I am posting below an e-mail I received from Barnabas Fund, a Christian organization based in the UK which supports and encourages persecuted Christians. I post it because it makes a great follow-up point from my post yesterday. I really only made the first part of an important point in yesterday's post because I wanted... Continue Reading →
Burning Fears
According to this article, Pastor Jones is still planning to burn the bible of Islam at a service commemorating the 9th Anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. I have a couple of simple observations. Pastor Jones has a right to burn the Quran. He lives in a nation which prides itself on freedom of speech. ... Continue Reading →
For Your Own Good
So, did your parents ever tell you to do something you didn’t want to do, using the rationale, “This is for your own good”? Yeah, mine did, too. We had to go apologize when the rest of our friends did not. We had to work while they got to play. We got the spankings… all... Continue Reading →
Spine Severing
Is it OK to sever a man's spine if his crime caused another man to become paralyzed? I will be honest, I'm not sure. The government has been given the right to punish evil doers. The biblical injunction is "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth." Such an injunction--though it has been given... Continue Reading →
Sovereign Suffering
In a couple of weeks, we begin our new Kerusso Corner program on Wednesday nights. We will be holding conversations about the places in life where God's Word meets the world. We are beginning those conversations at the heart of the gospel with a series of discussions on the sovereignty of God. I know that... Continue Reading →
Christ in China
If you are interested in Christianity in China, then you will want to read this report concerning a survey of Christianity recently completed in China. I would offer a couple of caveats to this report, however. They do not make much of the unregistered house churches. House churches are mentioned at the end of the... Continue Reading →
New TV Show on Persecution?
I just came across this information concerning a TV series on persecution. Looks like Anglicans and Roman Catholics are taking the lead. Let's get with it, protestants! You might check this out to see if you can watch the shows. http://archstl.org/archstl/post/suffering-church-%E2%80%93-new-tv-series-ew
Hellfire to Homosexuality, Pt. 3
So, to the heart of the issue, I turn my attention now to the question of how God can judge people for doing what is natural to them. As I have already pointed out, the question itself is a little flawed in that “natural” or “by nature” is not easily defined. Typically, we call natural... Continue Reading →
Hellfire to Homosexuality, Pt. 2
So, to the more weighty matters of the conversation, I would reiterate my own belief that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16). The issue for Christians is the salvation of souls, not the success of political parties. Like many Americans, we have opinions on political matters,... Continue Reading →
Hellfire to Homosexuality?
I recently had a conversation with a friend in which he expressed his disdain for “Christian coercion.” He didn’t exactly call it that, but I think that is an accurate description of what he meant. His concern was that Christians under the threat of eternal damnation pressure others to go against their natural desires. Specifically,... Continue Reading →
Thorns Against the Green
In a single morning, all of my environmental convictions were reaffirmed. I am not an environmentalist. I have a lot of reasons why this is the case. My green beans were eaten by the rabbits I saved from destruction this past spring. My wife has been weeding around the remainder of the green bean stems... Continue Reading →
A Sad Display of Further Injustice.
In Cambodia, almost no one has grandparents. They were all slaughtered by Communist do-gooders who were confident they knew what was best for all. So, in the name of what was good for the state, the do-gooders killed a generation of Cambodians. The U.N. stepped in to make sure justice was served, and they failed... Continue Reading →
A Tale of 3 Men
The first man is Adam. He is called this in the Bible (Genesis 2:20; Romans 5:14). This man introduced sin into the world. God immediately called him to account for his sin. Adam was to be the steward over all of creation. All of creation was under him. So, when he fell, it all fell... Continue Reading →
Hate Crimes Are Hateful
I suppose for some I may be auditioning for the “Knuckle-dragging, out-of-touch” Award with the comment I am about to make, but I am going to say it anyway. Hate crimes legislation is stupid. If kidnapping, rape, and murder are awful evils in and of themselves, then justice will be served when the criminals who... Continue Reading →
Still Here in the Real World
Yet another story from this fearful, fallen place. The real world is not one in which righteousness reigns (at least not yet). This story is from Prisoner Alert. Check out this and other stories at Prisoner Alert's web site. Location: Pakistan Arrested: June 2009 Print Fact Sheet 10/30/2009 Update Asia Bibi, a 37-year-old Pakistani woman... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 