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A Fascinating History of the Failure of Prisons
Being a Christian, I’m always interested in cultural issues. One of the most controversial cultural conversations centers on prisons and whether the United States’ system of incarceration is a good system. I first started thinking about this issue in earnest when, a few years ago, I was listening to Al Mohler, and he noted New York’s 2019 plan to spend $9 billion on building new prisons. Mohler included a brief discussion of the history of prisons, which inspired me to do a little more research on the issue. This brief article is a summation of the history of prisons and how we ought to think about them as Christians. Throughout most of human history,prisons were meant to be a temporary arrangement. Prisons in the ancient world were places where suspects were held while waiting for their cases to be heard. For example, Leviticus 24:10-12 mentions the imprisonment of an individual…
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Should Christians Use Preferred Gender Pronouns?
Should Christians use the preferred gender pronouns for transgendered individuals? This is a question that has a variety of answers in the Christian community. Some individuals, like Preston Sprinkle or JD Greear have in the past espoused an approach called Pronoun Hospitality, where the Christian refers to the transgendered individual by their preferred gender pronouns in an effort to show love and kindness. Others have argued that Christians ought to use pronouns that match with God’s created intent. How should a Christian think through this issue biblically? At the outset, it should be noted that this is not just a theoretical question. Many individuals have already suffered consequences for deciding they cannot, in good conscience, use preferred gender pronouns and thus call a female a male or vice versa. There are many examples of this, whether it be a Christian doctor in the UK who was fired for refusing to…
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Three Reasons a Biblical View of Gender is Important
In today’s cultural landscape, LGBT and gender issues have taken center stage in public discourse. Stories from the not-so-distant past have included headlines about gender-neutral bathrooms, transgender athletes, and reports of professionals—such as doctors—facing repercussions for upholding a traditional understanding of gender. Although there has been some reprieve in the cultural moment, the cultural pressures still mandate that we examine how we think about gender and its role in society. While many in the culture dismiss the Bible’s views as antiquated, outdated, or merely a relic of a bygone, patriarchal era, it remains critical to remember that the Bible presents a comprehensive and divinely inspired perspective on the nature and purpose of gender. In other words, the Bible reveals what God thinks about gender. The Secular Influence on the Church From a secular worldview, gender is often seen as a mere social construct—a label with no intrinsic value beyond what…
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The Work against Transgenderism is Far from Over
There has been a massive shift in cultural approval within the last two years. The Transgender movement no longer has unqualified and uncritical acceptance in mainstream culture. The battle is far from over, but it is encouraging to see recent moves by federal and state governments to protect the rights of women by prohibiting men from dominating women’s sports, etc. However, although there are encouraging cultural signs right now, we need to understand that Transgenderism itself is based in a secular worldview, which is actually based in evolution. Tracing the Connection between Transgenderism and Evolution The Bible teaches that the Creator created the entire universe and everything in it within 6 days (Genesis 1). The Bible also teaches that the Creator has ultimate authority over the universe and governs it as He sees fit. Every creature within creation must ultimately submit to the Creator’s law governing that creation. This is…
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What the Early Church Said About Abortion: Quotes from Christian History
To be Christian is to be anti-abortion. From its earliest days, the church has stood firmly against the practice of taking innocent life, recognizing the unborn as precious creations made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). This conviction is not merely a cultural stance but a foundational aspect of Christian faith, rooted in Scripture and upheld throughout church history. True Christianity is marked by obedience to Christ’s teachings and a commitment to the sanctity of life. While it may be easy for some to claim the name of Christ while supporting abortion, such a position contradicts both the clear teaching of Scripture (Psalm 139:13–16; Exodus 21:22–25) and the witness of early Christians who opposed abortion in the face of a pagan, life-disregarding culture. To follow Christ is to uphold life, defending those who cannot defend themselves. Christian Culture and Abortion Western cultures love to praise abortion. Case in point,…
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Socialism vs. Scripture: Understanding the Spiritual Danger of This Ideology
As the 2024 American election approaches, voters face a stark choice: the survival of a nation built on individual freedom or the allure of socialism, which is increasingly creeping into the American mainstream. What people don’t often realize, is that this isn’t just a political debate—it’s a spiritual and moral one. Socialism, once synonymous with failure and oppression, now finds support among a growing segment of Americans, especially the younger generation. One poll I read noted that 61% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 thought positively of socialism. Another poll said that 43% of Americans thought some form of socialism would be a good thing for the United States. The popularity of socialism in the United States is due in part to the political popularity of politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but it is also clear that many young people embrace socialism without really understanding…
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Were Zionist Jews Responsible for the Scofield Bible?
In recent years, a narrative has gained traction suggesting that Zionist Jews were instrumental in funding the creation and distribution of the Scofield Reference Bible as part of the Zionist plan to gain legitimacy as a nation state. This claim posits that the Zionist agenda significantly influenced the rise of dispensationalism—a theological framework emphasizing a literal interpretation of biblical prophecies, particularly those concerning Israel. Such assertions often appeal to conspiracy theorists or individuals eager to uncover hidden influences shaping religious thought. But how much truth is there to these claims? Does It Really Matter? Even if we were to entertain the notion that Zionist Jews funded the Scofield Bible, it’s essential to ask: does this undermine dispensationalism’s theological validity? In other words, even if (and as we will see, it is a big if) it could be proven that Zionists had a major role to play in the promotion of…
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A Christian Case Against Slavery Reparations
Slavery reparations are a popular political move right now. In fact, the 2024 California budget included 12 million for reparations. This generous move, which is about $6 per black resident of California, is the latest in political maneuvering to seize on the idea that reparations are the way forward to solving poor race relations. This conversation has really ignited over the last 5 years. When the culture takes aim at a topic, the Christian needs to be equipped to think through the issues from a biblical worldview. On the issue of whether slavery reparations are to be implemented, I think there are a couple issues to consider. First, slavery reparations would be a logistical nightmare. Although the issue is often painted as blacks needing to receive reparations and whites needing to pay reparations, that is a gross oversimplification. If the actual issue is slavery, one needs to consider the numerous…
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The Dangers of Relying on Personal Experience
Personal experience is currently regarded as the primary means of knowledge and truth in our culture. Whether it is the current issues of racism or LGBT rights, or it is something like biblical interpretation; personal experience is regularly elevated as the controlling determiner of truth. Take for example the following claims of experience: “Systemic racism must exist because I have experienced it.” “You cannot judge a transgender individual because you don’t have his experience. You don’t know what it’s like for him.” “I have had the experience of speaking in tongues; therefore, Scripture has to be interpreted to allow for speaking in tongues.” Now at the outset, I freely acknowledge the value of personal experience. Scripture clearly expects wisdom to be possessed by the mature because of their many days of experience (Job 12:12). Also, many of the Psalms are based on a response to personal experience. Further, our personal…
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The Parable of the Rich Young Influencer
I was recently made aware of a forgotten text that has recently been discovered. It turns out that Jesus did indeed speak to contemporary issues about social media. It has been called the Parable of the Rich Young Influencer. Here is the text in full: And behold, a Gen Z young man came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Gen Z young man said to him, “All these I have…