Introducing Samuel’s Notepad

Last updated on: January 12, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Samuel James

We pause now for a word from our sponsors. If you are interested in this sort of thing, I’ve put together a very simple email newsletter that will circulate biweekly. The newsletter, entitled “Samuel’s Notepad,” contains -Summaries and links of this Blog’s latest posts -Summaries and links of anything I publish for outside places -“What I’m Reading,” a list of interesting articles from around the web -Memorable quotes, Tweets, and other miscellaneous material that I find -A brief preview of... Read more

For Blasphemy and For Evangelism

Last updated on: January 9, 2015 at 1:09 pm By Samuel James

I had an older professor in Bible college who was responsible for teaching survey courses through the Old Testament. You don’t have to be a seminary veteran to imagine where such classes usually reside on the “Most Thrilling Lectures” chart. My professor knew this, and so enjoyed bringing his sleepy classes back to life with one-liners. My favorite was one that he apparently used every year: “Most Bible college students don’t give a damn about reading the Bible. You know how I... Read more

“The Prophet Has Been Avenged”

Last updated on: January 7, 2015 at 3:18 pm By Samuel James

https://twitter.com/davpope/status/552844593046097920 Horror and heartbreak in Paris: Three masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people, including its editor, before escaping in a car. It was France’s deadliest postwar terrorist attack. CBS News’ Elaine Cobbe reports that, according to witnesses, two armed and masked men walked into the headquarters of the Charlie Hebdo magazine and opened fire in the entrance hallway, killing people as they saw them. The gunmen reportedly sought out members of the... Read more

Dear Peter Jackson

Last updated on: January 5, 2015 at 3:44 pm By Samuel James

Dear Peter Jackson, I hope this letter finds you well. Actually, I know it does. Your last movie, The Battle of the Five Armies, has earned about $700 million around the world. I also just read that the other two movies in that trilogy have made close to $2 billion combined. I offer my congratulations to you and your family. You are fabulously wealthy and I, being a conservative, can take genuine pleasure in success and riches that aren’t my... Read more

Looking at Science to Find God?

Last updated on: January 2, 2015 at 3:22 pm By Samuel James

First, Eric Metaxas explains at The Wall Street Journal how scientific discoveries are pointing towards the existence of God: Today there are more than 200 known parameters necessary for a planet to support life—every single one of which must be perfectly met, or the whole thing falls apart. Without a massive planet like Jupiter nearby, whose gravity will draw away asteroids, a thousand times as many would hit Earth’s surface. The odds against life in the universe are simply astonishing.... Read more

How to Waste 2015

Last updated on: December 31, 2014 at 10:57 am By Samuel James

Here are some tips on how to effectively waste the New Year. 1) Spend 2015 thinking about how you failed in 2014. This is doubly effective because it both wastes your time and fools you into thinking you are practicing the spiritual discipline of repentance. The more you do it, the more you will feel compelled to do it, and the less likely you will realize what you’re doing is nothing more than godless self-loathing. 2) Designate 2015 the year... Read more

My Essential Movies: “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 4:28 pm By Samuel James

Much like its protagonist, It’s a Wonderful Life was a financial failure in its day. Today it is probably one of the ten most well-known American films of all time. There’s an interesting story behind that, too. Frank Capra’s film was apparently the beneficiary of a clerical error that prevented the renewal of its studio copyright in 1974. In the next few years, television networks aired the film repeatedly, especially around the Christmas season. What had heretofore been a relatively... Read more

Is Russell Moore a “Social Liberal”?

Last updated on: December 9, 2014 at 3:27 pm By Samuel James

J.D. Hall’s latest hit piece on Russell Moore might be one of the dumber things you will have read in 2014. It’s petty and silly, proves exactly nothing and is unintentionally hilarious in its false dichotimies and needless presumptions. The promising title, “Why Russell Moore’s Race Fixation Sits Uneasy With Us,” turns out to be little more than a tease, since Hall merely repeats over and over again how uneasy he is. Not once does he explain how Moore’s appeals for... Read more

The Strange Oprahfication of Rob Bell

Last updated on: January 7, 2015 at 10:33 am By Samuel James

I’ve tried for a few days now to come up with the right word for my reaction to this piece, by Sarah Pulliam Bailey, on Rob Bell. So far the best I can do is: strange. So much of Bell’s new life in California comes off as strange, from his casual rejection of church attendance to his remark that Oprah Winfrey, his new professional partner, has taught him “more about Jesus than anyone.” Without intending malice or slander, I have to... Read more

Outrageous Outrage

Last updated on: January 7, 2015 at 10:31 am By Samuel James

The St. Louis Rams blew out the Oakland Raiders yesterday 52-0. Rather than revel in a historic beatdown, many Rams fans are occupying themselves this morning by expressing real rage at their triumphant team. The reason? During the pre-game introductions, five Rams–Jared Cook, Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, Stedman Bailey, and Kenny Britt–raised hands in a pantomine nod to the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” protests going on in nearby Ferguson and other places. According to the players, they wanted to acknowledge and... Read more