Keith Green used to say, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger.” Or wemight say, sitting in church is no guarantee that you’ll soak anything up. A sad Pew study reinforces this point. But it isn’t just an indictment of churchgoers–it’s an indictment of…

I’ve been thinking about it a long time. At one point I had decided that it wasn’t likely. Resigned myself to some good memories. But then a friend’s commissioning got me to reflecting some more, as did some conversations with some folks from Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries. And a visit to Killeen finalized my determination. I’ve…

Texas church goes to wrapped communion elements because of swine flu scare.

Discussed at Commonweal blog. There are lots of things I like about the movie, too. Chief negative for me: Vangelis’ score.

That horrible phrase is the title of Jeff Sharlet’s current cover story in Harper’s. Allegedly, some soldiers had it written in Arabic on their vehicle. The story, which you can read at the newsstand, is about what he calls, “The crusade for a Christian military.” Yes, there are some problems. But he really gives an…

Rod Dreher links to Ken Adelman.

Concordia is expanding the American Edition of Luther’s Works.

New study looks at changes in religious affiliation. Interactive chart. Executive summary. Those who were raised Catholic or Protestant who are now unaffiliated “just gradually drifted away” for the most part. Those who were unaffiliated and now go to a church did so largely to get their spiritual needs met (51%), but for 23% it…

Chaplain Emil Kapaun, a POW during the Korean War.

Robert Duncan posts an article by one Richard Frank on the atomic bombs. Frank says, Most Americans today are surprised to learn that in 1945 and for approximately two decades thereafter no significant controversy accompanied the use of atomic weapons to end the Pacific War. Opposition only surfaced in the 1960s, he claims, from “critics”…

Secular authors tend not to understand any variety of religion. I think this article in Newsweek, “Two Pastors Haunted by Columbine,” is a good example of this. Lisa Miller and Matthew Philipps try to make this a liberal/conservative thing. It isn’t. It’s about how to minister in a time of crisis. Of course a minister…

If you are in LA this weekend, don’t miss the SONscreen film festival–especially the Saturday afternoon panel featuring Barbara Nicolosi and Ryan Bell.

Ken Grant posts a tribute to our classmate Kurt Peterson. Obituary. Kurt always reminded me of Alan Alda for some reason. I guess it was the acerbic wit. Oh, the times we had together … the Seminary coffee shop, the “Blue Parrot,” hanging out in his room or ours, usually in the company of Steve…

Barna claims most American Christians don’t believe the Holy Spirit exists. Problem is, they used terms like “living force” and “living entity.” These are the pollster’s terms, not the terms of Christian theology.  I don’t believe the Holy Spirit is a “living force”–that’s a term out of Star Wars. I wouldn’t call him a “living…

Sikhs have served in the militaries of many nations–but they face problems in the US. Accommodations are made from time to time for the wearing of the beard, uncut hair, and turban, but not consistently. The Sikh Coalition is asking for a consistent policy that would permit Sikhs to serve.

Jill Carroll in Houston Chronicle.

Pr. Walter Hoye, jailed in California for witnessing in front of an abortion mill (where he was harassed and abused by the workers), has been released after 18 days.

An exploration of the painting.

From Pr. Walter Hoye, II.

Al Gore v. George W. Bush.

Metropolitan Jonah to Ecumenical Patriarch: “There is an American Orthodox church. Leave it alone.”

CT on Hitchens/Craig debates.

New study by Synagogue 3000. The first-ever comparative national study of spirituality among American Jews and Christians demonstrates that young Jews are more spiritually inclined on every available measure than their elders. The historic large gap in spiritual orientation between Jews and others is narrowing, especially among younger adults, those 35 and under. The S3K…

Pete Vere on the Legionaries.

TIME.

James Swan responds to some old wives tales about Luther and the Bible.

Prolife is out, porn is in, at the University of Maryland. Well, it was, until state officials threatened to cut off the school’s funding.

Catholics are celebrating the fact that 150,000 people will be received into the Catholic church or return this Easter. According to CARA, there are 18,479 Catholic parishes in the US. That averages 8 new Catholics or returnees per parish. There are 64,000,000 Catholics in the US. That’s an average of 3,463 members per parish. Those…

For twenty years Dunkin’ Donuts cooperated with franchisee Walid Elkhatib, a Muslim, who did not want to sell pork products. They even made him signs that said, “No meat products available.” They did the same thing for a Jewish franchisee. But then they decided to no longer cooperate with him, and tried to force him…

Gallup starts trumpeting that Catholics are indistinguishable from the mainstream of America on moral issues. Only later on in the article do we see them distinguish between those Catholics (and non-Catholics) who actually go to church and those who don’t. And that graphic is interesting. Non-Catholics who go to church are more likely than church-going…