Should Christians Support the rEVOLolution?
by Joshua D. Ambrosius Saturday, January 28th, 2012
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul recently argued for a “Golden Rule” in foreign policy in the first South Carolina GOP debate. “We endlessly bomb [other] countries,” he said, “and then we wonder why they get upset with us?” Is this really such a crazy idea to boo?
Remember it was Jesus of Nazareth who said, “Whatever you want people to do to you, do that to them” (Luke 6:31 from N. T. Wright’s Kingdom New Testament, 2011). It would be almost comical, if the effects weren’t so real and devastating, to watch the parade of evangelical Christians who ridicule this foreign policy of Jesus yet work so hard to put Dominionists and “chickenhawks” in the White House.
Worship and the Poor: The Coming Revival
by Chris Lahr Friday, January 27th, 2012
I just got back from spending about a month in India with my family. We had the opportunity to stay with our friend who runs a children’s home, made up of 48 kids. We were amazed by their faith. Each child had their own unique story of moving from abandonment and rejection (many orphaned) to this loving home. The children have been taught from a young age to worship, pray and rely on Jesus. I cannot tell you how many stories of healings, provisions, etc. we heard while we were there. The Bible says not to worry about tomorrow and these kids really lived this out! Our friend informed us that during the 13 years of existence, that they had never asked for donations. They simply pray and God provides. One story that stuck out was how they gathered to pray for provision for much needed housing for their older boys.
Evangelicals Support Newt Gingrich
by Tony Campolo Thursday, January 26th, 2012
The need for Red Letter Christians to no longer be labeled “Evangelicals” became abundantly clear this past Saturday following the South Carolina Republican Primary. Most Evangelicals claim to be politically non-partisan, and say they only identify with the Republican Party because the Republicans are committed to “family values.” The truthfulness of that claim became questionable this past Saturday when South Carolina Evangelicals voted in surprisingly large numbers for Newt Gingrich, in spite of the fact that he’s hardly a model husband in their eyes. Not only is he on his third wife, having had divorce papers served to one of them while she was lying in a hospital bed recovering from a mastectomy for breast cancer, but, if his second wife is to believed, wanted an “open marriage” so that he could have a sexual affair on the side.
Sweet Friendship Ahead for Mormons and Evangelical Christians
by Kay Campbell Thursday, January 26th, 2012
I have seen a vision of the future of relations between evangelical Christians and Mormons.
It’s going to be sweet.
This vision came, of all places, at Tuesday’s pro-life rally when an old Catholic brother held aloft a poster of the Virgin Mary.
Brother Joseph Kreutzer, a monk, was one of the last speakers after an hour of speakers who had celebrated the preciousness of infants and decried the sinfulness of doctors and others who engage in abortions.
When he began his closing prayer, he raised a framed, faded poster of the Virgin of Guadalupe, holding it in his trembling hands while he prayed.
Going There: Another Take on the Orphan Crisis
by Jenny Rae Armstrong Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
It’s been just over two years since a magnitude 7 earthquake hit Haiti, killing more than a quarter of a million people and leaving thousands of children orphaned, overwhelming a nation already in crisis. Kristen Howerton, who has adopted from Haiti and was in the country when the earthquake struck, wrote a great, heartbreaking post on “Rage Against the Mini Van” about the state of adoption in Haiti two years later. Thousands of children are languishing in orphanages, not because no one is willing to adopt them, but because of administrative red tape.
Who is my Neighbor?
by Morf Morford Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
When Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” what was the man really asking?
Certainly he was expecting a simple, direct answer – one that he could take home and live with. He was surely expecting a response that would reassure him that he could continue associating exclusively with people like himself; certainly God would prefer that he would only, or at least primarily, spend time with people of his religion, his education, his social class.
Jesus rarely, if ever, gave simple formulaic answers – and he certainly didn’t here.
