Young-earth creationism is no better than any other form of malicious gossip

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:53 pm By Fred Clark

Young-earth creationism is no different than any other form of contemptuous gossip. Some play an active role — inventing the gossip, fabricating false witness against others, propagating those lies and aggressively seeking to deceive. But these active bearers of false witness are powerless without an audience. They cannot commit their sin unless they have the support of others who agree to listen — to accept such gossip without question and without challenge. Without such a receptive audience, malicious gossip cannot function. Read more

Not all sins are stupid and not all stupidity is sinful, but young-earth creationism is both

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:52 pm By Fred Clark

When undeniable facts “conflict with your beliefs,” then you have only two options. You can, as Bill Nye said, “question your beliefs,” to see if they can be reconciled with the undeniable facts. Or you can reject the facts, shut your eyes and your ears to the world, and cling white-knuckled to beliefs that you’ve already seen are false, fortifying them with whatever urban legends and outright fabrications you find useful. Read more

Whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:48 pm By Fred Clark

Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney's comments disparaging the "47 percent" stand in stark contrast to King Benjamin's sermon in the Book of Mormon. One of them said that lazy poor people can never be convinced to "take personal responsibility and care for their lives." The other one said that anyone who talks like that "hath no interest in the kingdom of God." Read more

Jesus declares his priorities in his first sermon

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:45 pm By Fred Clark

To understand who Jesus was and who Jesus declared himself to be, we can have no clearer signal than the very first sermon he gave, in which Jesus established the priorities of his ministry. Jesus Christ had the chance to pick just one passage of scripture to proclaim as his manifesto. What he chose -- and what he did NOT choose -- says a lot about his priorities. Read more

25 nominees for the ‘Top 200 Church Blogs’ list

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:43 pm By Fred Clark

ChurchRelevance has once again updated its widely read list of the "Top 200 Church Blogs." It's still not clear what that category of "church blogs" means, exactly, but it's nice to see some of my favorites getting some recognition. On the other hand, the list's confusing criteria also left out many of my favorites. So here's my list of nominees for the next update -- 25 great Christian blogs that really deserve a place on any such list. Read more

You better get yourself together

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:39 pm By Fred Clark

Lots o' links: On Rick Perry's "Christian warriors;" dubious clinical studies; Christian lies emergency contraception and loving fathers; why evangelicalism is "a subculture striving to be a counterculture;" and one anti-gay pastor's reflections on the strange inner stirrings he feels whenever he sees two men together. Read more

‘The Right Club’ and what offends God

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:34 pm By Fred Clark

A local church goes tribal in reaction to an atheist billboard. Here's what their failed attempt at a snappy comeback tells us about the difference between serving God and scoring points for Team God. And that verse -- "Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God'" -- really needs to be read in the context of the whole chapter, because Psalm 14 isn't about God being offended by atheist billboards. Read more

Sunday favorites

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:21 pm By Fred Clark

Nehemiah 5:9-11: So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us stop this taking of interest. Restore to them, this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the interest on money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them." Read more

More smart people saying smart things

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 8:20 pm By Fred Clark

Ezra Klein on why poor people are more responsible than the wealthy; Leah Libresco on Jen McCreight and women bloggers; Sarah Moon on why Mark Driscoll doesn't like Esther; and Craig M. Watts on how the religious right gets covetousness backwards. Read more

More scenes from the class war

Last updated on: September 22, 2012 at 8:24 pm By Fred Clark

“Middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less.” “The census data that just came out show that the median household income — the amount at the 50th percentile — was about $50K last year.” “Blessed are those who, in moments of moral integrity, defy this cynical list of political beatitudes and act from a sense of authentic justice, compassion, or moral purpose — for although they might not get reelected, they may actually find true fulfillment in the lives they... Read more