Not many of us are fixated with Abraham or allegiance to Israel. Jesus’ audience in John 8 was. In John 8, Jesus challenges those who had believed in his message to move beyond accepting his word as true to accepting him as the Truth (John 8:31-38). They placed him in the company of Abraham, but they did not see him as greater than Abraham (John 8:31-59). Jesus told them that Abraham longed to see his day and was glad that... Read more

Are opponents to cloning racist? This question came to my mind while watching the science-fiction film The Creation of the Humanoids. The movie is set against a background of a post-nuclear war disaster, which destroyed over ninety percent of humanity; moreover, the human race is no longer able to procreate at a replaceable level because of radiation; so, the population continues to decrease in numbers. As a result, scientists create highly advanced, blue-skinned and silver-eyed humanoids of superior logical capacities... Read more

Kierkegaard is good for cleaning out the system. He’s like prune juice for the soul. Kierkegaard cleans out the system of dead orthodoxies and bland generalities. The scandal of God’s particular Word Jesus confronts each and all of us and calls for a response of faith. Will we dare to draw near? We cannot hide behind clerical collars and pimp Jesus for profit; bourgeois Christendom must bow the knee to Christ (See my piece, “Can’t Pimp Jesus”). Nor can we... Read more

Nobody is scum or refuse. Every human has inherent dignity and worth as someone created in God’s likeness. When we spit on somebody, we spit on God, for humanity is the spitting image of God. What does it mean to be created in God’s image? Many answers have been given throughout history. Some have spoken of the image in rational terms. Humanity is par excellence the thinking or wise creature (Homo sapiens). On this view, we best image God through... Read more

Many religious people are suspicious of significant issues in science. Many people—religious and non-religious alike—reflect suspicions and indifference toward the church (especially among younger people); one of the reasons for many young people leaving the church is the perception that churches appear hostile to science, as a Barna study claims. Could it be that many if not all fears and suspicions of science as well as the church are in the head? Regarding the suspicion of key considerations in science, specifically as... Read more

An Evangelical Environmentalist is not an oxymoron. He happens to be a dear friend of mine named Peter Illyn. His cogent Christian convictions shape his environmentalist positions at every turn and are embodied in his work at Restoring Eden. Still, a Christian once asked him suspiciously, “Are you a tree hugger?” Peter responded: “I would rather be a tree hugger than a puppy kicker.” One Christian retorted when he heard this claim, “I’m a puppy kicker.” How could any Christian... Read more

Ben Affleck recently engaged in a heated exchange with Bill Maher and Sam Harris on “Real Time.” The heated exchange was the result of Maher and Harris’ harsh, sweeping criticisms of Islam, including Harris’s statement that Islam is a “mother lode of bad ideas” (See here the video of the exchange). Beyond the debate’s appeal given their celebrity status and subject matter, some have found it striking that it is figures like Maher and Harris that are launching such criticisms.... Read more