Current Events / May 15

The Church is the University. The University is the Church.

For institutions whose founding and resulting success can be traced back to the unapologetic pursuit of Biblical truth, forfeiting the foundation and expecting the success to continue would be an exercise in futility. Adventist institutions have been phenomenally successful because of, not despite, Adventist beliefs and doctrine. True, not all who attend and benefit from the success of the university will believe the doctrine, and there may be tensions that can lead to wonderful conversations, but it cannot be removed or distanced from its spiritual roots.

Current Events / Apr 7

Liberty in Milton’s Paradise Lost (Liberty Magazine)

In opposition to many of his Calvinist colleagues who believed in predestination, Milton argued, through the unrhymed lines of poetry in Paradise Lost, that the push for more political freedom on earth is an unstoppable tide of progress. That desire for liberty exists only because of the divinely instilled presence of free will given to humanity by the Creator, who, while He may have foreseen the Fall, allowed it to happen in order to give humanity an opportunity to make the greatest decision the universe could ever present.

Church and State, Civil Rights, Constitution, Current Events, History, Legislation, Slavery, Supreme Court / Apr 5

States Rights and the Religion Clauses: Examining the North Carolina Resolution

This week, two members of the North Carolina House of Representatives submitted a resolution which would declare that “the Constitution of the United States of America does not prohibit states or their subsidiaries from making laws respecting an establishment of religion.” In other words, the legislation declared that that the state could make its own laws about religion and the federal government would not be able to stop them. Although the resolution is not likely to be approved, it does deserve some serious examination as it reflects a common argument arising in the religious right that the Establishment Clause does not apply to the states.

Current Events, Inspiration, Religion / Feb 19

Five Requirements of a Knight of Faith

Soren Kierkegaard identifies five requirements to be a knight of faith. I do not consider these requirements to be hard and fast rules (in fact I will challenge at least one of them), but I do think that these are good things to think about if we are going to live a life of faith.

Current Events, Inspiration, Religion / Feb 15

Sinners Transformed by Grace: Pope’s Resignation Amidst Scandal a Sign of Hope

Although Benedict XVI has cited health concerns, there is some speculation that the resignation may be related to the ongoing sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the church in the past decade. Before becoming Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger was responsible for ordering that all reports of sex abuse be channeled through his office at the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith which he operated from 2001 to 2005.

Current Events / Feb 11

Jason Hines: I Admire Ben Carson, But . . . That Speech!

In April of 1990, Reader’s Digest published an article “Dr. Ben Carson: Man of Miracles.” As a 9 year old child, I remember reading that article and admiring Dr. Carson. I admired his struggle, his ability to overcome the challenges of his childhood. I marveled after his obvious intelligence and his miraculous accomplishments. When I found out he was Seventh-day Adventist like me that cemented my fandom. His story spoke to me as a shy smart kid, making my way through my first year at a public school.