tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35103462011-04-21T15:27:50.016-04:00John Luke's itinerant preachingsJack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.comBlogger5611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-29182519983249593082007-07-30T09:58:00.000-04:002007-07-30T09:59:59.651-04:00

This blog is now published at Wordpress. You will be automatically directed there after a few seconds, or you may click http://johnluke.wordpress.com.Thanks for dropping by.

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-89916144240417698272007-07-29T14:50:00.000-04:002007-07-29T14:53:49.848-04:00

"The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems" is the title of a report from the National Research Council, and, as written up in today's WaPo Outlook section, in a lively article by Joel Achenbach, we are told this grim truth about life as we know it:"It is chemical in essence," the report says of life, a statement that is both bland and mind-boggling. Life, you'd think, would be more than

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-18480072723912368502007-07-27T07:12:00.000-04:002007-07-26T21:19:29.522-04:00

Have you seen the HBO original series, "Big Love?" If not, you're missing something. This is likely the show that Mormons, most especially Mormons running for national office, would prefer to disappear down the memory hole.The show's premise? An ostensibly normal and successful businessman, Bill Henrickson (played superbly by Bill Paxton), attempts to balance his polygamous life with the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-31805360501465555692007-07-26T11:03:00.000-04:002007-07-26T11:58:33.150-04:00

One of the most difficult subjects for any Christian, or any Jew for that matter, is the role of the Roman Catholic Church during the Holocaust. After the deed was done, after six million were killed, one may find a full spectrum of belief as to what the Church, and the pope during that time, Pius XII, did, and did not do.Nothing brings out the apologists for the Church so much as a new,

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-75298360204347997312007-07-24T15:57:00.000-04:002007-07-24T16:22:22.414-04:00

One of the diseases afflicting the Christian church generally is alive and well in the Roman Church. The target is the hymnal, Glory and Praise, which is raked over the coals in this posting at Mere Comments. Here's the litany of complaint:-- the neutering of old masculine language about mankind and even God-- the heedless fouling up of the old poetry, to update a "thou" and a "thee"-- the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-8059151846986043262007-07-23T09:07:00.000-04:002007-07-22T21:09:09.871-04:00

There is an essay in Sunday's Washington Post Outlook section that gives some hope for a better, more tolerant future for Islam. It is "Losing My Jihadism" by Mansour al-Nogaidan, a Saudi native.The essence of his charge to his co-religionists? Reinterpret the Koran; learn to live in peace with others. From the essay:Muslims are too rigid in our adherence to old, literal interpretations of the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-65884565703271518732007-07-22T09:53:00.000-04:002007-07-22T11:16:06.727-04:00

Rod Dreher has written an essay which should be read by anyone who is offended by Pope Benedict's statement earlier this month (MSNBC story here). That statement reaffirmed ancient Roman Catholic teaching: that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true and complete Christian church.Dreher's central thesis? It's far better for denominations to make forthright truth claims while still

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-83062724889818276892007-07-20T11:40:00.000-04:002007-07-20T12:31:26.299-04:00

The best man running for president? Got to be Senator Sam Brownback, a man who lives his Christian faith in the public square, without apology. Part of this has included going into the lion's den of the secular-humanist media and explaining his stance on evolution in an op-ed in the New York Times. Evolution, which, somewhat akin now to global warming, is treated as an article of faith by the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-78657263925539106692007-07-19T13:15:00.001-04:002007-07-19T13:29:50.412-04:00

The object in the photo, taken by the Hubble orbiting telescope, is the Sombrero Galaxy.This is a rather large object, and it's a bit of a haul from Earth. The basics from the Hubble website:The Sombrero lies at the southern edge of the rich Virgo cluster of galaxies and is one of the most massive objects in that group, equivalent to 800 billion suns. The galaxy is 50,000 light-years across and

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-23979676028776458712007-07-18T17:34:00.000-04:002007-07-18T17:49:05.501-04:00

I am a big fan of study bibles; they're a necessary complement to anyone who wishes to delve into Scripture. My personal favorite is the Reformation Study Bible, edited by R.C. Sproul. This study bible uses the English Standard Version, which has become my favorite word-for-word translation.Not that the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible, using the NIV thought-for-thought translation and

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-40182259624141123832007-07-17T20:10:00.000-04:002007-07-17T20:25:14.034-04:00

Something that we must keep in mind whenever someone suggests doing something to make our church services more "relevant" or "youth-oriented." Or whatever seems to be the flavor of the month.It's very simple: there are eternal truths. There is one very large eternal Truth, with a capital "T" -- Jesus Christ is Lord, and he has overcome the world (John 16:33). He has overcome the world, so

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-85325777290533167072007-07-16T16:40:00.001-04:002007-07-16T17:19:09.180-04:00

"Necessary and sufficient" is the usual standard of proof for an hypothesis. What about the hypothesis that religion is a good thing? Well, this is a little tougher, as any proof depends on faith: belief in things that simply can't be proven.However, I make the case that the Jewish and Christian religions are, at their core, good. They are better than good. They ennoble us. Here is my

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-89742627262474015282007-07-15T17:25:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:18:40.318-04:00

"Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." -- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-6107451062386633992007-07-15T09:24:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:19:06.605-04:00

It is amusing, in a sad sort of way, how committed atheists will trot out every chestnut in the long list of immoral acts done in the name of religion. But, like making a hobo's stew, everything, and I mean everything, gets thrown in the pot without regard to relevance to the task at hand.Case in point is one of the best of the atheist class, Christopher Hitchens, writing a response to a

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-81664806775464724722007-07-09T19:46:00.000-04:002007-07-09T20:09:03.675-04:00

First, a disclaimer: I love Pope Benedict. As a fellow Christian, and as a learned theologian. But I'm afraid he has taken a giant step backwards for the Roman Church in re-authorizing the Tridentine Mass.What's wrong with Latin? Nothing, as a language, although it's got far too many verb forms... But why this fixation by so-called traditional Catholics on the Latin Mass? The usual answer,

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-52477964726981849472007-07-07T09:42:00.000-04:002007-07-07T16:02:06.778-04:00

Just thinking about a book that probably doesn't get read much by most Christians: Leviticus. This is the "how to" manual for priests, of the tribe of Levi. Details, details; it's all in the details.Leviticus also, of course, contains much wisdom for how we should organize our societies and what is good in the eyes of the Lord, and what is not good. Or, in the text, an "abomination" unto the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-21313459632958164662007-07-04T09:47:00.000-04:002007-07-04T16:54:42.390-04:00

This is always good advice; advice that I sometimes don't heed. From the Preacher, as recorded in Ecclesiastes chapter 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-76332970713632769052007-07-01T10:15:00.001-04:002007-07-01T17:23:43.620-04:00

Ahh, the ever-present battle cry of those who wish us dead. This is what one of the Muslim terrorists was screaming as he was in the SUV that two terrorists attempted to ram into Glasgow airport.It appears they, and the plotters of the failed car bombs in London, are all Paki Muslims. All of which may lead apologists for terror to sell, like the rancid snake oil it is, the notion that Britain's

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-40396799425721513282007-06-29T21:20:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:21:11.575-04:00

I'm a Baptist; not the best Baptist, perhaps not even a good Baptist. But I do read my Scripture, and take to heart what I read. And have little regard for those who try to enforce their notions of Christian rectitude on the rest of us. A case in point is this attempt by the Missouri Baptist Convention to bring back Prohibition. Carrie Nation is tanned, rested, and ready... From Christianity

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-70635814647373858052007-06-28T12:43:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:21:32.165-04:00

President Bush, throwing good money after bad, has now pandered to the very people who only wish us to convert or die. In a speech before the Islamic Center in Washington, he promised to, among other things, appoint a superfluous envoy to the Jew- and Christian-hating Organization of the Islamic Conference.The envoy's purpose? To listen and learn. All about how there's really only a few hard

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-79729501430841472752007-06-27T19:09:00.001-04:002007-07-15T21:21:50.917-04:00

In the basic meaning of the word, of course. Christian Protestants, although initially protesting the abuses of the Roman Church, are nonetheless the very antithesis of Muslim protestants. Protestants, of the Christian persuasion, have free will and freedom of conscience at the very heart of our faith. We Baptists (and many others) call this religious liberty, and it is as foreign from Islam

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-355681630332185682007-06-25T13:59:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:22:24.155-04:00

The image shows pilgrims on a trek up to "Apparition Hill" outside Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina. What brings them, and why are they worshipping a statue of Mary?From a front page article in today's secularist Washington Post, the basics:People have been coming to this rocky slope since June 24, 1981, when six children said the Virgin Mary appeared to them here. The crowds have grown so

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-56492930567865206832007-06-24T21:01:00.001-04:002007-07-15T21:22:41.864-04:00

One Brother Andrew is a piece of work, when he challenges Christians to forgive Muslim terrorists, for the stated reason "We forgive you Muslims because Jesus forgave us." This interesting take on forgiveness may be found at Christianity Today. Andrew appears to be one whose got dhimmitude down to a science. In English we might call this appeasement.Since Andrew invokes the name of our Savior

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-66785752795171479882007-06-23T10:55:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:22:59.394-04:00

Christian charity prevents me from writing the adjective that first came to mind when I read the following paragraph from, who else, an Episcopal priest:My prescription for a way out, I freely admit, is based on policy considerations, not necessarily a moral compass. My sense is that the best -- or rather, the least-damaging -- course would be to initiate a gradual pullout of U.S. forces, to be

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-331790340685574732007-06-22T13:59:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:23:22.731-04:00

Jesuits are known as being protean, and conforming, chameleon-like, to whatever the current Roman Church hierarchy seems to expect. Or, of late, the opposite of what the Roman Church expects. Once called the Pope's Shock Troops, now, perhaps, they might be called the Popes Legal Beagles.Here in the United States, Jesuits may be expected to be on the left side of the political spectrum, still

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-7157460340421979022007-06-20T21:03:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:23:50.359-04:00

Looking for a good, old school confession of faith? Consider the New HampshireBaptist Confession of 1833. It's succinct; it's clear as a bell ringing out on a cold winter's morn.Here's one of my favorite elements of that confession, and one which all too many well-meaning Christians, and most secular humanists, would gag on: the notion that we are, as Jesus told us, to be divided into sheep

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-40278841569758783352007-06-20T06:59:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:24:16.317-04:00

Not too long ago I received a well-intentioned email from a friend who is a devout Christian. It was one of those treacly things about how God is always watching over us, in matters small, and great.The theme of this particular message was about individuals who might have died on 9/11/01 but for happenstance. Here's a sample of the things that prevented a small group of people from being in the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-68468729919223601112007-06-19T16:50:00.001-04:002007-06-19T16:50:58.815-04:00

SDD — Same S***, Different Day. So it goes on the apparently endless campaign trail. This time it’s Kansas Senator Sam Brownback who’s been sent to detention by the political correctness that has infested both parties. At issue is something labeled an “attack” on Gov. Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith. The basics, from the WaPo story: An aide to GOP presidential candidate Sam Brownback has been

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-9893188208367575652007-06-18T14:52:00.000-04:002007-06-18T16:54:00.103-04:00

Got to love the Episcopal Church. Its members run the gamut from orthodox catholic Christians (yes, this would mean something quite different if "orthodox" and "catholic" were capitalized), all the way to those who not only disagree that Scripture is the rock upon which our faith is based, but twist themselves in knots attempting to prove that black is white and night is day.Case in point is one

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1357417110125739702007-06-17T11:20:00.000-04:002007-06-17T12:46:29.995-04:00

From George Will's column today, this little report -- which says volumes about what our men and women are fighting for in Iraq:Last month in Iraq, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), had lunch with three soldiers from his state, one of whom had been working with an Iraqi officer training police cadets. That soldier told Smith that when the cadets learned that the Iraqi officer was a Catholic, they

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-84811883642780478552007-06-15T15:43:00.000-04:002007-06-15T15:58:26.876-04:00

From the Bard's The Merchant of Venice, when Portia speaks to Shylock in Act IV, Scene I:The quality of mercy is not strained.It droppeth as the gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath. It is twice blest:It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.Mercy is one of our Lord's pre-eminent virtues, and, as Shakespeare wrote, His mercy does indeed "droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven."

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-58987889517428078882007-06-14T18:15:00.000-04:002007-06-14T19:51:40.916-04:00

Ruth Bell Graham, the gracious and Spirit-led wife of Rev. Billy Graham, passed on this afternoon, at the age of 87 (her birthday was June 10th).My prayers are with her husband, and her five children, who include Franklin Graham -- a lion among evangelicals. The apple, as they say, falls not far from the tree.R.I.P.

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-82821552646885414642007-06-13T16:51:00.000-04:002007-06-13T18:20:16.196-04:00

This is the percentage of Muslims who believe that America's goal is to spread Christianity in the Middle East. This datum is cited in a recently-released survey from the University of Maryland Program on International Policy Attitudes. The survey includes several other points about the attitudes of Muslims towards America, including the chilling 27 percent who apparently approve of terrorist

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-37017976733045679132007-06-12T12:04:00.000-04:002007-06-12T13:22:14.417-04:00

The hymn is one of the all-time favorites, and anyone who isn't move to stand and deliver when it is sung just should avoid church. Beside being a great hymn, its message, from Lamentations chapter 3, is that our God is a God of renewal. That every day we can start anew, and that God's mercy is not just infinite, but a renewable resource.From Lamentations:22It is of the LORD's mercies that we

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-34488357387163116582007-06-11T14:41:00.000-04:002007-06-12T09:15:12.478-04:00

What this video shows is Jay Leno on a tear about the all-Paris Hilton, all the time news feeding frenzy. Now Jay is hardly a member of the Latter-Day Crusaders (that's us evangelicals, just itching to put on that ol' chain mail and sword and create a theocracy just like the Taliban. At least according to many liberalati.) And if he's noticed the absurdity of the media attention on Paris, well

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-89055511593040223832007-06-10T11:34:00.000-04:002007-06-10T14:36:01.597-04:00

"That" being the all-too oft used phrase, "sins in the service of the Truth." This is the Catholic Church's way of explaining away the Spanish Inquisition. Saying that the Church now condemns such officially-sanctioned terror doesn't quite cut it, but, hey, what are you going to do? Leave the Church?Well, yes. One of the reasons I left the Church was because of the inability of many of the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-91042542596556660912007-06-09T11:11:00.001-04:002007-06-09T11:59:22.722-04:00

One of the pillars of Calvinism is the total depravity of man. The Cliff's Notes version of Calvinism is the acronym TULIP, in which the "T" is for total depravity. When I first came upon this expression, I thought of a drooling, knuckle-dragging troglodyte who ate small children after raping elderly women. Not quite.The cause of the depravity? The very thing that is God's second-greatest

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-19231100507392252462007-06-08T12:57:00.000-04:002007-06-08T13:50:56.220-04:00

In good secular fashion, Paula Zahn of CNN, as part of a panel discussion, asked the Democratic candidates for president who happen to be Catholic a few questions about their faith. Zahn was one of a panel of fakers and race hustlers (Jesse Jackson, who uses the title "reverend" as an excuse to divide us on the basis of skin color). Not surprisingly, the "liberal evangelist" Jim Wallis was also

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-38923605685889167872007-06-07T20:42:00.000-04:002007-06-07T20:49:57.111-04:00

To anyone who keeps track of such things, I'd be counted as a lapsed Catholic. A former daily-goer-to-Mass and pray-er-of-the-Rosary Catholic, now a member of a Baptist church. The point of this post is simple: to state, unequivocally, that if I write anything that is critical of my former church, it is out of love. And if I come across as mean-spirited, that is simply because I am a poor

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-3187808178496742672007-06-07T17:22:00.000-04:002007-06-07T17:31:49.889-04:00

Somebody has fed Anne Coulter some red meat; she's on one of her tears. This time, it's about immigration, and the notion that "current immigration law is intentionally designed to reduce their [whites] percentage in the population." Perhaps she is simplifying cause and effect, but consider this from her column:In 1960, whites were 90 percent of the country. The Census Bureau recently

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-62569626819413505312007-06-06T18:00:00.000-04:002007-06-06T18:17:09.951-04:00

This blog was visited by another evangelical Jewish-born Christian ("Sewing", his blog is The Regrafted Branch). On his blog he references one of my favorite writings from Paul. In Paul's letter to the church in Rome, we are reminded that God has always had plans for the "remnant of Israel." From Romans 11, The Remnant of Israel:1I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-79309613285846088002007-06-06T11:42:00.000-04:002007-06-06T12:37:01.289-04:00

Mitt Romney defended his Mormon faith rather well at last night's gathering of the ten declared Republican candidates for president last night. He was forthright, did not evade the question, and should be respected for the apparent strength of his belief.But here's where this Christian has to stop and specify: I respect Gov. Romney's strength of belief; I do not agree with or respect his actual

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-21544021026217914612007-06-04T17:28:00.000-04:002007-06-04T17:46:36.564-04:00

Faith and science are compatible, after all. Well, I know this to be true, having been trained in the sciences. That training didn't destroy my faith. In fact, it only made it stronger: what a wonder is our Creator, who gave us brains to figure out His creation.I'm not a creationist, if that means that I must believe that the world, including human beings who are just like us, were created in

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-16206263789821755612007-06-03T17:37:00.000-04:002007-06-03T18:08:05.392-04:00

This simple verse is the source of major angst among Christians. It has led some, such as Anabaptists and Friends (Quakers), to proclaim that a peaceful response to any and all provocations is exactly what Jesus ordered.If one simply read Matthew 5:44, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" it would be hard to argue with this. But, as with most other things biblical, one can't

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-20639325082001990412007-06-02T10:21:00.000-04:002007-06-02T10:22:04.757-04:00

The title is from Paul's letter to the Romans (12:2), and is some of the best advice one can take as a Christian. Many of us, including me, ignore this when it suits us. But that doesn't change its wisdom.The point is that there are truths that don't just stand the test of time; they were true in the beginning and will be true until the end of time. We evade these truths, often to the point of

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-89343080197773869972007-06-01T09:52:00.000-04:002007-06-01T11:04:28.227-04:00

It is sometimes amusing to read what the liberal mainstream media writes about religion. But what comes across for the most part is the sense of a cultural anthropologist working down among the primitives. There's a sense of detachment, for one thing: these crazy natives and their cargo cult.It seems that those who write for papers such as the Washington Post are also prone to ignore the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-63542447068414138802007-05-30T09:55:00.000-04:002007-05-30T09:56:08.701-04:00

Here we go again; grist for those who think we're heading straight for a fundamentalist Christian theocracy. As reported by the Washington Times, we get the wholly unsurprising "news" that a large majority of Americans (67 percent) think the United States is a "Christian nation."There is also an interesting polling result on the Bible. From the Times story:More than three-quarters of Americans

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-55699368850497679732007-05-29T20:17:00.000-04:002007-05-29T20:49:09.727-04:00

It is always useful to consult Scripture whenever there is a question. One in particular that has vexed the Christian church since its very beginnings has been how to treat the Jews. The simplest answer is to be found in the beginning; in the Book of Genesis, chapter 12: 1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-21803625582522225142007-05-28T15:21:00.000-04:002007-05-29T15:24:42.092-04:00

Melanie Phillips sheds light on unknown (at least to this infidel) portions of the Quran that implore Muslims to love and respect Israel and the Jews. Who knew?Here's an extract, which Ms. Phillips cites from the website "Arabs for Israel":[Quran] 2:47 Children of Israel! call to mind the favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you to all other nations. 2:122 O Children of Israel!

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-52248893219793628582007-05-27T11:06:00.000-04:002007-05-27T11:30:01.478-04:00

There is a moving story on the front page of the Washington Post about a previously institutionalized, blind, gospel singer, Brian Slaughter. Mr. Slaughter can, apparently, sing up a storm; he's got the gift of the Holy Spirit. The story of how he was "discovered?" From the WaPo story:Margaret Dickinson first met Brian Slaughter nearly 30 years ago, in the forgotten world that was Forest

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-53394006982005767712007-05-23T11:15:00.000-04:002007-05-23T11:16:11.211-04:00

"And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son..." This, from 2 Samuel 17, describes David's great sorrow at the evil which had overtaken Saul. This is the passage that occurred to me as I read this account of two former stalwarts of human rights: the American Civil Liberties Union, and Amnesty International.On the ACLU, we've got, from the Wall Street Journal, the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-12098087198337864482007-05-22T17:19:00.000-04:002007-05-22T17:20:01.028-04:00

This is a quotation from the new leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, talking of us pesky Baptists. You know that there's something wrong when the Washington Post, or other liberal outlets, start to write favorable "news" pieces about evangelicals. The recent death of Jerry Falwell, the evangelical the left loved to loathe, has resulted in yet another mis-reading by the secularists of

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-6566976083840717562007-05-21T16:58:00.000-04:002007-05-21T17:11:41.009-04:00

An article by David Howard in the Wall Street Journal on the conversion of Francis Beckwith, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), makes what has become a common claim: that Christians who are theologically conservative, whether Catholic or evangelical, have more in common than that which divides them. At least that is the implied claim in this paragraph from "

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-50092554310175263902007-05-20T20:47:00.000-04:002007-05-20T21:19:18.739-04:00

We had a visit from a representative of the Gideons this morning in our church, and the man made a heartfelt pitch for the saving nature of Scripture. One never knows what fish may be caught using the Word as bait; all we can do is cast those seeds out and pray that some bear fruit. OK, enough of the evangelization metaphors... I know from personal experience that I'm always comforted when

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-15198910995898856522007-05-16T10:03:00.000-04:002007-05-16T12:06:24.647-04:00

In last night's GOP "debate," abortion was a large topic. In fact, it was the elephant in the room. OK, no more GOP puns... It is interesting to watch Rudy G. and others squirm, and explain the unexplainable. It was also interesting to hear Mike Huckabee, in referring to jihadis, state thay they, unlike us, "celebrate death."Well, my quibble with this phrase isn't that jihadis "celebrate

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-59786671711692676632007-05-15T16:06:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:21:57.571-04:00

Now we know what kind of tame evangelicals DNC chair Howard Dean thinks we should all be. He cites Rick Warren and Joel Osteen, in this article about his longing to join evangelicals with the Democratic Party.Dr. Dean also knows what ails those who don't go to church. It's that pesky sin; the sense that we are sinners and that there is a better way. What a downer. Nobody wants to be told

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1148373598744280632007-05-12T17:13:00.000-04:002007-05-12T17:14:23.552-04:00

I admit it -- I'm a Yankee. Born and bred in New York, so at least in the Civil War sense I'm a Yankee, as opposed to a Southerner. But I'm a Yankee in the earlier, and broader sense: an American who is a spiritual and political descendant of the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony.The Puritans of Massachusetts could not have been more different than the bulk of the founders of

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-22909458394012556822007-05-05T11:56:00.000-04:002007-05-05T15:42:24.447-04:00

There was a brief report in the Wall Street Journal on a recent conference, topic: "What's He Doing Here?: Jesus in Jewish Culture." What caught my attention were these paragraphs relating to a common misperception about the role of Jesus in anti-Semitism:"Here you are, you jewish intellectuals, with a small 'j,'" an elderly man stated from the front of the auditorium when he received the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-16544370607500476412007-04-30T14:55:00.000-04:002007-04-30T15:00:18.585-04:00

As reported in the Washington Post, This from an academic who studies the role of faith in the public square: "We want people of faith, but we don't want them making decisions based on their faith." The issue at hand is the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the federal law banning partial-birth abortions. Did you know that all five of the justices who formed the majority are...Catholic.

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-46775621933697642622007-04-29T09:13:00.000-04:002007-04-29T09:24:24.692-04:00

"How low can you go?" is the refrain, in Chubby Checker's Limbo Rock. Back-wrenching rituals aside, the Catholic concept of limbo has come on some hard times. A wholly man-made creation, the Roman church has nonetheless denied comfort and burial in consecrated ground to countless generations of unbaptized infants who die without the benefits of a Catholic baptism.What is truly vile about this

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-67893521587637761452007-04-27T15:53:00.000-04:002007-04-27T16:48:24.316-04:00

Marc Chagall's images have always been special to me, especially because of the artist's affinity to biblical themes. I also shared, up to a point in my life, Chagall's secular Judaism. When I came to accept Christ as Lord, at first I thought I had left Judaism behind. After several years as a Christian, however, I now recognize an essential truth: what we call Christianity is merely

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-39941510139225341892007-04-18T16:10:00.000-04:002007-04-18T16:27:32.139-04:00

The culture wars continue, albeit sometimes beneath the radar. As an example, consider this from Jay Nordlinger's Impromptus today:Finally, a story about NPR. I haven’t listened to it for years — since the 1980s? — but I happened to hear it a couple of weeks ago. I was with someone who had it on. And I listened with wondering ears.They were doing a segment on a man who had been a Christian

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-28881171678598137382007-04-16T13:02:00.000-04:002007-04-16T13:19:11.395-04:00

I just happened to turn on the news, and caught the horrific news of 22 dead in a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. May God have mercy on the dead; may He comfort those who grieve for them. Reports are sketchy at this hour, although according to this report at Fox News, the shooter is among the dead.How can a God-fearing Christian handle this kind of violation of God's

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-82686450568931889902007-04-12T15:03:00.000-04:002007-04-12T16:01:39.213-04:00

There is no one who quite so fanatical about his faith as a self-declared atheist. And, after thousands of years of taking it lying down, they're getting militant. At least in Europe, according to this fascinating article (subscription required) in the Wall Street Journal.Atheists have been with us since the beginning of civilization. Also from the WSJ, this summary of the Greek philosopher

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-81611397898381668002007-04-08T13:05:00.000-04:002007-04-08T14:22:19.275-04:00

He is risen indeed! Jesus defeats death, should read the headline in all major news outlets. Of course, they will not have any such headlines; it would require that the reporters and editors had some measure of belief. Belief, not of the sort that can be confirmed by scientific experiment. Belief, of the sort whose negation is not "unbelief," but, rather, disobeying God.Let's try that from

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-65240389587155745832007-04-04T10:16:00.000-04:002007-04-04T10:53:44.114-04:00

Late last year, I posted my thoughts on having a Mormon, Mitt Romney, as our president. Now that Gov. Romney appears to be gaining on Rudy and McCain, it appears that the mainstream media is focusing, with greater focus, on Mormonism in the public square.Case in point is the front-page story in the WaPo featuring those creepy, stick-together-no-matter-what LDSers. Well, the Post didn't exactly

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-33598874307174114572007-03-29T13:20:00.001-04:002007-03-29T13:20:34.441-04:00

The Episcopal Church is easy to make fun of. Easy to do, but it's akin to shooting a tuna in a barrel. Not very sporting. But Episcopalians have brought much of this grief on themselves over the past few decades. Today they are perhaps best known as a collection of guilty but affluent white liberals. Which provides the sharpest possible contrast with the vast majority of the world's

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-7216205907095793472007-03-21T16:29:00.000-04:002007-03-21T17:04:51.335-04:00

The quotation is from Albert Mohler's March 2, 2007 controversial article, "Is Your Baby Gay? What If You Could Know? What If You Could Do Something About It?". The bottom line for a Christian is how does one deal with a sinner. The answer, for Dr. Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is, as it should be for all Christians: exactly the same, across the board.From Dr.

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-57480356009701907762007-03-21T10:33:00.000-04:002007-03-21T10:34:08.575-04:00

muscular Jesus" style="margin-right:14px; margin-bottom:10px;padding:0px;">I caught a snippet of GodMen this morning on the tube; my first reaction was, "oh crap, another Robert Bly-drum-beating escape mechanism for men who can't cope."But I was curious, and found the website GodMen - When Faith Gets Dangerous. GodMen appears to be a hormonal reaction to the tameness and white-breadness that is

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-60898495543253428092007-03-04T12:48:00.000-05:002007-03-04T14:53:38.371-05:00

This is the false choice often posed by those who favor "social justice" (usual translation: Marxism) over evangelism and mission. Christians have, throughout our history, favored one or the other, sometimes resulting in bloodshed. But it's a false choice; one who knows Jesus Christ as Lord will, by definition, come to do that which is right. Which most definitely includes taking care of the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-54665245348405592862007-02-27T11:11:00.000-05:002007-02-27T11:22:30.283-05:00

Now there's an odd phrase. Being old-fashioned, I always thought that Jerusalem started as a "Jewish" city: The City of David. As in King David. As in the unifier of Israel and Judah, around 1000 BCE. Jerusalem is where David's son Solomon built the first temple. For this reason alone the city has been central to the Jewish people ever since.The phrase, from a United Nations functionary, is

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-87597020940748028262007-02-26T11:25:00.000-05:002007-02-26T12:14:19.501-05:00

There is a lengthy review at WSJ.com of Dinesh D'Souza's new book, "The Enemy at Home." The reviewer takes D'Souza to task for "going native" in his treatment of Islamic terrorists.This isn't about the former enfant terrible of Dartmouth straying from the path of PC-buster. It's about the broader thesis that both D'Souza, in his book, and the reviewer, allude to: the notion that those who fear

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-90670821975287779032007-02-23T11:04:00.000-05:002007-02-23T11:32:54.265-05:00

One of my pet peeves in churches has always been the presence of flags. Usually two -- an American flag, and a denominational or "Christian" flag (shown here). I have learned to ignore these flags, and simply accept that this is what the congregation as a whole wishes.So, what are you, John Luke, some sort of commie pinko hippy? No; I consider myself a patriot. But my first identity remains

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-53292278802924065032007-02-19T10:46:00.000-05:002007-02-19T10:50:46.510-05:00

The Episcopal Church, withering away in terms of numbers of members in this country, is part of the world-wide Anglican Communion, whose spiritual leader is the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Rowan Williams. The American branch abandoned a certain fealty to Scripture when it not just tolerated, but celebrated, the ordination of a practicing homosexual as a bishop. But, hey, what's

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-24337097680874866242007-02-06T11:30:00.000-05:002007-02-06T11:33:40.360-05:00

Ah, Richard Cohen. One of my favorite liberal columnists. While I usually disagree with him on political and philosophical grounds, every now and again he comes up with something right. No, not right as in conservative; but as in correct, even though it grates to admit it.In his column today he reminds us that anti-Semitism is not a club to be used on any and everyone who criticizes Israel.

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-11206126790358263922007-02-03T10:47:00.000-05:002007-02-03T11:12:53.110-05:00

Although it's been a while since I considered myself Roman Catholic, some things about that faith, both good, and not so good, linger. One of the good things is the liturgical calendar, with its varied events, great, and small, observed by the Christian church. Yesterday, February 2nd was the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, or, in the Anglican tradition, Candlemas. It's not the sort of

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-76682718448673608922007-02-02T10:24:00.000-05:002007-02-02T10:31:58.029-05:00

The Psalmist knows the source of each and every person: God. From the beginning; before, even, our beginnings in out mothers' wombs. Psalm 139:13-17For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-637310792931358582007-01-28T11:50:00.000-05:002007-01-28T11:58:37.630-05:00

The Christian must not judge people by any standard other than that of Jesus Christ. Jesus set a high bar, of course: nothing less than Torah and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12:So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.This re-statement of the Golden Rule works for me, and should always be in the front of our brains before we engage our

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-19137625814920366452007-01-24T21:13:00.000-05:002007-01-24T21:14:35.607-05:00

David Pryce-Jones now has a blog at NRO. It is well worth the time. Today's entry concerns the just-departed Abbé Pierre, an acclaimed holy man of the Christian persuasion. Perhaps he was holy, that is. As is sometimes the case, what you see isn't all of what you get. in Pierre's case, this is apparently the case. From Pryce-Jones:Abbé Pierre who has just died at the age of 94 was perhaps a

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-59875987805443582272007-01-22T11:53:00.000-05:002007-01-22T12:20:09.571-05:00

...will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is a fundamental truth, and, this verse, Romans 8:38-39, as translated in the NIV, makes perfect sense. Neither that which is of heaven, nor that which is of hell, may separate us from Christ Jesus.The NIV translation also illustrates the Jewish concept of our two natures, always at war within us: our

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-67417561676701901362007-01-13T21:30:00.000-05:002007-01-13T21:33:08.198-05:00

Very interesting new magazine, with online content: Salvo. Their mission statement:Blasting holes in scientific naturalism, marveling at the intricate design of the universe, and promoting life in a culture of death.Critiquing art, music, film, television, and literature, interrupting mass media influence, and questioning the sanity of our consumerist lifestyle.Countering destructive ideologies

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-74878165627833806462007-01-07T15:23:00.000-05:002007-01-07T16:08:54.100-05:00

This is the title of a thought-provoking piece that appeared this past week at the Washington Post online. The essence of the question is this:How much political involvement can Christians stomach and still remain true to their faith? A cadre of religious believers in America is considering a mal-nourishing proposal: that followers of Jesus should "fast" from politics for two years.The author

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-426952603102411832007-01-06T11:16:00.000-05:002007-01-06T13:17:08.046-05:00

First, let me say that, although I think he is an idiot of the first water, I pray for Jimmy Carter. Pray that he will read the Scriptures he seems to have forgotten in his very public persona of piety.Nice alliteration, there, John Luke, now get to the point. The point is that I love Jimmy Carter as a fellow human being and as a lost sheep. For some reason, our worst ex-president (we just

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-23570543768634164632007-01-05T10:27:00.000-05:002007-01-05T10:50:07.382-05:00

A front-page article on those pesky fundie 'piskies appeared in yesterday's Washington Post. It's yet another article in the anthropologic vein, down among the savages type of thing.The central point is that Episcopalians, especially from the two parishes featured in the article, The Falls Church, and Truro Church, are not usually associated with fundamentalism or pentecostals. At least not in

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-59467896703179327332007-01-03T17:28:00.001-05:002007-01-03T17:28:49.473-05:00

It is not hard to know which side the ACLU is on: they're more concerned that jihadi warriors not be offended than we obtain intelligence to prevent further deaths of Americans. What is puzzling, however, are the lengths to which our own government wastes our money investigating such concerns.For reasons that should by now not need to be stated, any time some douchbag of an Islamist terrorist

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-68971880205240055392007-01-03T07:57:00.000-05:002007-01-02T17:57:56.095-05:00

Got to hand it to the Palestinians. They never seem to miss an opportunity to get on the wrong side of history. There is, now, in the (Christian) holy city of Bethlehem, a "house of condolences" for paleos to mourn the passing of a man who was, apparently, the best friend a terrorist could have.This account in the Jerusalem Post is, to say the least, sickening. Not anything that the Post has

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-54233566764350260282007-01-02T12:25:00.001-05:002007-01-02T12:28:59.896-05:00

Today you may find, in an abbreviated version, the heart of the reason why our investment in Iraq will not pay any dividends. Not if one expects a return in the form of a peaceful, truly democratic nation called "Iraq" that is not just a bunch of ethnic and confessional -stans cobbled together with spit and bailing wire. The article, by the author Mark Bowden ("Black Hawk Down"), includes this

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-17952741136123875602007-01-01T00:02:00.000-05:002006-12-31T18:18:25.348-05:00

Jonathan Tobin has a thought-provoking essay at Jerusalem Post online on the mini-flap caused by Keith Ellison's statement that he would use a Koran to be sworn into office (as a Democrat congressman from Minnesota). Rep.-elect Ellison, other than being a Muslim, would appear to be just another left-leaning politico. Leaving aside Ellison’s professed faith, there is something problematic in

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-50793300607643621842006-12-30T11:13:00.000-05:002006-12-30T20:42:09.812-05:00

The evil dictator whose crimes against humanity caused us to invade the historical fiction that is called "Iraq" has now been put down like the dog he was. There's a lot of blather about "milestones" and "closure" and "justice being done." All true, to a certain extent. Then, Iraq being a nation of tribal and sectarian hatreds, there will also be the usual screams of "death to..." Fill in the

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-26644809424525677642006-12-28T11:38:00.000-05:002006-12-28T12:14:49.542-05:00

The cover story of the current issue of The New Republic is titled "A Mormon in the White House?" The article is a detailed and, as is usual for TNR, an in-depth review of the history of the Latter Day Saints and key elements of Mormon Theology.All of this, of course, is in service of showing how presidential aspirations of Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts, might be problematical for

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-89042966987995657812006-12-27T14:54:00.000-05:002006-12-27T15:37:05.595-05:00

Thus wrote Saddam Hussein, in an epistle penned when he was convicted in November. According to this story in the Toronto Globe and Mail, Husseincalled on Iraqis not to hate the U.S.-led forces that invaded Iraq in 2003 in a farewell letter posted on a Web site Wednesday, a day after an appeals court upheld the former dictator's death sentence and ordered him to be hanged within one month.[He

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-33177031650613999732006-12-26T21:25:00.001-05:002006-12-26T21:25:35.573-05:00

Israel and the Jews have always had lots of enemies and likely always will. But there are also some rather excellent friends of both the modern state of Israel and the Jewish people. And they are to be found among Protestant Christians.No, not the sniveling peace-at-any price, Israel-is-evil so-called mainline denominations such as the Episcopalians and Church of Christ. Rather, those

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-35674761814877285252006-12-26T21:03:00.000-05:002006-12-26T21:05:13.925-05:00

I've been away; had what you might call a dry spell. But this Advent season has recharged my batteries, so to speak, and I'll be posting from time to time.Thanks for stopping by.

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1152023210566908082006-07-04T10:25:00.000-04:002006-07-04T10:26:50.576-04:00

In honor of our nation's birthday, this from our first president.George Washington's Prayer for the Nation, written at Newburg, June 8, 1783, and sent to the governors of all the states. Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection: that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1151340356315966102006-06-26T12:45:00.000-04:002006-06-26T12:45:56.333-04:00

Most of us, when looking into the face of evil, tend to avert our gaze, and either pretend that evil is not there, or forget that it was there. A recently published book, "Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz" reminds us that mankind remains capable of unspeakable evil.The book deals with virulent anti-Semitism, of the kind fatal to Jews, in post World War II Poland. Get that? Post

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1151072646973713562006-06-23T10:22:00.000-04:002006-06-23T13:58:43.943-04:00

Those nations that the Lord has shown His favor to will survive all attacks. Those that do not do His will, will not. It is as simple as that. Some would have us believe that all secular authority is ordained by God, as per Romans 13:1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1150836332371400242006-06-20T16:38:00.000-04:002006-06-20T16:55:52.326-04:00

The Episcopal Church, USA, has not just withdrawn (at least symbolically) from the Anglican Communion. They've declared that they are no longer bound by Scripture. Hence it becomes an open question as to whether they remain Christian. This one paragraph says it all (from USA Today):The Episcopal Church USA's election of a female presiding bishop who supports gay bishops and the blessing of gay

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1150672414245021462006-06-18T19:04:00.000-04:002006-06-19T18:21:05.356-04:00

I'm currently reading "The Lord Will Gather Me In," an autobiographical sketch by David Klinghoffer, an editor at National Review. The book traces David's journey from being a secular Jew to an observant (Orthodox) one, and along the way he's got some harsh things to say about many of his fellow Jews -- and some misinformed things to say about Christianity. Very misinformed.One such thing that

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1150470581224681242006-06-16T11:09:00.000-04:002006-06-16T11:12:17.606-04:00

Political correctness has, in Maryland, trumped the First Amendment to the Constitution. Maryland governor Robert Ehrlich, a Republican no less, has fired a Metro Board member for speaking his mind in an unofficial capacity.The sad and ugly story of how PC trumps freedom of speech may be found here. The essentials:Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. yesterday fired Robert J. Smith, his

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3510346.post-1150384549333730032006-06-15T11:13:00.000-04:002006-06-15T11:17:26.793-04:00

The prime minister of Iraq the Puppet, one Nouri al-Maliki, seems to want to cut some strings. Or, perhaps, merely appear to be so doing. The strings? Any attachment to the United States, without which Maliki would be just another citizen under Saddam's heavy yoke.Maliki, who not too long ago accused our troops of being no better than Mongol hordes, has now proposed an amnesty for "resistance"

Jack Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927497259786092172noreply@blogger.com0