Anti-American Rhetoric Pervades Even Conservative Denominations

On an episode of Issues Etc. examining pop culture apocalypticism, Lutheran Minister Jonathan Fiske admonished that believers need to get away from an American Republican view of Christianity that we are meant to live a good life here and now to a ripe old age after which we go on to our eternal reward in Heaven.

Interesting how the default term to denigrate these days out of the mouths of so many professional relgionists is “America”.

Furthermore, is his enunciation of the term “Republican” also invoked to besmirch the ideological proclivity of those assembling under the banner of the GOP to believe that the path towards the broadest swath of prosperity for the greatest number is to be found in individuals for the most part left alone to pursue their own well being, dreams and callings?

Does Rev. Fiske intend to cast as much aspersion upon an American Democratic view of Christianity that instead sees the path to a society approaching something akin to justice as one where the individual is nothing more than a cog in whatever group one happens to be a part of for the purposes of the government dispersing its largess to favored demographics and constituencies?

Furthermore, is the desire to maximize pleasure and evade misery necessarily a distinctively American characteristic?

Or is it that America through the blessings of the Almighty has been more successful than most regimes in achieving this most desirable yet elusive state of affairs?

For one will find that the average Third Worlder (unless brainwashed by the likes of fanatic Islam) is usually as averse to pain as most Westerners.

It is just that their respective society has not been as successful in alleviating these vicissitudes.

Often those given towards ostentatious verbalized declarations of their own piety articulate a willingness to welcome increased suffering.

However, was it not the God such souls claim as their primary loyalty the one that imbued part of His creation with that mysterious quality known as life along with a desire to see that distinct gift continued for as long as possible?

Though it may be ended as a result of a wide variety of intervening contingencies, if the believer strives to live by these principles God has established in the social sphere, won't the odds be in your favor for a life characterized by a bit less trouble?

After all, does not Scripture urge one to honor your mother and father so that your days upon the Earth might be long?

That text even admits it is a Scripture that dangles before the hearer a carrot in order to encourage compliance.

By Frederick Meekins

Pope Downplays Islamist Invasion

In an interview downplaying the Islamist invasion of the West, Pope Francis assured in a La Criox interview that he has seen “Muslims come to venerate the Virgin Mary and St. George.”

That doesn't cut it.

Unless you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, you are still going to Hell no matter how highly you think of His earthly mother.

She was, after all, a sinner in need of a savior like every other human being.

In the same interview, the Pope went on to assert that the state must be secular and that the ones that are confessional in nature in that they adhere to an established creed end badly.

So, as a sovereign state of its own, does this assessment also apply to the Vatican?

Will those of a mindset similar to Ian Paisley or Jack Chick at their most militant be invited to establish a print shop on Vatican territory as a symbol of this dedication to pluralism?

by Frederick Meekins

Audio: The Moral Argument For The Existence Of God

Baptist Church Opposed To Old Glory Has Pro Wrestler Address Student Body

On its SermonAudio page, Berean Baptist Church of Fayetteville, North Carolina uploaded a discussion on the use of social media facilitated by professional wrestler Brad Cain.

Admittedly, I have enjoyed professional wrestling from time to time over the course of my life and don't really know much about this individual.

But it must be pointed out that any other time this church is so wrapped up in practicing its religion 24/7 that the leadership denounces Christians that enunciate a strong devotion to or respect for the American flag.

But apparently it is acceptable to watch professional wrestling.

Just don't root for Sgt. Slaughter or Hacksaw Jim Duggan while doing so.

Both SermonAudio and Berean Baptist Church seem to have little problem with promoting a doctrinal schizophrenia

For example, in his remarks, Brad Cain announced his own practice of “social media free Sundays” as if such a custom made him holier than thou.

Yet according to his Wikipedia entry, Cain has played a homosexual as part of his ringside persona.

One would think that would upset God a bit more than if you check Facebook.

Elsewhere on the SermonAudio website, there are diatribes passing as Biblical exegesis insinuating that your daughter will possibly become a lesbian if she enjoys Little House On The Prairie or the town tramp if she is allowed to leave the house in pursuit of a college education or even premarital employment.

If the response is that ministries enjoy the discretion and Christian liberty to upload from a wide range of perspectives, just say something positive about Catholicism even if you don't agree with that system in its entirety and see how long your account remains active on the site.

By Frederick Meekins

Didn't Pious Ideologues Lay Foundation Of Trumpism?

Syndicated Columnist Cal Thomas has published a commentary critical of presidential candidate Donald Trump titled “The itching ears of Trump fans”.

In the piece, Thomas astutely points out where the billionaire's bold promises often lack specifics as to how the proposals could be implemented in a way that would minimize the disruption from an uncooperative opposition as epitomized by the Occupy movement and BlackLivesMatter not above the use of what most Americans would categorize as violence in the attempt to sway public opinion and policy.

But did not Thomas himself play a part in paving the way for the ascent of Trumpism?

In “Blinded By Might”, Cal Thomas admonished how the truly devout ought to dichotomize their worldviews to separate what constitutes spirituality from what constitutes competent political leadership or governance.

Now that droves of Evangelicals and Roman Catholics have flocked to a candidate that might not abide by Biblical behavioral norms in his personal life but who not only speaks bluntly about the nation's problems but in a manner that does not act like everything wrong in the world is America's fault, theologians and even conservative pundits that set this ball in motion nearly twenty years ago stand gapping in dumbfounded amazement.

In his commentary, Thomas levels condemnation at Donald Trump for speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

But isn't Thomas a bit guilty of this himself?

In referencing the cruel things Trump's disturbingly fanatic supporters have called Thomas, the witty correspondent confesses being called “old” probably hurt worse than even being called a sack of excrement.

But of that particular verbal put down, Thomas writes, “Remember when age used to go with wisdom unless proven otherwise?”

Yet any other time in his desire to gain the favor of the media elite, Thomas has mocked both Tea Party gatherings and Trump rallies for being composed primarily of elderly White faces.

But one cannot get much more elderly and White than Cal Thomas.

Does he intend to consistently live by the principles he now professes by surrendering the place he does occupy in the media or the no doubt hefty check he receives for doing so?

By Frederick Meekins

Being Lutheran

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Exploring Christian Theology

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Reformed Theologian Downplays Total Depravity In Pluralism's Name

On an episode of Issues Etc, Dr. Michael Horton condemned the Donald Trump campaign on the grounds that no candidate should run for the presidency on the basis of fear and for promoting a mindset of Us vs. Them in terms of “opposing the Other”.

Dr. Horton positions himself as standing in the camp of rigorous Reformed theology.

Reformed theology promotes itself as approaching the world as it actually exists rather than how fallen humanity would like it to be.

As such, aren't there many things in a world permeated by sin that we need to protect ourselves from or (to put it in other words) be afraid of?

Furthermore, it could be argued that, apart from biological racialism since you can't change skin color (no matter how hard Michael Jackson might have tried), Reformed theology has got to be the ultimate form of Us vs. Them thinking.

For no matter how much effort one might put into the attempt to persuade someone to repent and turn to Christ, it is ultimately God alone who selects from eternity past those that will be with Him in Heaven and those that He will allow to slip into Hell.

By Frederick Meekins

Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader

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Islamists Granted Right Denied Christians

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Radical Environmentalists Disrupt Easter Worship Service

Is Air & Space Smithsonian Magazine Indoctrinating Readers In Preparation Of Pending Extraterrestrial Encounter?

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Is Easter A Pagan Holiday?

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