, transhumanism, Utopia, Utopianism
Do we have a genuine promise of immortality? This is a question that impacts all of us. When I was growing up as a kid, I wanted to be taken seriously. Therefore, I could not wait to grow up to have a seat at the intellectual table. It seemed like it took forever to get out of grade school and high school. My wise grandmother told me, “Don’t rush your life away. The older you get; the faster time passes.” She was absolutely right! Because it seems like life is passing by at light speed, especially the closer I get to 50. As we age, we begin to contemplate our own mortality, and rightfully so. The older we get, the closer we get to the time of our death. Our…
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23Jul 2024 by Post

“The Anxious Generation”: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Anxious Generation, Apologetics, Gospel, homeschooling, Jonathan Haidt, mental health, Scott Thor, Screen Addiction, Smart Phones, Theology and Christian Apologetics
“The more I make my life, my well-being, my enlightenment, and my success primary, the farther I step from reality. Thus the hell-bound do not travel downward; they travel inward, cocooning themselves behind a mass of vanity, personal rights, religiosity, and defensiveness. Obsession with self is the defining mark of a disintegrating soul (italics mine)” Jeff cook.[1] There’s this moment, you know, when suddenly it hits you that your kids are actually “growing up.” It’s like someone flipped a switch and bam! Your once adorable little munchkin, blissfully oblivious to the craziness and danger in the world, gives you a sneak peek of “maturity.” It’s a mix of thrilling and terrifying. As for me, picture this: a Christian homeschooling dad, doing his best to raise two little girls into future women of God, embracing a biblical worldview.…
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01Jul 2024 by Post

Apologetics and Politics

Apologetics, Arguments for God, Christianity, ethics, FreeThinking Ministries, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Politics, Reasonable Faith, Tim Stratton
How should we live?How should we think?How should we vote? Are these questions with objectively right or wrong answers? That is to say, is it true — apart from human opinion — that humanity ought to live, think, and even vote in a certain manner? Some Questions that Need Answering If it is not objectively right or wrong to live, think, or vote in a certain manner, then does anything really matter? Moreover, if it is objectively wrong to live, think, and vote in a certain manner — how would we know? After all, is how we ought to vote determined by the majority vote? That doesn’t seem right. Are these things merely based on your emotions or “how it makes you feel?” That doesn’t seem right either because, as Ben Shapiro often says “Facts don’t care about your feelings.” One…
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