How Much Can We Trust Our Emotions?

It is axiomatic that a man should be careful how much he trusts his emotions or he is likely to be led astray by them. This came to my mind reading the first chapter of “Inside the Churches of Christ.” The cornerstone of the argument the author, Charles Simpson makes, is that in 50 years of membership in the church of Christ, he never experienced much emotion at all, either from himself or other members of the church. It was not until he abandoned the CofC and joined a Baptist church that he began to experience what he termed the right kind of emotion. As an example, he tells us that he had “never wept when praying in the CofC, but the first time I prayed in the Baptist church I wept openly.” The implication is that the CofC lacks the right measure of emotion, as defined by the author, but the Baptist church has just the right amount.

The “Church of Christ”: A Cult By Any Other Name?

I recently read a book titled “Inside the Churches of Christ: The Reflection of a Former Pharisee on What Every Christian Should Know About the Nondenomination Denomination.” Well, that’s a mouthful, isn’t it? I’m sure you already have a good idea of where the author of this book was going when he wrote it. The author, Charles Simpson, tells us that he was a member of the church of Christ for 50 years and that fact, accordingly, qualifies him to speak to the problems that the CofC (as he refers to it throughout the book) has. The book is primarily a harsh critique of such problems and concentrates on the “Pharisaical” attitude that the members of the CofC display in their worship, doctrine, and lives.

Is Theistic Evolution Really A Problem?

I recently came across an article by columnist Michael Brendan Dougherty entitled “In Defense of Creationists.” According to Mr. Dougherty, the article was motivated by a debate he had recently witnessed between creationist Ken Ham, and evolutionary scientist Bill Nye (you will probably remember him from the “Bill Nye The Science Guy” television program on PBS). What I found most fascinating about this whole article was the fact that, although the title seems to indicate that the author is a committed creationist, his views do not at all coincide with Ham’s. It is curious to find an article with such a title which then proceeds to tell us why the one he is “defending” is completely wrong in his assertions.

The Politics of Christianity

Politics is once again taking center stage in our country. In just over a year, the United States will elect a new president after eight years of Democratic Party domination of that office (of course, the possibility exists that another Democratic candidate will be elected to the office). Whether that domination has been good or bad depends on who you ask, of course. But it is undeniable that our country has undergone a tremendous change over those eight years. When Barak Obama took the oath of office in January 2009, The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and a myriad of other legislations were the law of the land. Now, just seven years later, they have practically all been abandoned or superseded.