“The steady habit of correcting and completing his own opinion by collating it with those of others, so far from causing doubt and hesitation in carrying it into practice, is the only stable foundation for a just reliance on it: for, being cognisant of all that can, at least obviously, be said against him, and having taken up his position against all gainsayers—knowing that he has sought for objections and difficulties, instead of avoiding them, and has shut out no light which can be thrown upon the subject from any quarter—he has a right to think his judgment better than that of any person, or any multitude, who have not gone through a similar process.” (John Stewart Mill; On Liberty)

Christians and Conservatives may not like the term liberal because it has come to be linked with a welfare state, redistribution of income, and such monikers as “tax and spend” and when it comes to morals–”libertine.” However, the term liberal wasn’t always so sullied. Classical Liberalism emphasized individual rights, freedom of religion, and virtue. Mill was not a Christian. More like a deist. But he did understand and appreciate thoughtful, passionate debate. And one thing he realized was that the “confidence” in one’s belief entailed that one has listened to the other side of the debate. That is, he recognized that no one is really justified if they refuse to give their opponent’s arguments and rhetoric some attention. With that in mind, I offer a few books that give the sentiments and judgments of those on the other side of major debates in Christianity: (more…)

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:28-30)

Seeing life from someone else’s vantage point can be very enlightening. We can see some of the difficulties they encounter in carrying out their various duties and tasks as well as the pleasantries that derive from what they do. To most of us who are on the road in our cars, truckers oftentimes seem inconsiderate and sometimes we even regard them as down right jerks. For example, when we are sitting at a traffic light and a truck is turning into the oncoming traffic lane from the cross street, where we happen to be sitting as they turn into our lane first seemingly oblivious to that fact that we were there first! On occasion we are even forced to back up a bit and think or even mutter to ourselves, “What a jerk. Why don’t they stay in their own lane?” What doesn’t occur to us is (more…)

Obama Backtrack on Abortion

The Christian Post is reporting that Obama admitted to ABC news’ George Stephanopoulos that his comment on when life begins voiced at the Saddleback Civil Forum was “probably too flip.”  Ya think? Obama goes on to say:  

“It’s a pretty tough question,” he continued. “And so, all I meant to communicate was that I don’t presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions.”

My thought is that if the moral status of fetuses is a theological question then why leave it to smart people in robes? Furthermore, if its a theological question and thus out of the realm of the empirical, then shouldn’t we discourage the practice simply on the grounds that it might be completely and utterly immoral? Better to err on the side of caution.

But its not just a theological issue for Obama. (more…)

I received my copy of the September issue of Christianity Today this past weekend which contains the article “McLaren Emerging” by Scot McKnight. McKnight is the Karl A Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University in Chicago, IL. McKnight by his own claims is part of the emerging church (something I wrote on in February of 2007 Five Streams of the Emerging Church or Has the Church Sprung a Leak?). McKnight raises some good questions about McLaren and in the closing paragraph of the article writes: (more…)