Judge says Alabama cannot steal immigrants’ homes

Last updated on: November 24, 2011 at 12:08 am By Fred Clark

This is good news: “US judge stops Ala. from enforcing part of law.” A federal judge in Montgomery has stopped state officials from using Alabama’s [harsh]* new immigration law to prevent immigrants from renewing required permits on manufactured homes. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson issued a temporary restraining order Wednesday evening that allows Alabama residents to renew registration of manufactured homes without requiring that they prove that they are in the country legally. The deadline for renewing the registration without... Read more

An invitation to an argument: ’25 Books Every Christian Should Read’

Last updated on: November 23, 2011 at 11:53 am By Fred Clark

Renovaré has a new book out that seems designed to start an argument. It’s called 25 Books Every Christian Should Read: A Guide to the Essential Spiritual Classics, and it’s just what it sounds like — an introduction to 25 classic works of Christian writing, with excerpts from each and short essays arguing for why these selections are worth reading. As with all such lists — think of those AFI lists, or those lists of “the best novels,” or NPR’s... Read more

If the evangelical mainstream wants me to view the religious right as marginal, then they should do more to marginalize the religious right

Last updated on: November 22, 2011 at 6:07 pm By Fred Clark

Mainstream evangelicals generally do not identify with the tone and emphasis of the religious right. When people like me criticize the religious right, these mainstream evangelicals often complain that such criticisms overemphasize the influence of a vocal, but marginal, minority that does not represent the views of most evangelicals. That’s the complaint voiced here by Timothy Dalrymple and repeated, ad nauseum, as a central organizing grievance of sites like Get Religion. There are two very large problems with this complaint:... Read more

The boundaries of evangelical identity

Last updated on: November 22, 2011 at 1:11 pm By Fred Clark

A few more quick items on the way the “big four” issues — abortion, homosexuality, evolution, environment — create the boundaries of evangelical identity in America, determining the shape of that community far more than any doctrinal, pietistic or theological characteristic. 1. Tony Jones: “An Open Letter to Evangelical College Students“ A year from now, we in Minnesota will be voting on an amendment to our state constitution. If passed, that amendment will define “marriage” as exclusively between a man... Read more

Left Behind post left behind

Last updated on: November 22, 2011 at 11:47 am By Fred Clark

Yeah, another week kind of got away from me there. I apologize for that. We’ll pick up again next week without further prolonging the misery of poor, doomed Bruce Barnes. If you enjoy this song even half as much as I do, then perhaps this video will help to make up for my Trib Force Monday failings. That’s “Vomit,” from the new Girls album Father, Son, Holy Ghost, which has a handful of pretty good songs and another handful of... Read more

Evangelical identity: What’s your story?

Last updated on: November 21, 2011 at 11:42 pm By Fred Clark

I know it’s not just me. At the very least, it’s me and Jonathan Dudley. Here, again, is that opening paragraph from Dudley’s book Broken Words: The Abuse of Science and Faith in American Politics: I learned a few things growing up as an evangelical Christian: that abortion is murder, homosexuality, sin; evolution, nonsense; and environmentalism, a farce. I learned to accept these ideas — the “big four” — as part of the package deal of Christianity. In some circles,... Read more

The exceptional majority of evangelicals

Last updated on: November 21, 2011 at 8:19 pm By Fred Clark

Timothy Dalrymple argues that it’s simply due to caricatures and media hype that evangelicals have come to be viewed as “hyper-politicized.” It’s all in my head, I suppose. And if I could just get over my own prejudices, I’d realize that most evangelical churches would welcome me as a full and equal member, without suspicion or hostility or condemnation due to my belief in evolution and my support for legal abortion and equal rights for GLBT people. “You’re pro-choice? No... Read more

Satan, Hitler, Antichrist

Last updated on: November 21, 2011 at 2:07 pm By Fred Clark

Some of us use the game “rock, paper, scissors” to decide who has to wash the dishes or pay the bar tab. Some use the game “Satan, Hitler, Antichrist” to decide that Others are intrinsically evil and thus We must be intrinsically righteous. I like “rock, paper, scissors,” in part, because playing it is not a sin and because playing it does not turn you into an insufferable, delusional jackwagon incapable of self-knowledge. – – – – – – –... Read more

Smart people saying smart things

Last updated on: December 17, 2011 at 7:00 pm By Fred Clark

Sebastian Castellio (via Richard Beck): “On Heretics & Disagreement“ Calvin says that he is certain, and [other sects] say that they are; Calvin says that they are wrong and wishes to judge them, and so do they. Who shall be judge? What made Calvin the arbiter of all the sects, that he alone should kill? He has the Word of God and so have they. If the matter is certain, to who is it so? To Calvin? But then why... Read more

Sunday favorites

Last updated on: November 5, 2011 at 10:47 am By Fred Clark

Hebrews 13:3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Read more

What does Paul teach about boasting?