Apologetics to the Glory of God

Category: Morality

  • A Conversation About Categories

    There are particular buzzwords in the air these days. Of course, there are buzzwords in the air every day – and always have been. One of the hot-buttons these days is “transgender”. With the media circus surrounding Bruce Jenner, it is in an impossible glare. The media’s feeding frenzies know no bounds, and the level of rhetoric and sheer hyperbole is shocking, even to a jaded student of mass media narrative creation.

    The problem is, the left is in a pickle when it comes to “transgender” – much as it is in a pickle concerning “bisexuals.” With the latter, on …

  • Irrationality is not a Response

    I encountered a rather unfortunate blog post today. Upon examining it, and the posts it links to, I think it would be helpful to respond to, albeit briefly.

    First, just to get it out of the way – why on earth would you use such appalling language when dealing, at least putatively, with Christian doctrine? (Let alone any other time.) It is, quite simply, outrageous on any level.

    Second, while I’m sure Jon Stewart (and his devoted fans) are quite convinced that he is the epitome of the witty bon mot – he quite typically fails, rather spectacularly, in …

  • Standing our Ground: But Not Because of Tradition

    While it might be politic to cite the opinion of someone whose idea of things is, at least superficially, similar to our own, that doesn’t negate the requirement to examine that opinion with an eye toward the presuppositional commitments of the one expressing it.  When we, as Reformed believers, committed to Sola Scriptura, look at a subject like the current push for “gay marriage” – what sort of things are we taking for granted when we take that look?  I refer, of course, to the columnist Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, who recently wrote an article entitled “Why so many Christians won’t

  • On Proper Analysis – Scott Terry and VanTillianFire

    The author, Aaron Dale, at the blog “Van Tillian Fire,” has written a critique of my much-critiqued “Dear Sye” post.  For reasons unbeknownst to me, he neglected to read the post of the following day, “The Shattered Stained Glass Window”, as well as the post “A Necessary Distinction.”   Why is this important, you ask?  It is important because these were written several months ago – and written specifically to provide specifics about issues I left unstated, or merely referred to in general terms in the initial post.  Why did I leave them unstated? I left them …

  • The Shattered Stained Glass Window

    A lot of people seemed upset when I posted an encouragement and admonishment to Sye Ten Bruggencate yesterday.  The fallout seems to consist of either those praising me for doing so, or vilifying me for same.  I’m no stranger to controversy, obviously, so I have been watching the general trend of commentary.  The fallout from my detractors, on the main, seems to have missed the central meat of the post.  Sure, I mentioned several things only in general, but most of our regular readers know what I was referring to.  I’ve said the same things I am saying now over …

  • Fred is Dead: A Christian Response to the Followers of Fred Phelps, Founder of “Westboro Baptist Church”

    Fred Phelps is dead.

    Phelps is best known for heading up the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). The WBC is infamous for preaching a message of hatred toward homosexuals (“God Hates Fags”) and picketing the funerals of United States military.

    Most people are shocked and appalled at the WBC. I do not fault them for that. However, I do fault them for substituting their subjective emotional responses for sound intellectual responses to the WBC. In a society where feelings matter more than substantial thought, even most Christians are satisfied with the purely emotional response to the WBC. But they should …

  • Peripatetic 27 – Rebuttal to Diane Bass Preaching a Pro-Homosexual Sermon in a Mississippi Southern Baptist Church

    Diane and Lance BassDiane Bass is the mother of Lance Bass, formerly of N’Sync – a native of Mississippi, where I call home.  As far as I can tell, she preached the message linked to on The Huffington Post (and by a multitude of “gay rights” organizations shortly thereafter) at Northside Baptist Church, in Clinton, MS.  My attestation for this claim can be found here.…

  • Peripatetic 26 – Emotions not Arguments – the Homosexual Advocacy Narrative

    We review an excellent example of the homosexual advocacy narrative du jour – a post for HuffPo by Micah J. Murray. Notice the crucial word that is missing from his material. Repentance. Notice also the lack of clarity and precision found throughout, and the intense focus on emotions.…

  • Peripatetic 25 – Ignorant Objections, Bigotry and Duck Dynasty

    Argument by redefinition in lieu of meaningful, logical argumentation is specious. It’s one thing to address presuppositions, it’s another thing to smuggle them in. Pravda is nothing new. The relentless, remorseless cultural pressure will beat you down unless you take the time to study the issue. It’s not enough to “Stan with Phil.” Marriage is a picture of Christ an the Church. It’s not a neutral issue by any stretch. I’m a little late on this – but it was recorded in a timely fashion……

  • Peripatetic 24 – Resume Inflation

    Christmas, Apostasy, and Resume Inflation.…