May 16, 2008

“Why They’re Not Emergent”

Rod Dreher links to Kristen Scharold article in First Things: “The Emerging Church and Its Critics.” It references a book, Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be), by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck.
Let’s start with Scharold. She paints with a very broad brush.
The emergent church isn’t much different. Its devotees like to [...]

May 16, 2008

The Surest Way to Peace …

Is to get to know those people who are said to be “the enemy.”
Rick Steves is going to Iran.

May 16, 2008

Braaten on ELCA Sexuality Proposal

Lutheran theologian Carl Braaten has released a critique of the latest ELCA proposal on human sexuality. Pastor Zip has it here. He regards it as a muddled confusion of law and gospel. Here’s a sampling–be sure to read the whole thing.
1) This draft social statement identifies two doctrines as foundational for a Lutheran understanding of [...]

May 16, 2008

Texas Polygamy Update

Latest legal scandal: lawyers deprived of access to clients, who have been interrogated by CPS and law enforcement.
”My client told the CPS worker that she did not want to talk to her without an attorney,” Shockley said. ”She was told that she wasn’t entitled to an attorney because it was a civil matter.”

May 16, 2008

The Minority Report

Carl Olson links to the report of a dissenting justice in California:
Only one other American state recognizes the right the majority announces today.  So far, Congress, and virtually every court to consider the issue, has rejected it.  Nothing in our Constitution, express or implicit, compels the majority’s startling conclusion that the age-old understanding of marriage [...]

May 16, 2008

AU and Gay Marriage in CA

Americans United comes down on the wrong side of the decision favoring gay marriage in California. Says Barry Lynn:
“The court also made it clear that no congregation can be forced to marry people in violation of their theological standards,” Lynn continued. “That’s a strong reaffirmation of religious liberty.”
Will churches be able to fire employees who [...]

May 16, 2008

Noise.

Or, as the Grinch moaned, “O the noise, noise, noise, noise, noise!”
My AC is being worked on today–evaporator coil being replaced, along with the lineset–what connects the outside unit with the unit in the attic. What that means is that there’s a lot of noise in the wall right by my desk this morning, and [...]

May 16, 2008

Obama’s Faith

Do you remember back in December when all hell broke loose because Mike Huckabee put out a television ad wishing Iowans “Merry Christmas” while seated in front of a bookcase that looked like a white cross? There were dozens of broadcast reports and newspaper stories analyzing whether it was proper to evoke a cross in [...]

May 16, 2008

Prince Caspian–Missing the Boat?

I noted some trepidation a while back about Prince Caspian. Now, Tompaul links to Steve Greydanus’ review, which suggests the problems are worse than I feared.