Though Christians claim to worship the “[m]aker of heaven and earth,”1 they are the earth’s worst enemies—or so claimed UCLA medieval scholar Lynn White2 in 1967. In his famous article, “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” he praised St. Francis of Assisi for trying to “depose man from his monarchy over creation” and to replace his rule with “a democracy of all God’s creatures.”3 (Never mind that God gave man dominion in Genesis 1:28.) But Christendom did not listen to Francis (more precisely to the St. Francis of White’s wishful imagination), so blame for the ecological crisis can […]

Pastor John Scripture Reference Malachi 1:6-2:17

   In spite of the Civil War’s ravaging the United States, the White House was peaceful one evening in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln shook hands with Harriet Beecher Stowe. Lincoln, at 6′ 4″, towered above the petite Stowe, but physical stature was irrelevant. Whatever her height, her influence was enormous. As Lincoln greeted her, he observed, “So this is the little lady who started this great big war!”1

   Donald A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, seeks to connect the prevailing problems of modern government to a spiritual source. He shows that national calamities should not be measured only in economic terms.

Carle C. Zimmerman, an eminent Harvard sociologist of the last century, concluded that the family is the most fundamental of all social institutions. He described three broad types of families—two strengthen society and one, called atomistic, leads to a society’s downfall. Focusing on the decline of the Greek and Roman civilizations, he listed 11 behaviors that indicate a culture is entering the destructive atomistic category. Though his prose is academic, his words, written in 1947, are prophetic.

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Malachi 1:1-5

  by Jim Wicker FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)–With the movie premier of “Angels & Demons,” some Christians are wondering whether to see it. Other Christians do not plan to view it but are wondering what religious questions people may ask who do see the movie.

   FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)–While waiting to check out, a gray-haired lady peeked around the side of a large beaded purse. My daughter smiled, and the game began.

Pastor Chris Scripture Reference: Ruth 3:1 – 4:22

   Lisa Saunders of County Down in Northern Ireland has four children, ages 7 to 14. As you might expect, she has plenty of experience helping them with their homework.