Southern Seminary – Blogs

When Morality Collapses — The Therapeutic Evasion

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:41:34 +0000

Any civilization requires a stable, rational, and consensual moral framework in order to survive. Western civilization has been built on a framework of Christian morality, with the so-called “Judeo-Christian ethic” providing the moral principles that support laws, ethical reasoning, and moral impulses.

Turning the Bible into Toilet Paper

Denny Burk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:07:51 +0000

I mentioned yesterday that I am in New Orleans this week to deliver a paper on homosexuality at the Evangelical Theological Society. Yesterday I came across an article that relates to the subject matter of that paper.

NewsNote: Cartooning the Word — R. Crumb’s “The Book of Genesis”

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:48:48 +0000

In all likelihood, most people would never even imagine a cartoon version of Genesis. Nevertheless, the cartoon version has arrived, and it is attracting no small amount of attention. The Book of Genesis Illustrated is by famed cartoonist R. Crumb. Famous among cartoonists for his work as far back as the 1960s, Crumb has always combined cartoons and a social/political agenda.

Look What the Cat Dragged In

Denny Burk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:05:57 +0000

There are certain moments in life that you never forget—those indelible moments that fix themselves in memory, sometimes for happy reasons, and sometimes for not so happy reasons. I had such a moment in the latter category when I was in the 8^th grade.

Atheism Remix Event at University of Louisville

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:47:27 +0000

I was honored to speak at a special event on the campus of the University of Louisville last night, sponsored by The Campus Church. I spoke on my book, Atheism Remix, in an author forum that brought a capacity crowd to the Red Barn on the UofL campus.

Postman’s Body Syndrome

David Sills — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:54:32 +0000

I heard not long ago that the average American citizen gains eight pounds over the holidays, but then loses only about four of them. That adds up over the years, leaving a lot of us wishing we could lose some of that weight. We know that if we could stop snacking and eat only at appointed mealtimes we might start to lose some of those unwanted pounds.

LEADERSHIP FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD

Chuck Lawless — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:02:32 +0000

Leadership has become a big deal for me not only in my role as dean of the Billy Graham School, but also as my denomination (the Southern Baptist Convention) faces transitioning leadership at multiple levels. I am particularly burdened about reaching out to and working with young leaders who are the future of our churches. Given my interest, the November 2009 copy of US News and World Report – an edition that focused almost entirely on leadership – caught my attention.

NewsNote: Woof ‘n Worship? Seriously?

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:45:00 +0000

Just for the sake of adequate seriousness, I will resist all temptations to pun. That is no easy resistance in light of the report from the Associated Press about American churches developing special services for congregants and their dogs.

Younger Pastors and the Hope of a Future

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:42:33 +0000

Tonight I spent a really encouraging few hours with a group of younger pastors — men who are being greatly used of God to reach their own generation and far beyond. That experience made me really thankful, and also led me to think about why Southern Baptists should be especially thankful for the rising generation of young pastors.

Pro-death Feminist Propaganda

Denny Burk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:37:27 +0000

Don’t believe everything you read. Especially the obfuscations of Kate Michelman and Frances Kissling in today’s New York Times. Their OP-ED is more of the tired, old, feminist propaganda that entirely misses the point of the abortion debate.

NewsNote: Boys Wearing Skirts to School? What’s Going On?

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:40:38 +0000

“Clothes are never a frivolity — they always mean something.” Thus spoke James Laver, a famous costume designer and interpreter of fashion. He is right, of course. Clothes always mean something, which is why The New York Times gave major attention to an issue facing many schools: “Can a Boy Wear a Skirt to School?“

On Faith: Religious Belief and the Military

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:39:14 +0000

This week’s question at “On Faith,” the religion project of The Washington Post and Newsweek was posed against the tragic backdrop of the shootings at Fort Hood. The question comes down to this: “How far should the military go to accommodate personal religious beliefs and practices?”

Does God Love Homosexuals?

Denny Burk — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:34:23 +0000

I got an e-mail today from someone who wanted to know if I believe that God loves homosexuals. The short answer is yes. But short answers aren’t nearly as good as biblical answers. So let’s look at three texts to establish the point.

NewsNote: Falling Fertility Makes for Happy Economists?

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:38:25 +0000

Is the fact that fertility is falling around the world good news? You would certainly think so if you agree with the analysis cheerily offered by The Economist. That very respected journal of economic analysis recently offered a cover story that celebrated falling human fertility as “changing the world for the better.”

NewsNote: Moral Clarity and the Fall of the Wall

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:37:27 +0000

The twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall is an important landmark in human history. That wall, one of history’s most heinous symbols of oppression, stood as a physical reminder of Communism’s essence. The Wall was not built to keep invaders out, but to imprison a people within. In the singular interest of avoiding its own evacuation, the Soviet-backed government of the German Democratic Republic erected that wall and murdered those who attempted to cross it.

Pray for the Persecuted Church

David Sills — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:13:06 +0000

This time of year, many evangelical churches turn their attention to the international mission fields. There are several reasons for this renewal of missions awareness. Southern Baptists begin to promote and receive donations for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and send every penny of it to their international missionaries.

NewsNote: The Hypersocialized Generation

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:15:29 +0000

Jeffery Zaslow of The Wall Street Journal opens his article with the story of a 17-year-old boy sent to the vice principal’s office after being caught sending text messages in class. The vice principal, Steve Gallagher, told the boy to pay attention to the teacher, not to his cellphone. Even as the boy nodded politely, Gallagher noticed something amiss — the boy was texting about his discipline for being caught texting.

NewsNote: Muslim Creationists and Western Elites — Get Out Much?

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:13:49 +0000

Every individual human being is embedded in a complex of culture, language, relationships, and ideas. What we see as normal is a product of our perception from within that embedded social location. It takes considerable intellectual effort to escape our own cultural cage. Furthermore, it is far easier to notice when others reveal their cultural assumption than when we reveal our own.

What My Wife Taught Me about Glory and Power

Russell D. Moore — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:59:04 +0000

I still remember the first time I heard my now wife’s name, “Maria Hanna,” mentioned in conversation. I had no idea how she would live up to her name. Hannah, after all, was a weeping, trusting woman, who longed for the blessing of children…and who longed to see her children bless the Lord. Her faith brought about the prophetic voice (Samuel) through whom God would give us the house of David, the line of our Lord Jesus.

Is Truth Really Plural? Postmodernism in Full Flower

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:14:19 +0000

The question of truth stands at the very center of the postmodern challenge. As with any major shift in human thinking, postmodernism comes packaged with both positive and negative elements. Positively, the general worldview of postmodernism reminds us that we are deeply embedded in cultural and linguistic systems that shape and influence our thinking.

NewsNote: Naughty Rodents — Your Brain without Dad

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:56:56 +0000

Do children need fathers? Fascinating research on that question is reported by Shirley S. Wang of The Wall Street Journal. Anna Katherina Braun, a German biologist, has been working with colleagues to understand the biological impact of single parenting. Her research has focused on the degu, a small rodent that is a distant relation to the guinea pig.

Send Me Your Ethics Questions!

Russell D. Moore — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:29 +0000

I want to hear your ethics problems. This morning we’re launching a brand new, fun project here called “Q&E: Questions and Ethics.” I’m raring to go. Here’s the way it works. If you’re thinking about an ethical dilemma (big or small) that’s got you thinking, send it to me. Maybe it’s something you heard a co-worker talking about, and you wonder: “If that were me, what would I do, as a Christian?”

NewsNote: Paganism “Just Another Religion?”

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:58:02 +0000

Samuel G. Freedman of The New York Times took a look at the resurgence of pagan religions and practices in postmodern America. He found Michael York, a serious-minded pagan who observes Samhain, “the autumnal new year for Pagans,” and the historic precursor to the modern holiday of Halloween. Reading the names of his ancestors while facing a pagan altar, Mr. York remarks that, on Samhain, “the veil between the worlds is understood to be thinnest.”

The Marriage Index — A Revealing Look at the Nation

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:55:52 +0000

Why hasn’t this been done before? That question comes immediately to mind in light of the release of “The Marriage Index,” a project undertaken by the Institute for American Values in cooperation with the National Center for African American Marriages and Parenting. The Marriage Index is an instrument that, for the first time, offers a comprehensive view of the state of marriage in the nation.

Racism and the Great Commission Resurgence

Russell D. Moore — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:42:01 +0000

A few weeks ago, I told the folks in my congregation to forget all the pictures of white people they’ve seen in their childhood Sunday school Bible story books. The only white people in the Bible were lepers. But white supremacy dies hard.

A Word to Young Preachers

Russell D. Moore — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:43:06 +0000

Your first few sermons are always terrible, no matter who you are. If you think your first few sermons are great, you’re probably self-deceived. If the folks in your home church think your first few sermons are great, it’s probably because they love you and they’re proud of you. If it’s a good, supportive church there’s as much objectivity there as a grandparent evaluating the “I Love You Grandma” artwork handed to them by the five year-old in their family.

Do Sinners Want Hell?

Denny Burk — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:44:04 +0000

John Piper says that no one wants Hell and that C. S. Lewis was wrong to suggest otherwise. He writes:

“Free to Live and Love as We See Fit?”

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:44:57 +0000

As Sen. John McCain recently remarked, “elections have consequences.” President Barack Obama signed the “Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act” into law on Thursday, fulfilling a campaign promise and handing the gay rights community one of its most sought-after achievements.

The Myth of Monogamy

denny burk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:22:03 +0000

An article on CNN.com suggests that monogamy is on the decline and that serial monogamy and polyamory may be better alternatives. Serial monogamy is “a model in which people move from one committed long-term relationship to another and choose partners for different reasons at different stages of their life.”

Evangelical Syncretism

Denny Burk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:25:46 +0000

I am astonished at how many evangelicals think that it is okay to observe a Ramadan fast with Muslims. Christianity Today has published remarks from ten evangelicals, five (or perhaps seven) of which think that it’s okay to fast with Muslims during Ramadan. Douglas Wilson is the last of the ten, and he sounds the clearest note against such a practice.