Bible, theology, culture, etc.
In 1984, Soviet Russia was waging war in Afghanistan, leading millions of Afghan refugees to flee into neighboring Pakistan. A young, 12-year-old Sharbat Gula, a Pashtun orphan had fled to the Nasir Bagh refugee camp on the Afghan-Pakistan border. Steve McMurray, a photographer working for National Geographic, was walking through the refugee camp when he … Continue reading Coram Homine: An Ethic of the Face
"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper," - T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men How will the pandemic end? Will it be with a "bang" or a "whimper"? Will there be a definitive moment where the sun will shine through the clouds, trumpets blast and the masses emerge … Continue reading A Whimper, Not a Bang
I have spent the past month or so writing about how Christians should respond to the covid vaccine mandate set to take effect any day now. This blog represents my final thoughts on the matter and have been where I have been wanting to go all along, but first needed to make some qualifications and … Continue reading Civil Disobedience for Calvinists
If you are unfamiliar with the term, a "slippery slope" is an informal fallacy that asserts "that a proposed, relatively small, first action will inevitably lead to a chain of related events resulting in a significant and negative event and, therefore, should not be permitted." For an example, here is the always incisive Dilbert: In … Continue reading The (Ignored) Slippery Slope
If Christians are to submit themselves to the governing authorities per Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2, if Jesus Himself submitted Himself to governing authorities and taught others to do likewise with His "render to Caesar that which is Caesar's" comment, then is there any scenario where the government can ask Christians to do something … Continue reading The Purpose and Limits of Government
In my previous article I wrote a summary of what I thought were the strongest arguments for a Christian resisting the vaccine mandate. I have argued elsewhere that aside from issues of conscience and health, if a Christian is under the vaccine mandate they should consent and be vaccinated. Many people helpfully responded that they … Continue reading Are Vaccine Mandates Unconstitutional?
If the government requires you to be vaccinated for you to continue working at your job, what should you do as a Christian? While everything having to do with covid/vaccines/masks/mandates has always been controversial, the new mandate taking effect very soon has put many Christians into an even more tense and divisive spot. What are … Continue reading What Should Christians Do About Vaccine Mandates?
I am a pastor. I am not a scientist, I am not a doctor. I took "zero" classes on epidemiology or respiratory infections in seminary. Below is a summary of findings from academic journals or articles published by research universities on the science behind the risks of singing indoors in a Covid-19 world. But, because … Continue reading Can We Sing?
Richard Baxter was a puritan pastor and theologian in England in the seventeenth century. He lived through the Great Ejection by the Church of England where the state abusively expelled about 2500 ministers across England who refused to conform to the new Anglican liturgical orders. Baxter was forced out of his pulpit against his own … Continue reading Cancel Church? A Puritan Reflection
What is the Church? Is it a denomination? A hierarchy of old guys in funny hats? Is it a building? A liturgy? Is it a club? Is it a set of traditions, values, or political commitments? Hopefully the answer to those questions seem transparently obvious--No. A Mostly Right Answer But what about this: the Church … Continue reading The Peculiar Assembly
Marc Sims 