There’s a danger in finding your self-worth in a desperate pursuit of the applause of men – it will become an insatiable quest that leaves you rudderless, conviction-less, and ultimately hopeless.  That is the end I see developing for a man named John Pavlovitz, who years ago found an audience among those whose itching ears were longing to be scratched by someone who could wrap their humanism in Christian rhetoric.

I’ve dissected John’s work before, exposing it to the truth of the Bible that he rejects for profit and popularity.  He responded by mocking the “need” for the Bible in understanding truth, proclaiming his reason to be sufficient...

In an interview, ex-minister Rob Bell recently called evangelical Christianity a "freak show." Here's my open message to Rob to help clarify what the freak show really is.

Can’t blame a man for trying to make a buck.  But that didn’t stop famed atheist Richard Dawkins from getting dragged online after making this proposal to his followers:

“My ‘Atheism for Children’ book will be unflinching, not a storybook: children won’t beg parents to buy it for Xmas. Are there parents who’ll want to buy it for their children anyway?  Do you anticipate a demand? Would you like to see a ‘children’s God Delusion’ by me published?”

Let’s leave aside the bizarre reference to Christmas – a holiday that...

A few weeks ago, I met Senator and conservative stalwart Ted Cruz at the Resurgent Gathering in Austin, Texas.  His demeanor was polite and gracious, but you could also tell he was singularly focused on his current election battle with liberal lawmaker Bob (Beto) O’Rourke.  During his remarks at the Gathering, it certainly didn’t come across as though Cruz was panicked, but he did make it very clear that he is taking O’Rourke’s challenge very seriously and assuming nothing about Texas’s fairly well-known Republican tilt.

In the weeks since that event, different polls have shown the race...

I always used to wonder if there would be a legitimate and mutually appreciated successor that would emerge for conservatism when Rush Limbaugh was no longer the “big voice on the right.”  I don’t wonder that any more.  Ben Shapiro is beyond capable of filling those shoes, and at least amongst younger generations of liberty-minded conservatives he already has.

Shapiro’s quick-tongued intellectualism is perfect for a culture that now exists completely in the digital age.  His isn’t an entertainment model that incorporates information.  He is all information, all the time, and for the intellectually curious in our culture, left or right, that in itself is entertaining...

I saw it again, for maybe the 100^th time, and so I guess it’s time to say something about it.  “It” is the ridiculous talking point from progressives that in contrast to a Trump presidency rife with scandal, the Obama years produced only one: his tan suit. 

You’ve undoubtedly seen this nonsense before – it is regurgitated every time President Trump releases an ill-tempered tweet at an adversary and the Democrat-Media Complex goes apoplectic...

If you don’t live in the state of Indiana or follow the National Football League closely, you’re missing quite a show right now.   The last few seasons have been anything but noteworthy for the hometown Indianapolis Colts, which means the storylines have been lacking for the cadre of sports writers in Indy.  And even though the return of star quarterback Andrew Luck has generated some buzz, local sports media recently got their hands on a story that they can really sink their teeth into.  After all, it gives them the opportunity to wax self-righteous about their first passion: progressive politics.

So what happened...

One of the most enduring warning signs that your Christian faith has become too comfortable is when your politics never conflicts with your Christianity. Following Christ is a radical transformation that upends everything normal about our human existence – it reverses priorities, topples assumptions, unseats preferences, and elevates a new King to the throne room of our existence.

While it’s true our maturity in the faith will bring things like our politics into line with the will of Christ, it is also true that no one reaches the point of human perfection. All of us, no matter how thoroughly we pursue righteousness, will still have moments where our sinful human nature tempts us towards idolatrous thinking. Perhaps no area offers a keener glimpse of this reality than politics.

Greg Laurie is a well-known preacher from Southern California who has written over 70 books, and has led a ministry for decades that includes an annual crusade that aims to draw thousands in an effort to win them to Christianity.  Last week Laurie had a column published by the LA Times in response to a controversy that bizarrely erupted over his church’s advertisements of this year’s crusade.

On billboards announcing the event, Laurie’s hand was seen holding a Bible in the air.  The image was reminiscent of the late Billy Graham (a man Laurie considers his mentor) who would regularly hold God’s Word in the air while making his sermon’s most significant points.  But this isn’t Billy Graham’s America anymore – and certainly not in California...

It’s beyond lamentable that we have reached this point where over 90% of Republicans and nearly 80% of Independents find the mainstream media in this country to be untrustworthy. The media has a vital role in a free republic such as ours. It is far healthier for the security of individual freedom and personal liberty if citizens remain overly skeptical of the claims, designs, and actions of their government.

It was the author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson himself, who cautioned, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground.” This is one of the reasons Jefferson and the boys were so intent on protecting the rights of a free press to hold the government accountable to the citizens.

The media held a collective pity party for themselves yesterday, printing a series of editorials that championed the “free press” against the relentless assaults of President Trump.  Their legitimate beef with the President aside, it seems to me that the mainstream press could do more for their reputation if they spent a little less time coordinating attacks against the White House and a little more time covering big stories even if they challenge their preferences.  That is, after all, what a truly “free press” would do.  

And as evidenced by the words of movie director Phelim McAleer, it’s precisely what major American media is not doing:

The social justice madness is everywhere these days, and there’s a reason.  Culturally, it sounds better to say you advocate for social justice than to say you advocate for socialism or Marxism.  Racially, it sounds better to say you advocate for social justice than to say you believe in stoking racial division through grievance mongering.  Theologically, it sounds better to say you are promoting social justice rather than to admit you are bastardizing the Word of God to advocate for progressive politics under the guise of Christlikeness. 

But what does the end result of social justice philosophy look like?  When the ideology is allowed to germinate and blossom, what fruit does it yield in those who harbor it?  This, from the New York Times. 

The news out of Pennsylvania will make you sick to your stomach.  That is, if you have a conscience, which is more than can be said for the 301 sexual predators in Christ’s clothing that were named in a grand jury sex abuse report.  The document is 884 pages long, and it seems that each page turns up one horror after another that were inflicted by supposed men of the cloth against little boys and girls.

Just days ago, the Pope arrogantly proclaimed to the world that the death penalty is incompatible with the character of God.  Perhaps he came to such a Biblically incoherent conclusion out of convenience, given that what has happened within his manmade church hierarchy offers one of the strongest cases for capital punishment you could ever imagine. 

The case against just blowing up the entire university system in America and starting over from scratch grows weaker by the day.  Campuses are cesspools of depravity and debauchery, a danger exceeded only by the stunting propaganda espoused in lecture halls and the mindless buffoonery of the pseudo-sophisticated administrative overlords. 

Thanks to a broken and absurd college loan program that plunders the pocketbooks of unsuspecting youth, these grossly overpaid administrators and professors perpetuate one of the most tragic scams in the history of America.  And what do they give us in return for our continued fealty to their con?  This kind of stupidity.  

I certainly don’t pretend to be the arbiter on who can have a church and who can’t.  But I admit to being quite curious as to why some people want to call what they’re doing “church.”  Especially when it’s this:

A building in Santa Cruz, Calif., is being converted into a worship space and public brewery by a pro-gay church that plans to donate some of its beer proceeds to Planned Parenthood, according to reports.

Members of the Greater Purpose Community Church now meet on Sundays at a food lounge to pray, listen and drink beer, KNTV reports…

The headline from the Daily Star blared the warning: “Super gonorrhea OUTBREAK worsens as new strains emerge – and there is NO CURE.” The story that followed laid it out bold and bare:

“Two completely drug-resistant versions of the venereal disease have been found and identified – with fears rampant unprotected sex could rigger an epidemic. Doctors have been unable to treat patients with antibiotic ceftriaxone and azithromycin. And sufferers have been left with a gonorrhoea – also known as the clap – infection that causes extreme pain during urination…

Officials added another five strains of gonorrhoea have been found which have ‘high level resistance’ to treatments.”     Read More -->

Can we just skip the formalities and go ahead and hand the Pulitzer Prize to John Bowden at The Hill?  I know that there are probably plenty of other highly qualified candidates, but Bowden’s recent masterpiece of journalistic brilliance is simply unrivaled.  The intrepid reporter for the D.C. based political website managed to unearth what could end up being the story of the century – you might want to make sure you’re seated before reading this.

A minister from North Carolina once preached messages to his congregation from the Bible’s Book of Ephesians.

Can you imagine?  Had Bowden not dug deep into the archives of Minister-turned-congressional candidate Mark Harris’s sermons, we might not have known that a Baptist preacher would base his messages on God’s Word.  Seriously, take a look at this penetrating and breathtaking insight:    Read More -->

As if more evidence was needed that the social media platform Twitter provides an abundance of opportunity for people to reveal their inner jerk, former game show contestant Ken Jennings has offered certifiable proof of that reality.  Jennings, whose success on the trivia game Jeopardy! catapulted him into a curious assumption of celebrity, decided that mocking the mom of a deceased special needs son would earn him some cool points with his crowd.

What motivates that level of callousness?  Perhaps this is a case of a man most likely picked on and bullied as a kid, sensing his long-awaited moment of getting to join the bullies had arrived.  Perhaps it’s a situation where the rich and well-educated seize on any opportunity to mock and condescend towards those they deem less than themselves.  Or perhaps this is just a guy revealing himself to be a jerk.    Read More -->

I about swallowed my tongue when I saw the video.  Posted on the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s (ERLC) Vimeo page, a professor of theology at Fordham University named Charles Camosy addressed the question: “What is the Christian’s Responsibility with Respect to Animals?”  What he said wasn’t responsible and it wasn’t remotely Christian:

“Well it’s one of those more interesting issues that the pro-life movement doesn’t generally take up.  Uh, but I’ve done a little bit of my own work on this.  And I think that non-human animals, though obviously not as important as human animals, merit our serious attention.  They’re also vulnerable, they’re also voiceless, they’re also pushed to the margins because they are inconvenient, interestingly just like prenatal children are.  Read More -->

I have always been a big fan of Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry. I think he would have made an excellent president, and if he could have administrated national policies half as effectively as he did for Texas, the country would be much better off. But with as solid of an administrator and leader as Perry was, he had a fatal political flaw – he wasn’t a polished speaker.

To be sure, others have been elected to the White House who haven’t been powerful communicators – there’s one who hailed from Perry’s home state that comes to mind. But perhaps because of that frustrating experience of having a leader on the right unable to articulate the superiority of conservative thought for eight years all but ended Perry’s chances of getting a pass for possessing that same weakness.  Read More -->

I don’t think I’ve ever been as uncomfortable for someone as I was at a pro-life event a few years ago.  I was the emcee of the banquet that was being keynoted by a remarkable woman named Rebecca Kiessling.  Before the event, one of the invited lawmakers was working the crowd and stopped by the head table.  Apparently wanting us all to note his pro-life bona fides he expressed that he had always been unabashedly pro-life in all cases except rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Rebecca Kiessling was the product of a conception by rape.  Read More -->