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New Year, New Blogsite (Books, Culture and the Gospel)
This will be my last post I suppose on this site. I am, with the help of a gifted student named Glenn, moving my website, blog, everything except facebook into one website under the name alvinreid.com. It is not quite finished, but I figured I would go ahead and mention it here since I have already started posting on it.
I am excited about this as it is a site I can manage with my own technologically challenged skills. I can also add podcasts, which is something I have wanted to do for some time.
Here's to 2007. A new year. A new blog. A renewed life.
Why Secularism Will Not Work (Albert Mohler's Blog)
"As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for," warns Katha Pollitt. Writing in The Nation, Pollitt is warning Democrats that their embrace of religious leaders and symbols will lead to embarrassment and disaster. Her proposal -- embrace secularism.
Pollitt is one of the most predictably liberal columnists in America. Her periodic articles in The Nation offer a window into the logic of a liberal mind unconstrained by political considerations. She does not trim her sails or pull punches.
When Deaths Outnumber Births -- The Parable of Pittsburgh (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Demography is not destiny, but that claim is not, humanly speaking, far off the mark. The pattern of populations and social behaviors will establish the character and contours of any civilization. For this reason, any major change in the population is significant, and the more unexpected the change, the more significant its impact.
Thus, Americans should take a close look at the fact that in a handful of major metropolitan areas, deaths now outnumber births. In times past, this would have indicated a major catastrophe such as famine, plague, or war. But with regard to these cities, the causes include nothing to do with famine, plague, or war.
Welcome to the World, Trig Paxson Van Palin (Albert Mohler's Blog)
A little boy with an extra chromosome was born on April 18. His name is Trig Paxson Van Palin and his new home is the Alaska Governor's Mansion in Juneau. His mom is Governor Sarah Palin, who along with her husband Todd, has welcomed Trig as their second son and fifth child.
Governor Palin has already made a mark on the political scene. A high school basketball star and beauty queen, she was elected Alaska's governor in 2006. She is often mentioned as a potential running mate for Sen. John McCain. The Palins' other children include Track, their oldest son, who now serves in the U.S. Army. They also have three daughters, Bristol, Willow, and Piper.
The Gospel of Judas -- The Betrayal of Truth (Albert Mohler's Blog)
When the National Geographic Society and a team of designated scholars announced the "discovery" and release of the document known as the "Gospel of Judas" the international media went after the story with a frenzy. Headlines around the world claimed that the discovery would force a complete reconstruction of Christianity.
As I explained then:
The Equal Parenting Movement Meets Reality (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Will dad ever do his share? That is the question asked by the cover article in Sunday's edition of The New York Times Magazine. Reporter Lisa Belkin takes a look at the movement for what is called "equal parenting." The most obvious problem with "equal parenting" is that it doesn't turn out to be very equal in reality.
Belkin starts out profiling Marc and Amy Vachon, young parents of baby Maia -- and parents who intend to create their own equal model of parenting. Here is how Belkin describes their plan:
The End of History -- The Moral Necessity of Eschatology (Albert Mohler's Blog)
British author Ian McEwan is quite convinced that people who believe that history will end with divine judgment are dangerous -- probably very dangerous.
McEwan is among the most influential authors and literary figures of our day. His novels like Atonement and On Chesil Beach explore the moral landscape of the postmodern age. He is also an atheist who, by definition, does not believe that the Creator will bring history to an ending that will include perfect moral satisfaction. For that reason, his novels end without the hint or hope of such satisfaction.
The Coming Great Divide -- There Is No Place to Hide (Albert Mohler's Blog)
When the California Supreme Court struck down that state's definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman it announced a great social and moral revolution. Unless reversed by means of a constitutional amendment, this decision effectively redefined marriage and set a precedent that will reverberate across the nation.
At the same time, this moral revolution unleashed by the California court will also reveal a deep divide between churches and denominations. Issues of biblical authority have divided Christian (and Jewish) denominations and churches and have been the focus of intense debates and controversies.
The Citadel and the Open Space -- Will the Library Survive in the Internet Age? (Albert ...
Few inventions can compete with the printed book in terms of changing human history and influencing the way humans think. The physical reality of the book -- type on the printed page -- made knowledge accessible on a scale never dreamed of in former times. The book, never completely stable through printings and new editions, nevertheless served as the most stable platform for information humans had ever known.
The modern world is inconceivable without the book, and without libraries. The library became the great collection of books, the repository of knowledge and learning and the very seat of scholarship. The rise of the modern research library goes hand-in-hand with the rise of the modern research university.
The Challenge of Attention in the Digital Age (Albert Mohler's Blog)
George F. Will once remarked that, if you are going to read a liberal journal, you should read The American Prospect. I read several, but few are as stimulating (and sometimes infuriating) as TAP. Evidence of the magazine's stimulus to thought comes as it offers a May 19, 2008 essay by Courtney E. Martin. The essay demands attention -- and it is all about attention and attentiveness.
She certainly asks an important question: Do today's college and university students really care about the life of the mind?
The Archbishop and the Embryo (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Archbishop Rowan Williams, Primate of the Church of England and leader of the Anglican Communion was once a human embryo. So was I. So were you. So also were those who would now reduce human embryos to the status of a commodity to be used and destroyed in the name of medical progress.
This archbishop is known for taking tepid and confusing positions on any number of issues. But in response to a proposal to create human-animal hybrid embryos in Great Britain, Rowan Williams has staked out a position that at least protests the subversion of human dignity.
Ten for the History Books -- Summer Reading [Part 2] (Albert Mohler's Blog)
History makes for compelling reading precisely because each reader is building a master narrative of the world. The more history we know and understand, the richer and more interesting that master narrative becomes. The more we know, the more we want to know.
6. Peter Clarke, The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Birth of the Pax Americana (Bloomsbury Press, 2008).
Ten for the History Books -- Summer Reading [Part 1] (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Summer is a great time to catch up on reading that is both enjoyable and truly informative. Several major books in the category of historical works are worthy of a good summer reading project, and each of these fills some gaps in our understanding of the past -- and thus the present.
1. Anthony Pagden, Worlds at War: The 2,500-Year Strugggle Between East and West (Random House, 2008).
Salvation through Christ Alone? -- A Moment of Decision (Albert Mohler's Blog)
The Church of England faces yet another theological challenge as it prepares for the meeting of its General Synod in July. This time the issue is the Gospel itself and the specific question concerns the evangelization of Muslims. In the end, the outcome of this debate may, more than anything else, determine the future viability of the Church of England.
Paul Eddy, a lay theology student from Winchester who aspires to the priesthood, has entered a Private Member's Motion and has secured the signatures necessary to force the General Synod to deal with his motion.
Remembering the Fallen and the Brave -- Memorial Day 2008 (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Memorial Day 2008 comes as thousands of Americans are deployed around the world in the uniformed services of the United States. Inevitably, honoring the fallen and honoring veterans goes together with honoring those who currently serve in our place with their lives on the line.
I have experienced incredible moments of meaning in military cemeteries around the world. There is a solemn call of gratitude that speaks louder than words. Line after line of simple white markers speak the story of the cost of freedom. Cemeteries across this land are dotted with the markers of military service.
New Attitude 2008 (Albert Mohler's Blog)
I was highly honored by the opportunity to speak to the New Attitude 2008 conference. It was so encouraging to see thousands of committed Christian young people at that event, and to be with Joshua Harris (the visionary who birthed New Attitude), C. J. Mahaney, Mark Dever, John Piper, and other speakers.
This year, Josh asked me to answer questions from the crowd. I was impressed by the questions and thankful to be in the presence of thoughtful and evangelistic young Christians who share a commitment to Humble Orthodoxy.
Life Without Father (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Britain's Labour-led government has unleashed the hounds of biomedical and cultural revolution in recent days, voting to allow expanded research using and destroying human embryos, the development of animal-human hybrid embryos, the development of "savior siblings," and now equal access to IVF technology regardless of sexual orientation.
Until this week, British law required IVF clinics to take a child's need for a father into consideration when IVF services were sought. Now, this requirement has been removed and the new language simply requires attention to the child's "need for supportive parenting." This opens the door for widespread use of IVF technology among single women and lesbian couples.
In Error and Apostate -- The Anglican Division Looms (Albert Mohler's Blog)
The world-wide Anglican Communion has been skating on thin ice for decades now, skirting disaster only by an infinitely creative arrangement of compromises. Now, with the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops coming in just a few weeks, a group of 300 conservative Anglican bishops is meeting in Jerusalem. Their meeting will make history, and may well define the ultimate breakup of global Anglicanism.
The Global Anglican Future Conference [GAFCON] featured an address by Dr. Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria, on Sunday evening. Archbishop Akinola has emerged as one of the most courageous and theologically committed leaders of worldwide Anglicanism.
Full Citizens at Last? Who is Next? (Albert Mohler's Blog)
The news coverage and media analysis that followed the arrival Monday of same-sex marriage in California was absolutely predictable. There was the inevitable flood of profiles and personal stories, along with celebratory reportage.
The general theme of much of the coverage was that same-sex marriage had become a reality and yet civilization continues. The same theme predominated after the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts in 2004.
Fatherhood and the Future of Civilization (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Will the world soon experience a return of patriarchy? That is the question raised by Phillip Longman in the March/April 2006 issue of Foreign Policy.
The magazine's cover features a rather stunning headline: "Why Men Rule--and Conservatives Will Inherit the Earth." That headline would be surprising in almost any contemporary periodical, but it is especially significant that this article should appear in the pages of Foreign Policy, published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The publication of this article set a good many heads to spinning.
California Supreme Court Redefines Marriage (Albert Mohler's Blog)
The California Supreme Court's 4-3 decision striking down the state's definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman throws open the door for a massive redefinition of human relationships. The people of California approved Proposition 22 by a huge margin in 2000, clearly stating their understanding of marriage and their desire to protect marriage from legal revision. By a one-vote margin, their state Supreme Court renounced the will of the people. The ruling is both revolutionary and radical. It sets the stage for a much broader reorganization of human society.
Chief Justice Ronald M. George, writing for the majority, pushed the argument for same-sex marriage far beyond where any court had taken it before. The decision identified marriage as a "fundamental right," thus opening the door for infinite challenges beyond same-sex marriage.
Books for Guys -- Maybe for Dad, Maybe for Son, Maybe for You (Albert Mohler's Blog)
I am repeatedly asked about books that boys and men will want to read. The fact is that many guys just do not read for fun (if much at all) and yet, every now and then, they read a book that captures their attention. This list is for the moms and wives who are looking for a book that just might light that fire.
One reason for low interest in reading among males is the fact that much of the reading they are required to do in school is so uninteresting or demoralizing for boys. I believe that reading is appetitive. Readers develop a more ravenous appetite for books when they discover that they want to read and actually enjoy it. Here are some recent books that men and older teenagers are likely to enjoy.
Are Humans Unique? -- The Question Secular Science Can't Answer (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Few questions are more important than this -- Are humans unique? Or, put in other words, is there any basis for human dignity and for treating humans with special respect? It is now frighteningly clear that secular science is inadequate to answer that question.
The May 24-30, 2008 edition of New Scientist, an influential British journal of science, features a cover story that raises this very question. "Human beings are obviously unique," the headline declares. "But it's surprisingly hard to say why." As the actual cover article indicates, there is very little that makes humans "obviously unique."
Another Chilling Precedent -- A Court Undermines a Parent (Albert Mohler's Blog)
A recent court decision in Canada should send chills down every parent's spine. The ruling is so out of bounds that the news story sounds like a parody -- but it isn't. A Canadian judge ruled that a 12-year-old girl was "excessively" punished when her father told her she could not go on a school camping trip because she had broken rules for use of the Internet.
As the Globe and Mail [Toronto] reports:
An Evangelical Response to "An Evangelical Manifesto" (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Who are the Evangelicals? The issue of Evangelical identity and definition has been central to the Evangelical project from its very beginning in America. Given the nature of the movement, definition is elusive and constantly contested.
The release of "An Evangelical Manifesto" on May 7 caught the attention of the national media, and thus it represents yet another opportunity for evangelical definition. The document, released May 7, also represents a challenge, for its framers hope to redefine the movement in the context of our unsettled times.
Albert Einstein's God -- The "Product of Human Weaknesses" (Albert Mohler's Blog)
A letter from Albert Einstein to philosopher Eric Gutkind is to be auctioned today at Bloomsbury Auctions in London. The letter -- hidden within a private collection for a half-century -- is making news as evidence of Einstein's dismissal of belief in God.
For decades, Einstein has been claimed by both atheists and theists. The scientist was given to rather anecdotal statements about religion and belief in God, and these statements are easily taken out of context. Given Einstein's cultural and intellectual stature, both sides in this great debate have assumed that Einstein's agreement would lend intellectual credibility to their argument.
Adventures in Misleading Argument (Albert Mohler's Blog)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is in big political trouble. His Labor Party suffered a recent humiliation in local elections and he appears to be losing support from within the party's parliamentary ranks. He also faces a host of controversial issues, including big policy decisions about human embryonic stem cell research and the development of animal/human hybrid embryos for medical research.
The Prime Minister offered his argument in favor of both proposals in the May 18, 2008 edition of The Observer [London]. Brown offers at least what poses as an argument. But, in reality, his article is not an argument but an announcement. There is no serious moral argument to be found in his statement, only pretense.
A Tale of Two Bishops (Albert Mohler's Blog)
Reducing a question to scale can sometimes be a helpful intellectual step toward understanding. Just how wide is the divide between liberal and conservative Christianity? Just look at the current issue of TIME magazine.
Reporter David van Biema profiles two bishops of the Anglican Communion in "Gay Bishop vs. Straight Bishop," published June 7, 2008. Van Biema looks at the divide in the Anglican Communion through these two bishops. The first, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, is the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire. An openly homosexual man, his election as bishop set the stage for a world-wide controversy that threatens to tear the world-wide Anglican Communion asunder.
"The Land of Disappearing Children" -- Japan's Population Crisis (Albert Mohler's Blog)
The nation of Japan faces a devastating population crisis. The crisis, however, is not a problem of too many people living in Japan, but too few. Japan, with several other nations close behind, faces what we might call a population implosion.
Indeed, Japan has experienced 27 consecutive years of declining birth rates. Within just a few short years the nation will experience massive social problems and a complete breakdown of economic activity.
"It Feels as if the Soul of Britain is Dying" (Albert Mohler's Blog)
"It took several centuries to convert Britain to Christianity, but it has taken less than forty years for the country to forsake it." That was the judgment of historian Callum G. Brown in his book, The Death of Christian Britain, released in 2001.
Brown argued that, since the 1960s, British society was reshaped, "sending organised Christianity on a downward spiral to the margins of social significance."
"An Evangelical Manifesto" -- Continuing the Conversation (Albert Mohler's Blog)
The release of "An Evangelical Manifesto" represents an opportunity to revisit the continuing issue of Evangelical identity and to continue a conversation. I was very pleased to welcome author and social critic Os Guinness, one of the Manifesto's authors, to Monday's edition of The Albert Mohler Program [listen here].
Os Guinness is a major intellect in the Evangelical world, and a perceptive critic of the anti-intellectualism and cultural captivity that marks so much of the Evangelical movement. In our conversation, Os clarified several issues. He said that the statement in the Manifesto concerning believers who represent "caricatures of the false hostility between science and faith" did not specifically refer to young earth creationists. He did, however, criticize those behind at least some efforts to include Intelligent Design in public school curricula. In any event, the statement is likely to be perceived by the public as a strong criticism of any young earth position.