Posts by Kevin Schaal
When Success is Worse than Failure
Brandon Poulter at the Daily Caller published an article on the craziest courses being offered in institutions of “higher” learning across the US. Here are some extensive quotes from his horrible list. Princeton University offered a class titled “Black + Queer in Leather: Black Leather/BDSM Material Culture” in the Spring 2023 semester, according to the…
Read MoreAustralia Bans Prayer in Name of Fighting Conversion Therapy
According to the commission, “prayers that are directed at a person to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity cause harm and are prohibited.” Forbidden prayers include petitions to God that “ask for healing; ask for a person to change; ask for a person not to act on their attractions; talk about a…
Read More69 Weeks: Daniel’s Prophecy of the Advent of the Messiah
It’s not about 483 years as much as it is about 69 sabbatical year cycles. Why were the Magi watching for the birth of Christ, when His own countrymen were not? The story of the wise men from the east is recorded in Matthew 2:1-12. The answer to that question requires some speculation, but not…
Read MoreWhy “I Surrender All” Still Applies
There is a growing movement within evangelical Christianity and fundamentalism that treats the revival era, especially the century between 1850 and 1950 with disdain. I am concerned that we do this to our own hurt. While there were excesses within that era—especially the formulaic manipulation of Finney-ism–God also did wonderful works of grace, not only…
Read MoreWinning the “Nones” Roman Catholic Style
You want to win the nones? Treat ‘em rough. That is word for word the final conclusion of H.W. Crocker, a Catholic historian and novelist, in an article published in Crisis Magazine on November 28, 2028. And he means it. Consider his statement. Too often I hear: “Thank you, sir, but I’ll cast my lot…
Read MoreBe Anxious for Nothing? Really?
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 “Oh, be quiet. Go away!” Those were the words I heard recently when…
Read MoreIt’s Not Politics: Fatherhood Decline Causing Rise of Religious Nones | RealClearReligion
But, in the years since we met this couple in the early 2000s, some sociologists, pundits, Christian thinkers, and church leaders have been persuaded by the idea that politics – particularly socially conservative politics – is playing a major role in driving the societal-wide decline in church participation. But the evidence doesn’t bear this out.…
Read MoreChristian Nationalism vs. the Social Gospel
John Blake wrote an article published by CNN on Monday, November 13, 2023, regarding the Social Gospel as a rising movement in the US. This is a theology most biblical fundamentalists learn about in seminary as part of the history of the modernist movement in the early part of the 20th Century. They do not…
Read MoreFree Speech Victory for Finnish Politician and Bishop Who …… | News & Reporting | Christianity Today
A Finnish court ruled in favor of the free speech of a member of Parliament and a Lutheran bishop on Tuesday morning, affirming they have the legal right to say that homosexual acts are sin and marriage should be between a man and a woman. The ruling was unanimous, upholding a lower court decision for…
Read MoreThe Social Gospel movement is changing our politics and reshaping our perspectives | CNN
If the Social Gospel was, and is, such a profound movement, why isn’t it better known today? And how does it differ from the most scrutinized form of Christianity in contemporary America: White Christian nationalism?The second question is a tricky one, because it’s inaccurate to say that White evangelical Christians don’t have a tradition of…
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