ISIS and “the Nation of the Cross”
You can’t kill people who have already died. That’s who you are talking about and who you are talking to when you address “the people of the Cross”
The people of God have faced worse things than this before and we actually have a bit of historical perspective on what God does with our spilled blood. “The blood of Christians is the seed of Christianity” one early Jesus follower wrote during a much scarier time than this. And he was right, you have no idea the sleeping giant that you are waking with this challenge, and it’s not the West. It’s the power of the redeemed suffering of the people of God.
Thank You Obama for Denouncing “Christian” Violence: It is Actually Far Worse Than ISIS
In fact, for followers of Jesus, the violence perpetrated by “Christians” throughout history ought to be considered far worse than the violence perpetrated by ISIS or any other religious group throughout history, precisely because this violence was done in the name of Jesus. Whereas other forms of religious violence harm people, Christian violence also brought – and still brings – tremendous harm to the kingdom of God. While the church is supposed to attract people to Christ by the beauty of our Jesus-imitating self-sacrificial love, violence in Jesus’ name drives people away and justifies their hatred and unbelief.
For this reason, violence done in Jesus’ name must be considered by Jesus followers to be the most demonic form of violence there is. As demonic as the violence being carried out by ISIS is, “Christian” violence is much more so.
The summum bonum of our American civil religion is maximizing the opportunities for individuals to express and satisfy their desires—a belief that orthodox Christianity by nature opposes but that Christian moralistic therapeutic deism embraces and baptizes. As Smith told an audience at Princeton Theological Seminary,it is not so much that Christianity in the United States is being secularized. Rather more subtly, either Christianity is at least degenerating into a pathetic version of itself or, more significantly, Christianity is actively being colonized and displaced by a quite different religious faith.
The reason we are struggling in this department is failure on both sides. On the progressive side, you have quasi-non-judgmental feelings. This means that any definitive statement of truth is seen as a judgmental stance. So the conversation is closed off because no one wants to be judged, and you are judging me. On the conservative side, you have defensiveness. Instead of listening to divergent points of view, you have a simplistic proof texting attitude of quoting a verse like it was not known already in the conversation.
5 Quick Tips To Win Every Online Argument Ever
- Treat others like you want to be treated.
- Lead with humility.
- Don’t use polarizing language.
- Assume the best in others.
- Respond as if you’re conversing in person.
The 7 ingredients of a perfect blog post
- Whenever possible, open up with a story.
- Use a picture.
- Include links to helpful resources that tie into what you’re talking about.
- Whenever possible, use inspiration or humor (or both).
- Be yourself.
- Make it practical.
- Do it all in 33 seconds.
12 Things I know About Weight Loss
I am writing this post to myself (and maybe it will be of value to someone else). In the morning I am going to weigh-in at Weight Watchers. It has been a disastrous couple of weeks. Yes…weeks. So it is not going to be pretty … but there is power in knowing. In my years of struggling with my weight, here are some things I’ve written to myself this afternoon.
Dog escapes house, runs to hospital to comfort owner
A mini schnauzer who wanted to see her owner in the hospital escaped her home and ran 15 blocks to visit her.
Nancy Franck has been at Mercy Medical Center for two weeks following surgery and her dogs, Barney and Sissy, missed her. On Saturday, Sissy escaped her home and ran the 15 blocks determined to see Franck.
The security cameras caught her entering the front doors of the medical facility and crossing the lobby.