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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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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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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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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“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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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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How to Talk with Your Teens about Sex and Love from a Biblical Worldview: Interview with Sean McDowell

Apologetics, Biblical Worldview, Christian Ethics, Christianity, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Love, marriage, Natasha Crain, Romance, sex, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Over the last several years, I’ve spoken on the subject of apologetics to many groups of parents at churches and conferences. Although none of my talks deal with the topic of sexuality, I can hardly think of a time when I wasn’t asked a question about it either in the Q & A or in private conversation afterward with an individual parent. In particular, parents always want to know what they should say to their kids about homosexuality and transgender questions. These are undoubtedly the most top of mind questions parents have today. Not the Sex Question Again! While I can appreciate that these specific questions are front and center in culture, I always feel a bit disappointed when I get them. Frankly, I feel like we’ve really missed the boat if…
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A Compassionate Response to Alistair Begg’s ‘Bad Advice’ on LGBT Weddings

Alistair Begg, Apologetics, Christian Ethics, Christian Marriage, Christianity, cultural apologetics, gay marriage, Gospel, Jason Jimenez, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, LGBTQ, Sexual Ethics, Stand Strong Ministries
Some time has passed since controversial advice resurfaced from popular preacher Alistair Begg on his radio program, “Truth for Life.” The controversy revolves around Pastor Begg shocking a grandmother with the advice to not only attend her grandson’s transgender wedding but also to buy them a gift. To reinforce the grandmother attending the trans wedding, pastor Begg prefaced it by saying, “Well, here’s the thing: your love for them may catch them off guard, but your absence will simply reinforce the fact that they said, ‘These people are what I always thought: judgmental, critical, unprepared to countenance anything.'” Days following the backlash Begg and his ministry received, a spokesman for “Truth for Life” published this statement: “Alistair’s advice to the inquirer was that of a grandfather [Mr. Begg] seeking to…
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What Philosophy Is, And Why You Can’t Avoid It

1. Does Truth Exist?, Apologetics, Christian Mind, Christianity, critical thinking, Epistemology, Gospel, Intellect, J. Brian Huffling, logic, metaphysics, philosophy
Many Christians believe that philosophy is a pagan discipline practiced either by ivory tower professors or Starbucks hippies. This belief has led some to object to the relevance of philosophy, as either they believe only a few can do it, or that it deals with such weird and abstract issues that it is a waste of time. Many Christian theologians object that philosophy is rooted in paganism, and thus has no place in Christian theology. After explaining what philosophy is, it should become clear that not only do these objections fail, but philosophy is unavoidable. For the Love of Wisdom… ‘Philosophy’ literally means “love (phil) of wisdom (sophia).” It is the quest for knowledge, truth, and how to live the good (moral) life. Fields of Philosophy There are several branches…
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Andy Stanley’s Unbiblical ‘Affirming’ Stance

4. Is the NT True?, Andy Stanley, Apologetics, Christianity, False Teachers, gay christian, Gospel, Homosexuality, Jason Jimenez, LGBTQ, North Point Community Church, Stand Strong Ministries, Theology and Christian Apologetics
In the following piece, I will discuss the ongoing controversies surrounding Andy Stanley and the recent Unconditional Conference held at North Point Church — outlining clear departures from the scriptural teachings found in the Bible. I will spotlight three key concerns to illustrate how Andy Stanley promotes an approach and an ideology contradicting New Testament teachings on homosexuality. Say it Ain’t So! As followers of Christ, we strive to align our lives with God’s Word, maintaining unwavering faith in times of discord. It is disheartening to see influential Christian figures like Andy Stanley, who command extensive ministry recognition, endorsing views contrary to biblical Christianity. Even as I profoundly disagree with the path Andy Stanley and his church are taking, I remain hopeful for him to reconsider his wayward stance as…
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