Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia And The Church

Mar 23rd, 2019 | By

In mid-February 2019, The Houston Chronicle published a series of articles exposing with “painfully specific documentation,” hundreds of sexual abusers who have worked within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) over the last 20 years.



Thinking Biblically About Democratic Socialism

Mar 16th, 2019 | By

Some in the progressive left of the Democratic Party are advocating a form of “Democratic Socialism” as the solution to “the inequality in American society and to an economy rigged in the favor of vested interests.” Bernie Sanders is of course the standard bearer of this movement (and to some extent, Elizabeth Warren), but it is now being energized by more radical socialists, principally Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.



Are We Entering The Era Of “The Strongman?”

Mar 9th, 2019 | By

One of the major political struggles of our day is whether nations are embracing a democratic order, centered in the will of the people, or an authoritarian one, characterized by a strongman who satisfies the demand for a more muscular, assertive leader. After World War II, the optimistic vision was of a more democratic, open world with free trade, open borders and empowered citizens throughout the world. That vision appears to be dead. In fact, some would argue that the world is embracing a more authoritarian order.



Ethics: The Unthinkable Becoming Acceptable

Mar 2nd, 2019 | By

Years ago, I read an article written by the late Chuck Colson, who made this observation about ethical issues in Western Civilization: “What was once unthinkable, become debatable and then gradually becomes acceptable.” I do not know whether this was original with Colson or whether he borrowed it from someone else, but many times I have affirmed the accuracy of this reflection. I guess I have become hardened as I have gotten older, but I find myself rarely stunned by cultural accommodation anymore. Developments I once regarded as unthinkable are now accepted widely and enthusiastically.



America’s Progressive Left: The Assault On Israel

Feb 23rd, 2019 | By

The new term for the left wing of the Democratic Party is “progressive.” Presumably, this is less incendiary in our political culture than the term “liberal.” In many of the constituencies of the progressive left, there is a concerted effort to promote an anti-Israel, even a blatant anti-Semitic position.



Confusion And Tragedy In America’s Ongoing Debate About Abortion

Feb 16th, 2019 | By

Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, American civilization has been engaged in a “culture war” between those who seek to protect a woman’s right to have an abortion and those who seek to protect the rights of the fetus as a human being. There are no signs of this “war” subsiding or ending soon. Two developments at the state level indicate both the zealous emotion and the total confusion that reign supreme in our civilization over this issue.



The Unrealized Hopes Of 1989

Feb 9th, 2019 | By

Thirty years ago, in 1989, we in the West were convinced that a new democratic order was dawning in the world. The Berlin Wall was gone and the democratic protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China fed the hope that a new world of democracy and freedom was dawning. The old, corrupt regimes of totalitarian communism were unraveling and the passion for democracy in both the Soviet Union and Communist China would surely produce a new world in which everyone embraced the same democratic values so central to Western Civilization—and especially to the United States. Those optimistic hopes are now dashed.



Is “Traditional Masculinity” Pathology?

Feb 2nd, 2019 | By

Recently, the American Psychological Association (APA) released its new guidelines, which defined “traditional masculinity” as pathology. Psychoanalyst Erica Komisar argues that the APA guidelines “demonize masculinity rather than embracing its positive aspect. In a press release, the APA asserts flatly that ‘traditional masculinity—marked by stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression—is, on the whole, harmful.’”



A Civilization With No Moorings: America In 2019

Jan 26th, 2019 | By

For civilization to work, it needs a foundation, a set of moorings that provide an anchor for it to function reasonably, justly and fairly. American civilization gives every indication that it has no foundation, no underpinning. The selfish, self-centered, self-indulgent individual has replaced the community-minded, other-centered virtuous citizen—the glue that held American society together. Our politics, our universities and our economy are all driven by an ideology that stresses identity politics, grievance-focused protests and an economy with no ethical foundation.



The Legalization Of Marijuana: A Worthy Expansion Of Human Freedom?

Jan 19th, 2019 | By

Consider the amazing national trend of accommodating American culture to the legalization of marijuana. In 2014, the editorial page of the New York Times argued intensely (on the front page) for the legalization of marijuana and the removal of all penalties against the manufacturing and distribution of marijuana, let alone the possession of marijuana in its many forms. Ten states (soon to be joined by New York and New Jersey) have voted to legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal use. Licensed shops in Colorado and Washington now sell it to anyone who wants it. Numerous states have recently legalized the drug for medicinal use, bringing the total to 23; this number will undoubtedly grow.