People today are obsessed with their identities. But the Bible explicitly says that the identity of the Christian is not to be found in ethnicity, sex, gender, or oppression. Rather, our identity is to be found "in Christ," who identifies with us and gives us His identity. This is realized in baptism, in which we are given both our individual names and the name of the Triune God. Read more
To the list of methods of government--democracy, republic, monarchy, dictatorship, etc., etc.--we can add another: competitive authoritarianism. This is when the people democratically elect an authoritarian ruler. Then later, they can elect a different authoritarian ruler.
Allie Beth Stuckey shows how the term "Christian nationalism" is being used to discredit and silence Christians who vote in accord with their moral beliefs. But there is nothing wrong with voting your convictions. Democracy requires it. And convictions are always shaped by a person's worldview and religion.
Luther and the Reformation had a major cultural impact, from the promotion of universal education to the notion that all human beings have equal value. Some credit--or blame--the Reformation for creating modernity. But I question that.
A scholar details the influence of the Reformation on the rise of liberal democracy, showing how "sola scriptura" led to the rule of law and Constitutionalism, how the priesthood of all believers and vocation led to breakdown of hierarchies and the dignity of the common man, and more.
This weekend we will have open discussion threads. That is sort of like the open topics we have had here before, when you raise different topics of interest. But the difference is that this time you bring up things you'd like to discuss. That is, things you'd like your fellow Cranach readers to weigh in on.
Despite what conservative pundits, pollsters, and even Democrats were predicting, there was no red wave. Some lessons to be learned.
The Left considers Muslims to be an oppressed group and so supports them in the name of intersectionality. But Muslims seem to be waking up--as opposed to being "woke"--to the contradictions between their convictions and their leftist allies.
The stakes are especially high for both sides in today's election. Thoughts on democracy, the economy, threats to our children, crime, the state of our cities, and how the government's COVID response has brought on many of these problems. Also, come to this blog tonight to discuss the election results as they unfold in our "comments" section.
When parents complain about critical race and gender theory being taught in schools, the education establishment usually denies it. But a study has found that the majority of 18-20 year olds say that they were taught the tenets of critical theory in school.
