Applied Theology
One of the great advantages of reading news online is the benefit of immediate feedback. The comment section is like an instant collection of letters to the editor. While reading through such comments recently, I came across an all-too-common refrain: “Stop killing in the name of god. If religious zealots could just learn tolerance, we’d... Continue Reading →
As adults, we are in the proper habit of assuming that our role is to teach kids rather than to learn from them. This habit is indeed proper because kindergarten would be chaos if the kids ruled the classroom. High school kids would produce only slightly less chaos (or maybe even more). No doubt, children... Continue Reading →
Scripture teaches us to make the most of our time because the days are evil. One of the ways to make the most of your time is to invest your time in the church. Why the church? Simply this, the church is the body and bride of Christ. I suspect that you are aware of... Continue Reading →
A recent editorial is making news in Malaysia. According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the Umno government in Malaysia is making scapegoats of Christians in order to turn attention away from their own failures. The original scapegoat (Azazel of Leviticus 16) was an innocent goat who had the sins of Israel put upon its head... Continue Reading →
For more than a century, Christians have been stretched by the tension of a fundamentalist strand on one side and the evangelical strand on the other, each pulling backwards against the other like a rubber band being pulled apart by two opposing hands. The result has indeed been tension. On the one hand, the fundamentalists... Continue Reading →
Usually, I love debating theology and the finer points of Christian doctrine. I am a pastor and a professor; I am supposed to love such things. But there is one aspect of doctrine that tends to provoke my inner Mike Tyson. I go nuts whenever I see or hear some modern day prophet spewing... Continue Reading →
Are human beings exceptional? Is there something about humans which makes them intrinsically superior to dogs or ants or even poisonous stinkweed? If you saw my post yesterday, then you will already know the answer is, “Yes!” Human beings are intrinsically of greater value than weeds and wildlife. Jesus once told His followers, “Do not... Continue Reading →
Just this week, Christians—including women and children—have been killed in Nigeria on account of Christ. In all, more than 600 Christians have been killed this year. Perhaps nowhere on earth is more dangerous for Christians right now than northern Nigeria. Christianity is not safe in Nigeria Emboldened by a Muslim plurality in the north,... Continue Reading →
There are two major stories whose trajectories are coalescing toward a permanent loss of religious liberty in the United States. The first story is the on-going saga known affectionately as Obamacare. The second story is more subtle, under the radar, but perhaps more damaging in its scope. It is the story of code enforcement. Let... Continue Reading →
A group of Protestant preachers appears to be picking a fight with the IRS this election cycle. According to this Fox News article, more than 1,000 preachers have pledged to participate in an October 2012 campaign sponsored by the Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly known as the Alliance Defense Fund). The aim of the Alliance’s... Continue Reading →
There were many instances from my days of growing up under the moss-laced cypress trees of southern Louisiana that I would be asked by my father or my mother, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Most of the time, I was not. I was only "ashamed" of getting caught. Shame is not an emotion we naturally... Continue Reading →
Earlier in the week, I noted how the largest American mosque is equivocating on free speech. Now, two more stories have erupted which keep the issue on the table of concern for anyone who cares about basic human rights. First, the U. N. Secretary General (Ban ki-moon) asserted that stringent limits should be placed on... Continue Reading →
William Law once said, "There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as prayer for him.” Nothing is more natural or loving for the Christian than prayer. Jesus, early in His ministry, taught His disciples how to pray (Matthew 6). The Apostle Paul later taught Christians to “pray without ceasing,” (1... Continue Reading →
Well it is good to hear the largest mosque in America speaking out against the violence Muslims are perpetrating around the globe. Al Qazwini, imam at the Dearborn mosque, has even stated that Muslims cannot tolerate killing. Yet, even with this ostensible condemnation of Muslim violence, Al Qazwini offers three very troubling remarks for those... Continue Reading →
Before the game, our team took note of the size of the goalie. He was at least 6’3” and weighed in at a solid 280. He was a big guy—like a mountain with a t-shirt. We thought (or hoped) his size would limit his agility, but then we realized he wouldn’t need agility because... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 