Was Jesus Really a Socialist? (Part 5: Charity as Discipleship)
Recap In part 3 of “Was Jesus Really a Socialist?” I list the claims made by those attempting to present Jesus as this very thing. In part 4, I pushed…
Was Jesus Really a Socialist? (An Important Excursus)
Sorry for Being a Troubler-Maker In part 3 of “Was Jesus Really a Socialist?” I list the claims made by those attempting to present Jesus as this very thing. Amusing…
Was Jesus Really a Socialist? (Part 2: Torah and Natural Rights)
Recap In Part 1 of “Was Jesus really a Socialist?” we considered more than the fluffy and emotionally satisfying notion that socialism means sharing and caring. Some Christian leaders with…
Was Jesus Really a Socialist? (Part 1: Three Kinds of Socialists)
If you are an emotional thinker, it is easy to respond emotionally rather than logically and rationally to bumper sticker claims like, but not limited to “Jesus was a Socialist,”…
Worst Nelson Mandela Quote Ever
I have a lot of respect for Nelson Mandela on a personal level. He came back from years of imprisonment over his resistance to institutionalized racism and, yet, took an…
Hey Millennials! Hollywood is a Bunch of Big Fat Liars!
In my post, “Confessions of a Troglodyte,” I attempted to share my frustrations as a biblical scholar trying to teach or dialogue with those who are quintessential Millennials, those who…
Have You Trip-wired Your Mind?
It seems to me that a phenomena I have been witnessing for years in ever increasing regularity goes well beyond prejudice right into manic meltdown. All that is needed to…
Government Entitlement Programs are Psychologically Dysfunctional
In an earlier post, “Progressives Don’t Want to Help the Poor to escape Poverty—Entitlement Programs aren’t Charity or Charitable ” I began a discussion on the misguided equalizing of Biblical…
Progressives Don’t Want to Help the Poor to escape Poverty—Entitlement Programs aren’t Charity or Charitable
One of the frustrations I face as a biblical theologian is the confusion that biblical laws regarding the poor cause Christians who cannot tell the difference between charity and entitlement…
Confessions of a Troglodyte
I regard myself, perhaps wrongly, as a decent communicator, even if a bit snarky at times. I’ve dedicated most of my ministry energy to explaining complex ideas in biblical studies…
Dead Men Walking: What Will You Steal For a Little More Time?
Guess what. You are already dead… you just haven’t stop moving around yet. You might finish your life’s journey today or a year from now, or 100 years from now,…
Weasel Words & the Domination of Public Narrative
Words have a lot more than just a definition. Words have associations. Words have rich emotional content. That emotional content is a powerful tool in communication. Choosing the right word…
All Things Being Equal, Nothing is Equal
Let’s make one basic point. Equality is both an essential truth and a complete fallacy. “Now, wait a minute, Bub. Equality is the bedrock of our nation… the most noble…
That Not So Elusive Poverty
In a recent post, “Worst Nelson Mandela Quote Ever,” I proposed that one of Mandela’s most famous quotes about poverty exemplifies a disastrous understanding of reality, particularly for a political…
Reinventing the Family Wheel
The great audacity of the modern prevailing worldview is the idea that progress and independence from personal restraint are virtues to be cultivated at almost any cost. Each generation tends…