Can we have equality without God?

 I've been saying for about 25 years now, that we cannot actually sustain notions like "human rights" or "universal human dignity" without God, without the sacred.  And I don't mean any old 'god' or 'religion' either, but specifically the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who came among us in the person of Jesus.  The God of the Bible, in other words, is the reason that it was Western Civilization - aka "Christendom" - that developed and spread (through colonialism and imperialism) the idea of human value and human equality.  

There are good reasons that this notion did not develop in Mayan or ancient Chinese or even Islamic Civilizations.  It is a Christian (or, if you like, "Judeo-Christian") idea.  It is a teaching of the Bible, beginning from the first page.

Now, as I've said in other videos, I think more and more non-religious or 'less-religious' or 'spiritual-but-not-religious' Westerners are waking up to the truth that without Christ and the Bible, without Christianity, many of the things that they love best about Western Civilization, begin to fade away.  

Will they do the obvious thing and start devoting themselves to the spread of Christianity? 
Will they go to church, give to missions, bring their children and grand-children (even if they aren't sure what to make of the theology and beliefs)?   That's not everything they need to do, but it would be a good beginning.  At the end of the day, however, Christ did not come to build Western Civilization.  He came to save our souls from eternal death as we turn to him with repentance and living faith. 
May our world wake up to that truth as well. 

Is the UK heading into Civil War?

This video was posted a few months ago.  University professor and military historian David Betz has long studied the "risk factors" or social conditions that tend to result in civil conflict and civil war.  He's been sounding the alarm for months that he sees many of these factors now at play in Great Britain.

  

Normalcy bias leads us to say "that could never happen" - but it has before in many places (including the UK and the US) and human nature hasn't changed. 

Please join me in praying for peace in our time, and wise leaders who take the steps necessary to make peace.

Why I am not a Christian Zionist

I sometimes watch the "Disciple Dojo" YouTube channel hosted by James-Michael Smith, a Biblical scholar (or scholarly pastor; certainly his knowledge of the Scripture and the Biblical languages go much deeper than mine).  

Not so long ago he posted a video discussing one of the reasons he is not a Christian Zionist.  As with many theological terms, there will be different understandings of that one, but most Christian Zionists see the modern nation state of Israel as equivalent to Israel, the covenant people and kingdom in Scripture.  As such, the promises of God to Israel in Scripture - specifically the promises of ownership of the Holy Land - should be understood as applying to the modern nation-state of Israel.  This has significant geo-political or foreign policy implications. 

In practice, many Christian Zionists feel it is their duty to God, as Bible-believers, to support the state of Israel no matter what.  

I have long felt that there were significant problems with this approach.  Not least among them is the fact that the modern nation-state of Israel was created in part by the UN (resolution 181 in 1947), and orthodox Jews have always held that only the Messiah could re-constitute the nation of Israel.  Yet, ironically, many American Evangelicals who hold to Christian Zionism are often deeply suspicious of the UN.

The larger problem, however is that Christian Zionism simply ignores what the Bible teaches about the Church - both Jew and Gentile - being the covenant people and the Israel of God.

That is what J.M. Smith discusses in this article that I do recommend.  For those who are Christian Zionists, you may not agree with Smith's conclusions, but I suspect you will go back to your Bible wrestling with new questions, and that is no bad thing.   

I should also say, I think the instinct of the Christian Zionist is to see prophetic significance in the creation of the modern state of Israel, and on some level I also share that instinct. 
It would be strange indeed if there was no connection at all between the purposes of the God of the Bible and the re-emergence of a Jewish state in the Holy Land. 

But I wonder if the connection is not about the modern Nation of Israel simply being the continuation of Biblical Israel as such, but rather a place where Jews can be more easily reached en masse for the Gospel of Yeshua Messiah (as I am hearing reports is in fact happening in these days).  

I am intrigued by his suggestion at the end of his article that there are other forms of Zionism that might be more compatible with Scripture, and I'd love to learn more about what those possibilities may be.  

In any case, I will continue (as Psalm 122 says) to pray for the peace of Jerusalem - both the physical city on the other side of the world, but also the Heavenly Jerusalem, which is the true home of all the faithful believers in Christ (Hebrews 11; Rev. 21-22).

Average homebuyer is now 56 years old!

I live in a parsonage, though in the past I've owned a condo.  In the future I hope to own a house again.  Many people of my generation will not be able to own a home, or not until late in life.  Here is a discussion from the good folks at "Breaking Points" about new data indicating that, right now, the average age of a homebuyer is 56 years old.  The average age of a first time homebuyer is nearly 40!

Our country faces a housing cost problem.  It isn't as bad (yet) as in countries like the UK and Canada (which many young adults are fleeing), but it needs to be addressed by policy makers and financial institutions.  

I suspect the increasing improbability of ever achieving "the American dream" is one more contributing factor in "the meaning crisis" or cultural malaise that so many commentators have been concerned about. 

Commentary on Ukraine War Funding

 Last month the US Congress approved a huge new war-funding/military aid package for Ukraine (and another one for Israel).  I've been critical with friends and family about our Ukraine aid funding.  Like many, I have wondered aloud why our political leaders seem to be more concerned about Ukraine's boarder integrity than our own boarder integrity in the USA.  I've also wondered aloud what the "endgame" is - it seems extremely unlikely that Ukraine will retake all of their territory without a direct US military intervention, and I absolutely oppose our going to war with Russia over Ukraine.  A country with whom we have no military alliance or treaty obligations is simply not worth the risk of global nuclear annihilation.  

This is not to say that I oppose any and all funding to Ukraine, but I do think it use be used as leverage to push Ukraine toward a negotiated settlement with Russian as soon as possible.  

This video is a commentary from Jeffery Sachs who explores several of these issues.  He is probably more opposed to Ukraine funding than I am, but I share this video because he does explore some of the same questions or objections that I also share: 

Is Diversity our Strength?

I remember reading a while back about a Canadian Province that changed its traditional motto (Latin, if memory serves) to the multi-cultural mantra "Diversity is our Strength."  
This is, I would posit, true in some senses or scenarios, but is not always true.  Nevertheless it is believed without question - sometimes in spite of the evidence - as an article of faith in the "secular/progressive religion" that is so prominent in our culture (and even more so in Canada, from what I can gather).

I've just lived through a denominational split that was caused by... well... diversity.  We had a diversity, even a divergence, of beliefs and priorities: We did not all believe the same things about God, Scripture, or Sin; We were not "on the same page"; we could not walk together because we did not intend to walk in the same direction.  If we had had a little less "diversity" and a little more "sameness" or commonality, maybe the United Methodist Church would not have split.  

Though "diversity is our strength" is the kind of thing you'd hear at meetings and church conferences; it is precisely what killed our ability to work together cohesively.

Of course, there is another kind of diversity that is a strength, as the Scripture affirms: different members of the body bring different spiritual gifts, skills, experiences, to the work of the Church, and the whole is stronger because of it.  There is a diversity of gifts and even backgrounds, but a common Lord, a common mission, a common faith that shapes a common worldview: One Body, One Spirit, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism...  That God-given diversity is held together by a transcendent Source of unity.  That is the Biblical vision.  There is a Commonality that makes the diversity "work."

But what about in secular society?  Is Diversity our strength?  
The sociological evidence seems to indicate that the answer is "No."  I remember reading about this from Putnam's research years ago (that gets mentioned in this video) and I was hesitant to even share those articles online, because I thought I might get pushback for even suggesting that - just maybe - this "article of faith" in our secular culture might not be correct after all (and I did get some pushback when I shared the findings on social media).

Here is a video from a British conservative talking about this in light of the highly polarized situation.  I think the video does a good job raising the questions: how much "sameness" or "commonality" do you need for diversity to work?  I think the distinction he makes between a multi-racial society that shares a common culture and a multi-cultural society is an important one to ponder. 

Why so much mental illness and gender confusion among young people?

Many of us, especially those with children, have grave concerns about the dramatic rise in mental illness, anxiety, depression, suicide and other "deaths of despair", and also gender confusion and LGBTQPIAN+ lifestyle among young adults, and even children.
This is a great discussion between Megyn Kelly and mental health professional, Dr. Nicolas Karadras.  The good doctor is willing to say exactly what the evidence points toward, even if some may be afraid to state the obvious.  It is worth your time: 

Tucker Carlson on Physical Books

I'm not a regular Tucker watcher by any means, but I was intrigued by the title of this one when I saw it on YouTube.  I've become more and more an advocate for keeping physical books, because more and more unseen web-editors are able to "tweak" the information we have access to online - or just remove it.  Many of us have seen "Wikipedia wars" as articles are edited and re-edited by contributors with opposite interpretations of a given event.  Of course, we all remember the confusion, contradictory messages, and moves toward censorship in 2020.  Many of us were left wondering, "Which voices can I even trust?"

I've been wondering for a while if physical reference books like dictionaries and even physical encyclopedias are going to suddenly become more appreciated, and perhaps even make a little comeback in terms of sales.  

So I was curious about what Tucker would say in this clip.  His comment about "only work with things you can smell - pets, people, physical books" in an increasingly digitized world reminds me a bit of Gandalf the Wizard's quip: "When in doubt, always follow your nose."

If nothing else, this line of reasoning gives us a justification for the purchase of yet another book. 

The Most Censored Content in History?

 

Social Justice and Inward Holiness

 

Book Review: Canticle for Leibowitz

 

The Poison of Subjectivism by CS Lewis

 I am increasingly worried that, among the gatekeepers of power in our society - and among masses of people willing to riot when they are upset - feelings and "lived experience" increasingly trump actual, empirical, facts.  

This is why some prophetic and prescient individuals have referred to our time as a new "dark age." 

We shall see if people are willing to push back.

UFOs, Faith, and C.S. Lewis

 

Must All Christians be Pacifists?

 My approach, reflecting the classic Christian consensus, in two videos: 

 

CS Lewis on Ethics

There are lots of people these days who advocate for casting off tradition - including Christianity - as part of the wicked "patriarchy" in order to establish "social justice."  

I have long held that this whole movement is incoherent - it begins with basic assumptions that are part of traditional (and Christian) morality, and then uses them in its assault upon Christianity and Tradition.  But no new grounding for the moral claims is offered.

CS Lewis points out the basic problems with "new moralities" that actually borrow some aspects of the classic, inherited, morality in order to attack classic and inherited tradition.  It is a self-contradiction.

 

Who Knows...

The message from this past Sunday about our need to "be heard" and "be known." 

Chaos at the Capitol and the Baptism of Christ

 Here is my sermon for last Sunday, (in part) a reflection on the state of our country after the riots and storming of the US Capitol that took place on the Feast of the Epiphany.

As I say in the sermon, our country will only have healing and reconciliation if leaders from all sides bend over backwards to extend olive branches to "the other side", even when it means setting some of their own partisan ambitions aside.  Our country, as some international observers have said, looks like a powder keg.  Drastic measures should be taken to "de-escalate" things right now.  

Sadly, I think the moves to impeach a president who only has 2 weeks left in office is exactly the wrong move.  It serves no real purpose besides revenge, which only and always begets more revenge.  And, ironically, it ensures that Trump's name will always live in the history books, which I am sure will please him.

It seems to me that Biden and the Democrats had a unique moment last week to rise to the occasion and put the country above politics in a way that Trump was (in my view) not doing.  And they blew it by reverting to the usual Washington DC power-grabbing and political maneuvering.  As if it is all they can see.  I truly do fear for the future of this country.

Important Books: The Shallows - What the Internet is doing to our Brains by Carr

 I know I've blogged about this one before, but here it is again, well worth a revisit.  Along the book discussed in my last book review video, Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, I believe Carr also helps identify some of the reasons that our public discourse has become shallower and more foolish and less civil and wise in recent decades.  It's the way we are re-shaping our brains through the use of the internet.

 

Important Books: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

 Here is another book recommendation video, looking at one of the most prophetic books of my lifetime: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business.

Peace in any Circumstance