In the West’s headlong rush to put its faith in secularism, the dispassionate observer must ask, “Whither the family?” “Whither charity?” and “Whither community?”

  Today, Europe, indeed the West, faces great challenges, not the least from resurgent Islam. Unfortunately, at this critical historical juncture, much of the continent has chosen to forsake its Judeo-Christian heritage, turning to secularism for strength and deliverance. Alarmingly, a moral and spiritual vacuum has developed as Europeans have forgotten that their arts and sciences, laws and letters, and leading institutions, both public and private, are rooted in biblical perspectives. What, then, will become of the culture of DaVinci and Pascal, Newton and Nightingale, Mendelssohn and Bach, Shakespeare and Rembrandt, St. Patrick and Tolstoy, Mendel and Bohr? What hope […]

  Tom Elliff was named President of our International Mission Board, the largest missionary sending agency run by churches.  Following is the true story of his godly mother’s amazing story of forgiveness.  -ed In1985 the elderly Jewell Elliff lay on her deathbed, comatose after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage. Though doctors expected her to die within hours, she summoned the strength to utter three words: “Want! Want! Want!” Family members sprung into action immediately, suggesting a litany of items and people she might want. Finally, someone asked whether it was her ex-husband J.T. she wanted, whose infidelity and abandonment had […]

Pastor Chris Scripture Reference: Hebrews 4:14-5:10

  As Charles Darwin read the offer, he instantly wanted to accept it. Robert FitzRoy required a well-bred “gentleman,” preferably a naturalist, “who could relieve the isolation of command, someone to share the captain’s table”1 on his ship, the HMS Beagle. Darwin was just the man for the task, and as they set sail in December 1831, FitzRoy and Darwin struck up a firm friendship. Topics of conversation were varied and many, but religion was usually central. To the crew, Darwin seemed a Christian, and he wrote later, “Whilst on board the Beagle I was quite orthodox.”2 Yet, despite appearances, […]

  In the relative peace of Charles II’s restored monarchy, Richard Baxter wrote extensively on the political ramifications of obedience to Scripture. One of his concerns was the class jealously stirred up by radicals during the recent Civil War (1642 – 1648). Baxter understood that political rhetoric often incites envy by pitting the “haves” against the “have-nots.” Reflecting on James 3:15-17, he concluded that the Christian pastor and politician should never stoke the fires of greed and class envy. Politicians and others continue to try to manipulate people to protest and vote in a certain way by appealing to greed […]

  The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently instituted a new minor for its students: “Christianity and Culture.” Sociologist Christian Smith,1 the faculty member who spearheaded the change, indicated that the “program is neither ‘devotional nor antagonistic’ toward Christianity.” It operates under the assumption that students who fail to understand Christianity in general and evangelicalism in particular will fail to fully understand the West. Smith, an Anglican, admits there are dangers to learning about evangelicalism in an academic environment. However he explained that the genesis of his campaign for the new courses was rooted in his discovery that […]

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Hebrews 4: 1-13

In 1971, John Lennon wrote a hymn for the secularist faith. The song, “Imagine,” fantasized about the state of world affairs if everyone were stripped of all beliefs and prejudices—with the notable exception, of course, of the former Beatle’s favorites. “Imagine there’s no heaven,” sang Lennon, It’s easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today . . . Imagine there’s no countries It isn’t hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace . . .

  A self-proclaimed atheist, Anthony Daniels is a former physician who now writes using the pseudonym “Theodore Dalrymple.” As a contributing editor of City Journal and the Dietrich Weismann Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, his writings are known for their pointed cultural commentary. In an essay titled, “What the New Atheists Don’t See,”1 “Dalrymple” critiques the popular rejection of religion by contemporary atheists. He argues that religious faith was essential for the establishment of Western civilization and is essential for its survival.