July 22, 2008
Mohler-Dobson Interaction on Obama (Con't)
The James Dobson - Albert Mohler interaction on Barack Obama was very provocative. Many topics arose, including (predictably) abortion and homosexual marriage. There was also an energetic exchange on whether evangelical interests have shifted away from traditional issues such as abortion and marriage toward other concerns such as poverty and climate change. Dr. Mohler noted that he had read virtually all of Obama's writings (I believe it) and that he regarded Obama as "probably the most liberal presidential candidate to gain a major party nomination in the history of our nation". To see that Barack Obama is to the left of President Clinton (and many others), consider that Obama:
1. Defeated, on several occasions, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in Illinois (though he's given an explanation for this, he has not, to my knowledge, explained his decision in light of the fact that the U.S. Senate voted 98-0 on an almost identical bill, now a U.S. Law.)
2. Is a co-sponsor of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would protect a woman's right to abortion throughout her pregnancy even if a future Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade. (His recent comments about possibly supporting restrictions to late-term abortions are nonsensical in light of his co-sponsoring this bill, and standing before Planned Parenthood in July 2007 promising that “the first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.”)
3. Publicly criticized the Supreme Court's April 2008 Five-Four decision to support the Partial Birth Abortion ban.
4. Has pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Clinton) as well as the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy (also instituted by President Clinton). Apparently, neither is sufficiently inclusive.
On a related note, Newsweek has an outstanding cover story this week on Obama's religious pilgrimage. It shows some of the strands of his liberation theology.
July 21, 2008
Mohler & Dobson on Obama & McCain
Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Albert Mohler discussed Senators Barack Obama and John McCain in a Focus on The Family radio broadcast scheduled to air today. It seems Dr. Dobson has shifted his position, and may endorse McCain.
Obama, McCain: Joint Appearance at Saddleback Church
Yesterday, Dr. Rick Warren, founding pastor of 22,000-member Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA, announced that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama will be making a joint appearance at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion on Saturday, August 16. A two-hour (5-7 PM) forum with the two presidential candidates will be held in a non-debate format and will be open to the media. Per the request of both candidates, all questions will be posed by Pastor Warren, and each candidate will receive approximately one hour of direct, uninterrupted interaction with Warren before the audience. The announcement reads (in part):
"We're honored that the candidates chose The Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion for their first joint appearance, an unprecedented opportunity for America to hear both men back-to-back on the same platform," Warren said. "This is a critical time for our nation and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart -- without interruption -- in a civil and thoughtful format absent the partisan 'gotcha' questions that typically produce heat instead of light."The primaries proved that Americans care deeply about the faith, values, character and leadership convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues. While I know both men as friends and they recognize I will be frank, but fair, they also know I will be raising questions in these four areas beyond what political reporters typically ask. This includes pressing issues that are bridging divides in our nation, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate and human rights."
"While debates typically focus primarily on the candidates' positions and only secondarily on how they'd lead and make decisions, this Saddleback Civil Forum will reverse that ratio," Warren continued. "Since the oath of the President is a commitment to protect the Constitution, it's critical to know how each candidate interprets the nature of its principles. Leadership involves far more than promoting programs and making speeches, and since no one can predict what crises will happen over the next four years, it is vital to know the decision capacity and process of each man."
(HT: Benjamin)
July 14, 2008
Keller/Piper on The Mysterious Distribution of Suffering
I previously mentioned Marvin Olasky's interview of Tim Keller in World Magazine. Here's one exchange:
WORLD: When logical arguments about the reason for suffering sound cold and irrelevant to real-life sufferers, what do you do?That brought a question to my mind, which I record below along with Keller's answer:KELLER: You shouldn't say a darn thing. If you're saying someone is right in the middle of it, then I think your job is to speak when spoken to. There is no decent thing to say other than your own presence, which mediates if you are a Christian.
The existential answer is that only Christianity believes that God has entered the suffering world. We don't know what the reason is that God allowed evil and suffering to continue, but we do know what the reason isn't: It's not that He doesn't love us, because if He didn't love us He wouldn't have gotten involved. Whatever the reason is it's mysterious but it's not indifference. The cross proves that.
CHEDIAK: With regard to our not knowing why God allows evil and suffering to continue: Do we not have some clue in passages such as the Luke 13 account of the Tower of Siloam? It seems that God visits us with suffering as a "megaphone" (CS Lewis) to awaken repentance. "Unless you repent, you shall likewise perish." And the persistence of evil, similarly, is due to God's kindness and patience, intended to engender repentance (Rom. 2:4-5, II Pet 3:9). I suppose there is some mystery in the "Why me?" question, if we suddenly get cancer in our later 40s or something. But isn't the question more like "Why not me?" Each new day is an experience of God's mercy.A most helpful distinction. See also John Piper's post today on the very same issue.KELLER: There are two ways to understand the question of the mystery of suffering - the 'why do we suffer?' question. There is an abstract theological version of it and a practical pastoral version of it. By looking to Luke 13 etc you are trying to answer the abstract theological version--which is, "why do human beings suffer in general?" Your answer is a good Reformed one, which I first heard John Gerstner give many years ago. He said, the real mystery is not why we suffer so much but why we suffer so little--the real mystery is why God is so merciful to us. OK. That is perfectly true. In general, our suffering is less than we deserve and in general the human race suffers so we can have the self-sufficiency knocked out of us.
But that's not the 'mystery of suffering' question for most people. They want to know why some people suffer so much more than others, why some relatively good people suffer horrendously and other relatively bad people get off the hook. Biblically, that is the more dominant question--see it in the book of Job, Habakkuk, and all through the Psalms. The real question is why there seems to be such huge unfairness in the distribution of evil and suffering.
I've noticed that young Reformed leaders prefer to look at the suffering issue from the abstract, theological point of view rather than the typical Biblical way or the way most people in suffering look at it. That's OK but you should know the limits of how much it can help people. It is of no use responding to a young husband with two young children who just lost his wife, who says, "why me?"--with the answer, "why not you?" Of course, I know you wouldn't do that (though I'm afraid I've seen it happen.) The strange distribution of evil and suffering is mysterious--God is all-wise and just and we know there is a reason for the distribution but we can't see it from where we stand. We have to trust him. Saying, 'we all deserve even more suffering' is true but not particularly helpful on the distribution issue.
So when in an interview I'm asked about the mystery of suffering, I usually answer the pastoral question, since that is where most inquirers are, or, as in my book Reason for God I separate the two questions and answer each.
Obama and The War in Iraq
Senator Barack Obama writes an op-ed piece in the New York Times, forcefully calling for an end to the military engagement in Iraq. Peter Wehner, former speech writer for President Bush, responds.
July 13, 2008
WORLD Magazine Book of the Year: The Reason For God
Marvin Olasky pens a great article and interview with Tim Keller, author of WORLD magazine's Book of The Year, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (Dutton, 2008). Excerpt:
WORLD: What's the difference between proofs of God's existence and "clues of God"—and why is the difference important?Read the whole thing (need to login to access the full text).KELLER: I can give you enough rational reasons to believe in God that fall short of demonstrable proof but that cumulatively give me warrant to say that Christianity makes more sense than alternate views of reality.
There are enough clues of God's existence that when you add them all up it makes more sense to believe in God than to not. That's short of proof. And if somebody says, you haven't proven it to me so I don't have to believe it, they're using a naïve rationality. The fact is, they believe all kinds of stuff they can't prove.
July 12, 2008
Tony Snow (1955-2008)
Tony Snow, former press secretary to President Bush (2006-2007), died this morning as a result of a three-year battle with colon cancer (which spread to his liver). In addition to being a conservative commentator, Snow once had a syndicated talk radio show, The Tony Snow Show.
Perhaps less well known is the fact that Mr. Snow was an evangelical Christian. He wrote an article for Christianity Today in July 2007 called Cancer's Unexpected Blessings. Here's an excerpt:
I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. "I'm going to try to beat [this cancer]," he told me several months before he died. "But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side."His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity—filled with life and love we cannot comprehend—and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.
Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?
Snow's article reminded me of a song I've been enjoying from Come Weary Saints. The song is called It Is Not Death To Die:
It is not death to die
To leave this weary road
And join the saints who dwell on high
Who’ve found their home with God
It is not death to close
The eyes long dimmed by tears
And wake in joy before Your throne
Delivered from our fears(Chorus) O Jesus, conquering the grave
Your precious blood has power to save
Those who trust in You
Will in Your mercy find
That it is not death to dieIt is not death to fling
Aside this earthly dust
And rise with strong and noble wing
To live among the just
It is not death to hear
The key unlock the door
That sets us free from mortal years
To praise You evermore
(HT: JT)
July 10, 2008
Exaggeration and Overcommitment
My latest article with Boundless webzine has been published. In a nutshell, the article is about how both exaggeration and over-commitment are distortions of the truth. With exaggerations, we stretch the truth to fit our purposes. With over-commitments, we either lie and say we will accomplish what we cannot accomplish, or we neglect our other God-given priorities in order to make our word good. Here's the opening:
I'd already done all the work I could do without the deliverable I needed from Bob. If I didn't get his report, I wasn't going to be able to finish the project on time. He'd told me that he'd have it for me by the end of the day yesterday, and while he meant well, we all knew that Bob just used words differently. End of the day could just as easily mean end of the week. You simply couldn't count on the guy to keep verbal commitments.Check it out.As nice as he was (he always meant well), everyone in the office was starting to make up excuses to avoid having him as a part of their project team.
July 08, 2008
Tough Questions Christians Face - Ligonier Conference
Speaking of conferences, I'm looking forward to attending and live-blogging the Ligonier West Coast Conference entitled Tough Questions Christians Face. From Dr. Sproul's invitation:
Christ has redeemed us to be a light that directs others to Him. Fulfilling this call requires us to be able to deal with the most difficult questions asked about the Christian faith. If we are unprepared for the darkness around us, it will be harder to counter it with the truth of God’s Word.Those six tough questions are:On September 26–27, 2008, during Ligonier Ministries’ 2008 West Coast National Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., Ligon Duncan, John MacArthur, and I will look at six of the toughest questions Christians face. We will focus on the biblical approach to issues including science, the problem of evil, divine sovereignty, human responsibility, the exclusivity of Christ, postmodernism, and the Gospel.
1. Has Science Disproved the Existence of God? (Ligon Duncan)
2. Why Does God Allow so Much Suffering and Evil? (John MacArthur)
3. If God is Sovereign, How Can Man be Free? (R.C. Sproul)
4. Is Jesus the Only Way? (John MacArthur)
5. Should the Church Embrace Postmodernism? (Ligon Duncan)
6. What is the “Gospel”? (R.C. Sproul)
If you come, look for me typing away in the back of the room and say hi.
Chief Justice Says Sharia Law Could Have UK Role
I don't mean to sound overly alarmist, but yesterday's speech by Britain's most senior judge, the chief justice Lord Phillips, delivered to the London Muslim Council, seems like a step in the wrong direction. Phillips noted:
"It is possible in this country for those who are entering into a contractual agreement to agree that the agreement shall be governed by a law other than English law. Those who, in this country, are in dispute as to their respective rights are free to subject that dispute to the mediation of a chosen person, or to agree that the dispute shall be resolved by a chosen arbitrator or arbitrators."Hmmm. Lord Phillips was quick to add that although sharia law's principles could be used in mediation, this would still be subject to the "jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts". But isn't sharia law ultimately a law unto itself, a law that claims its authority on the will of Allah? In the minds of those who revere it, can it really be "subject" to the "jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts"? Equally troubling is Lord Phillips' reflection that advocating the embrace of sharia law in the context of family disputes is not radical. When was the last time a woman had equal treatment in such cases? Read the BBC or the Guardian report.
Cal Thomas classifies the speech as surrender.
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