Applied Theology
I posted an article a couple of days ago to remind us of the trend in the U.S. toward losing our religious liberty. Today, I want to speak a little more as to why this conversation matters. I spoke once with a Christian lawyer friend who was arguing with me about the increasing power... Continue Reading →
I am re-posting this blog from four years ago because time is proving just how true it was. The trajectory now appears set in stone. Of the three top candidates for president, two (Clinton, Johnson) enthusiastically support the diminishing of First Amendment rights including religious liberty. The third (Trump) may not be reliable. I re-post... Continue Reading →
This past May, a young Christian woman was under assault from her Muslim neighbors in Pakistan. According to Open Doors, Sonia Gill, 23, was accused of insulting the prophet Muhammad by using an old banner bearing the prophet's name as a covering for her floor. As it turns out, the banners she used were old... Continue Reading →
After the Obergfell decision this past year, Christians have tried to cope with a new definition of marriage. What does this new definition mean for church Marriage Retreats? for childcare? or for conversations in youth groups about sexual intercourse? So many questions have risen since June 26, 2015, when the Supreme Court verdict was released.... Continue Reading →
I am teaching a college course today on the scope of the persecution problem around the world. Naturally, I found this little post to be a helpful reminder.
Back in November, I wrote a blog post about German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in which it was noted that Merkel was taking a great deal of heat for claiming that Christians are the most persecuted group in the world. That is not a headline that sells in America, as many folks still love to decry the “moral majority” of America’s past.
Nonetheless, time is proving Merkel right. Studies have shown that Christians are harassed more than any religion in the 
world. A new collaborative work by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute covers the worldwide persecution of Christians in great detail. The Book, Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians, is now in print.
The book demonstrates just how bad the problem is and how, particularly, Christians in the Middle East are being targeted for extinction with little concern from Americans in general and…
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Asia Bibi (aka Aasiya Noreen or Asia Noreen) is married, a mother of 5 children. She has not been at home with her husband or children since the summer of 2009 (what was your family like in 2009? Where were you?) More than 5 years have passed since her family last lived together because Asia... Continue Reading →
In Acts 2, the Apostle Peter stood in the assembly and proclaimed Jesus Christ as Lord. Though he had organized no great event, nor had he enlisted an army of volunteers to corral the crowds, Peter saw great fruit as three thousand souls were saved and added to the church in a single day. While... Continue Reading →
Years ago (like back in the ‘80’s), I came across a very important fellow with long hair and knickers. Francis Schaeffer, author of How Should We Then Live (and a host of other great books) proved to be prophetic in many of his warnings to the western church. One of the warnings which demonstrated Schaeffer’s... Continue Reading →
“In 1530, not even two decades into the Reformation, Martin Luther lamented the way that Christians viewed the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, stating that ‘people now regard the holy sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord so lightly and assume an attitude toward it as if there were nothing on earth which... Continue Reading →
So, in part one of this post, we saw that prayer was the first response of the Italian Bishops to the crisis of Christian persecution in Iraq and Nigeria. While not exactly endorsing their view of invoking the Virgin Mary in their prayers (I’m Protestant!), I still commend the bishops for a biblical recourse to... Continue Reading →
The people of God seem always to struggle with exactly how to relate to powerful governments. Israel hated her slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh, but promptly wanted to go back to Egypt after landing in the wilderness. At least in Egypt she could have melons. This longing to go back to Egypt and trust in... Continue Reading →
I don’t remember what I was doing on June 10th. It was a regular work week for me. Since then, I have done some planning for the Fall 2014 semester, and I have made a couple of trips to the airport so my kids could travel to see family. All in all, nothing much has... Continue Reading →
Thank you all so much for your willingness to stand with our brothers and sisters in Iraq. Many of you have been using the Arabic “N” symbol below on your Facebook or Twitter profile to show your concern for Christians being targeted for extortion and/or extinction by soldiers of the Islamic State of Iraq and... Continue Reading →
Maybe you have seen this little wine-cup looking symbol on your friend's Facebook page and wondered what it means. It means Christians are being targeted for death in Mosul, Iraq. I am so thankful that someone thought to create symbol sent through Social Media to call attention to the plight of Christians suffering genocide in... Continue Reading →
No one needs to ponder whether Christians in Palestinian territories are suffering terribly. They are. Who’s to blame? There are very strong voices in the media and in political circles who point out that Israel is the country doing all the killing. Sure, Hamas is firing hundreds of missiles into Israel, but they don’t end... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 