Liberals Should Stop Mocking Martyrdom

Far be it from me not to point out when “my people” do or say something stupid or evil. But just as irritating are liberals who would rather make fun of conservative Christians than try to understand them. 

In the wake of the Texas mass shooting, RawStory posted an article with the subtle, and not-at-all mocking title, “Conservative writer: God was ‘answering prayers’ of Texas victims by letting them get shot.” Yes, “Step right up folks! And witness another ridiculous Christian saying something ridiculous!”

Of course, the original column was pretty ridiculous. It was naive and insensitive. Far be it from me not to point out when “my people” do or say something stupid or evil. But just as irritating are liberals who would rather make fun of conservative Christians than try to understand them.  Continue reading “Liberals Should Stop Mocking Martyrdom”

Sergei Bulgakov on Pens and Supernovas

A youngish not-priest Bulgakov
A youngish not-priest Bulgakov

The other night, my wife happened to dig up an old notebook. I flipped through its pages and happened upon this quotation from Sergei Bulgakov:

My moving my pen on a piece of paper, thus redistributing the atoms of ink, paper, the steel of the pen, and so on, is in principle just such a cosmic event as astronomical or geological catastrophes, though perhaps of lesser force (and even this is not certain, for we cannot measure these two events against each other).

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“Introducing” Theology of Economy: My Answer to Mark Buchanan

That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9, NKJV

12 years long homeless commando... by Lukasz Dunikowski
By Lukasz Dunikowski

In a recent post for Bloomberg.com, Mark Buchanan asks, “Is Economics a Science or a Religion?” It is a good question, but Buchanan is a bit late to the game. He writes that, “The idea of economics as a religion harks back to at least 2001, when economist Robert Nelson published a book on the subject.” Underscore “at least“! That may be the first time an economist asked that question, but academic theologians began asking that question a lot earlier.

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Defining Socialism

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(Photo by Gunnar Ries Amphibol, via Wikimedia Commons)

I wanted to take a moment to follow up on my last post, in which I tried to dispel three common myths about socialism. Comments on my Facebook page reminded me that there is often quite a bit of confusion about what socialism actually means. As I see it, there are two ways of defining socialism: the right way and the wrong way.

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“Au Contraire Mr. Fugelsang!” – Three Legitimate Reasons Christians Oppose Welfare (and Why they are Wrong)

If you don’t want tax dollars helping the sick and poor, then it’s time to stop saying you want a government based on Christian values.

539326_167519193396548_1691013125_nI shared this picture on Facebook the other day because I agree with the sentiment, but I disagree with its simplicity. John Fugelsang correctly identified hypocrisy in the Christian Right, but he applied his diagnosis too broadly.

There are three legitimate reasons why a conservative Christian might want the government to get out of the welfare business: Continue reading ““Au Contraire Mr. Fugelsang!” – Three Legitimate Reasons Christians Oppose Welfare (and Why they are Wrong)”

“Happy Holidays” and the Real Assault on Baby Jesus

 

 

via Wikimedia Commons

Let’s get this straight: If you insist on wishing a Jew, Muslim, or atheist a merry birth of a Savior they do not believe in, that does not make you a good Christian. It makes you a condescending jerk. I know that some people think saying “Happy Holidays” is tantamount to kicking over a plastic baby Jesus in the front lawn of your local Catholic Church, but the so called “war on Christmas” has a lot more to do with what comes out of our wallets than our mouths.

I wrote a recent piece in the Huffington Post that pointed out the irony of the Black Friday ritual. To celebrate the incomprehensible mystery of the birth of the infant God, we rush to fill our homes with new assortments of plastic crap. Continue reading ““Happy Holidays” and the Real Assault on Baby Jesus”