As Christians, we are told often to keep out of politics. I agree that the power, purpose, and glory of the gospel far exceeds political ideology. Nevertheless, this article from Victor Davis Hanson gets to a few root issues which demonstrate that politics matters. Political decisions have sweeping influence over the lives of millions. The... Continue Reading →
Rifqa Update
Rifqa--the young Muslim from Ohio who fled to Florida because of fears of being killed by her family--is now in a much more precarious situation than before. She is in danger of being deported back to Sri Lanka; it appears that her parents were living here illegally for the past 5 years. The story linked... Continue Reading →
Negotiating Persecution
September 22, 2009 SHANXI--Late on Saturday night, September 19, 2009, local security officials cornered six Fushan Church leaders and brought them to a secret meeting place for negotiations with 20 government officials. Singled out for their influence, the negotiating party included the wife of the Fushan Church pastor. Under pressure from the Central Government, the... Continue Reading →
Early Straw Poll
Granted, it is way too early, but it is interesting to consider that Huckabee wins the straw poll.
Must We Forgive?
Must all Christians forgive all the time? Is forgiveness a mandatory action for Christians, or is it conditional? Chris Brauns, a pastor, has spent quite a bit of time unpacking what it means to forgive in a Christian sense of the word. It seems that we are expected to forgive unconditionally ("forgive, and you will... Continue Reading →
Melancholy?
Some of you, like me, may be of a melancholy sort by natural disposition. Perhaps you are prone to emotional lulls and battle if not depression, then something sort of like it. I recommend watching this YouTube video. It has been put together by someone who uses the art of Van Gogh with the music... Continue Reading →
Kudos for the Kids
The story linked here is just crazy. The kids are the ones in the story who make the most sense. They were in a program which allowed them to learn all aspects of farm life. Apparently, they caught on too well. When they realized that some basic bartering could net them a few pigs, they... Continue Reading →
Pro-life Murder
James Pouillon was murdered, and no one knows why (though many are speculating). Mr. Pouillon was protesting abortion when he was murdered. He was well-known for his protests against abortion. We shall wait to learn more concerning the motive. Here is the statement from the National Right to Life concerning the murder.
Another Down Day for Life
Like the rest of the country, we wonder whether each day will be an up day for the stock market or a down day. If we were to look at indicators for life rather than indicators of wealth, we would have to conclude that yesterday was a down day. According to this article, a new... Continue Reading →
Human Rights Laws
Funny thing about human rights--rights must be guaranteed by an authority capable of bestowing them. In the U.S., the authority has historically been assumed to be the God of the Bible ("all men are created by God with certain inalienable rights..."). Human rights in other countries rely on other authorities. This story from Baptist Press... Continue Reading →
How Not to Take a Stand
GetReligion has a review of the news media's coverage of Steve Anderson, the Arizona pastor who hopes (and prays for) Barack Obama to die. Just to be clear, the pastor does not seek to kill the president, and he is not advocating violence against the president; rather, he is hoping God will cause the president to... Continue Reading →
Persecution or Murder or Both?
One week after she was killed, Pastor Carol Davis' murder is still a horrible mystery. She served as pastor of a small, pentecostal church in Oklahoma. According to this story, her murder is shrouded with bizarre details, such as her being found in a crucifix position. The details do not make clear the motive. On the surface, it... Continue Reading →
Help Others, Go to Prison
From China Aid, Christians Li Mingshun and Zhang Yonghu were indicted by the Erlianhaote City People's Procuratorate on July 31, 2009, for aiding North Korean refugees fleeing to South Korea through China. Li and Zhang were among several Christians helping to provide food, shelter, and transportation for the 61 refugees crossing Northern Chinese provinces into... Continue Reading →
Confused Freedom
Mark Steyn, whom I have mentioned several times before, has a brilliant observation in this article from Maclean's. Granted, the article is a bit unseemly at times; so, you may not want to read it. However, he makes the point that we live in a milieu of sexual freedoms which have made us as "free"... Continue Reading →
Rifqa Update
In case you haven't been following the Rifqa Bary story, here is the latest report, which says that she has been granted a reprieve which will allow her to stay in Florida for now. This 17 year old convert to Christianity has caused quite a stir in the media. We all still await the outcome... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 