REALLY??? “Time’s Person of the Year: ‘The Protester.’” Congratulations, Wall Street occupiers. You did it! You got yourselves named Time’s Person of the Year! Okay, so you had a little help from your fellow protesters, in Egypt, Tunisia, Russia, Yemen, Libya and some other places. And maybe those protesters have accomplished a little more than you have. A little? Has Occupy Wall Street really accomplished anything? And given the upsurge of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, one has to wonder whether Arab Springers have accomplished much either. WHY STOP WITH THE SLOGAN? “Against ‘Taking Things Back’: Rethinking the OWS Slogan.” … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Wednesday, December 14, 2011

IMHO, AFA & LOWE’S SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES: “A New Lowe for Anti-Muslim Bigotry.” Sadly, a small group of anti-Islam bigots were able to hoodwink a major American retailer into thinking this innocuous show is some sort of stealth jihad on America. An insignificant fringe group called the Florida Family Association sent a letter to Lowe’s stating, “Clearly this program is attempting to manipulate Americans into ignoring the threat of jihad and to influence them to believe that being concerned about the jihad threat would somehow victimize these nice people in this show.” Their letter on the website goes … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

APOLOGETICS: “It’s Okay to Expect a Miracle” is an interview with Craig S. Keener about his two-volume study, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. I hope to interview Prof. Keener in January on MinistryDirect.com/live BOOKS: “Favorite Books of 2011.” CULTURE: “What the Cultural Mandate Is Not.” DECONVERSION: “Why Do Christians Leave the Faith?” Bradley Wright has an ongoing series on this topic over at Black, White and Gray. Part 1: “The Fundamental Importance of Apologetics” Part 2: “Breaking-up with a God Who Failed Them” Part 3: “The Problem of Responding Badly to Doubt” Part 4: “The Relative Unimportance … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Monday, December 12, 2011: Religion Stories from A to, Uh, P…

WITHOUT BLOOD, THEY’RE COLD TO THE TOUCH: “You Can’t Marry a Hot Vampire.” And therein lies the true mythology of Twilight. It has nothing to do with vampires, werewolves or Dakota Fanning, and everything to do with Hollywood’s distorted view of love. Its “fantasy” is a world where intimacy develops overnight, where men are rugged yet vulnerable, and where romance and adventure color every day. It’s porno for pre-teens and, pornography, whether erotic or emotional, has consequences that continue long after the movie ends. _____ THE SPIRIT OUR TEACHER: “The Confidence of the Evangelical.” Prompted by the relatively recent conversion … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Friday, November 18, 2011

TRUE, FALSE, OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN? “The Persecution of Religion Has Begun.” Don’t think I’m making the wild-eyed claim that this new persecution either is or ever is likely to become a bloody one resembling the purges of the French and Mexican Revolutions or the Communist war on religion—eruptions of violence in which thousands of clergy, religious, and lay faithful were killed. It won’t be a repetition of the Spanish civil war, just 75 years ago, when death squads of the anticlerical left executed the incredible total of 12 bishops, 283 religious women, 4,184 priests, 2,365 religious men, and an … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Thursday, November 17, 2011

THE IDOLATRY OF SPORTS: “Attack of the Penn State Jock Worshippers.” The subtext of Erickson’s message is the same as the overt message of Penn State students who rioted when Paterno was fired and who paint messages to the coach on their chests: child rape doesn’t matter. I mean, sure, it’s bad, but we are talking about football here. _____ DIGNITY, THE MISSING ELEMENT: “The Last American Sin.” What exactly is it about child molestation that uniquely unites Americans in outrage? … Thus Americans are united in recognizing that child molestation is wrong—as they ought—but probably couldn’t exactly agree on … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Monday, November 14, 2011

THE IDOL OF THE INTERNET: “Virtually Pleasuring Ourselves Out of Existence.” If all of our life choices are determined by the medial forebrain pleasure circuit, why would anyone choose to do anything other than push the self-stimulating buttons? The answer is that our lives depend on resisting that urge. Indeed, if easy stimulation of the pleasure circuit has the capacity to surpass one’s instinct for food, sexual reproduction, or caring for young, the survival of our species may depend on the sublimation of that pleasure. Unless we have a spiritual, moral, or ethical framework to suggest that suffering, the absence … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Friday, November 11, 2011

AL MOHLER TALKS SENSE: “Mohler says Penn State scandal holds lesson for Southern Baptists.” “Sometimes Christians and indeed those in churches or Christian institutions seem to have the protective instinct that we need to find out more before going to any legal authority with that kind of suspicion,” Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., said Nov. 8. “We need to get over that reluctance,” Mohler said. “We have to leave it to the legal authorities to sort out whether or not abuse is taking place or whether there is any actual threat. When anyone reports … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Thursday, November 10, 2011

WEALTH & RELIGION: “Research: Rich God, Poor God.” _____ NONE OF WHICH INVOLVES ACTUAL OCCUPATION: “10 Right Ways to ‘Occupy.’” 4. Put the government out of business wherever you can. If it is not the government’s job to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, minister life to the wounded, then perhaps it is time for us to prove it. I find this deeply challenging but I try to find ways to gather around the ones in need in our church and community in real, tangible ways. I want to be the hands and feet of God, making space for his … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Wednesday, November 9, 2011

GOOD QUESTION: “Megachurches: When Will the Bubble Burst?” Am I predicting the demise of the megachurch movement? By no means. I think these large churches will continue, and we cannot lump all megachurches into the same category. Not all megas were started in 1980 by a baby-boomer in a growing white suburb. And many will navigate into the future with wisdom and skill. But the cultural and demographic conditions that have fueled much of the megachurch movement, multiplication and growth are changing. And whenever a new movement tries to leap from one generation to the next there are some who … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, November 8, 2011