Christianity

The Wonder of the Incarnation

Center for a Just Society | by Ken Connor | Dec. 24, 2009
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Have you ever noticed how, when it comes to the rich and powerful, the most impressive people are those that eschew the many benefits of their position in favor of a modest, down to earth existence? When those from whom we expect arrogance surprise us with humility, something resonates within the human soul. For Christians, one of the most breathtaking things about our savior Jesus Christ is that he willingly surrendered the privileges of his Lordship and descended from Heaven to walk among us, as one of us.

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; (The Nicene Creed)

This is the miracle of Christmas, that in order to reconcile humankind to Him forever God Himself became a man, taking the form of a bondservant and offering an example of holiness and love to the world. In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us that we are called to imitate Christ: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8 NIV) [Read more…]

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Criminalizing Christmas Cookies, Candy Canes, and Crèches

American Thinker | by Jeannie DeAngelis | Dec. 24, 2009

This year, America is receiving a subliminal holiday message that Nativity scenes pose a more imminent threat than Gitmo detainees being tried on American soil. Regardless of personal Christmas traditions, most Americans agree that the Nativity visually represents the biblical story of Jesus’s birth. Thus, controversial crèche issues are not about Christmas, but Christianity.

Founding Father Thomas Jefferson said that “[t]he Bible is the cornerstone of liberty … Students’ perusal of the sacred volume will make us better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.” [Read more…]

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Science and the Demands of Virtue

Acton Institute | by Rev. Gregory Jensen | Dec. 15, 2009

Contrary to the popular understanding, the natural sciences are not morally neutral. Not only do the findings of science have moral implications, the actual work of scientific research presupposes that the researcher himself is a man of virtue. When scientific research is divorced from, or worse opposed to, the life of virtue it is not simply the research or the researcher that suffers but the whole human family. [Read more…]

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Adaptive Liberal Hypocrisy

American Thinker | by Deborah C. Tyler | Dec. 6, 2009

In recent weeks, we have witnessed liberals in the highest level of government sanctimoniously defend terrorists who kill us while persecuting those who defend us from murderous attacks. In an effort to understand this reversal of good and evil, it has become a cliché to call liberals crazy. But while supremely hypocritical, liberalism is not insane. It is a highly adaptive ego device that enables people to violate commitments, vilify those who are true to their faith, and avoid personal sacrifice while feeling great about themselves. The only defense against hypocrisy is self-knowledge, but the politics, spirituality, and morality of liberalism are well-constructed firmaments of self-delusion. [Read more…]

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God, Government, and Liberty

BreakPoint | by Stephen Reed | Nov. 23, 2009

A coherent political worldview should be consistent with one’s spiritual outlook, but I’m referring to the temptation all of us have to cherry pick those parts of Scripture or doctrine that agree with our own conclusions, rather than picking up those passages that challenge our preconceived notions.

All this is to say that my purpose here is not to use theology to justify a political belief. Rather, it’s the opposite. We—and our elected leaders—can learn a lot from the reality of free will with which God has saturated our lives here on earth. [Read more…]

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America Founded on the Principles of Honoring God

Orthodox Forum | by Pastor Symeon | Nov. 28, 2009

Critics often miss the point by trying to validate or invalidate the American Founding Fathers as Christian. According to Orthodox Tradition this doesn’t matter. In fact according to Tradition it doesn’t matter whether the ruler is Christian or Pagan or some other monotheistic religion, or even atheist. [Read more…]

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Manhattan Declaration – Religion Takes a Stand


Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. [Read more…]

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The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience

American Orthodox Institute | by Fr. Johannes Jacobse | Nov. 22, 2009
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On November 22, 2009 group of Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant leaders unveiled a document called “The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience” that affirms the traditional Christian teaching concerning abortion, homosexual marriage, and religious freedom. The Declaration asserts that these three issues (sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, and freedom of worship) are under assault in western Democracies and call Christians into non-violent resistance against the injustices and, if necessary, non-violent non-compliance with the laws that would require a Christian to violate his conscience. (Read full text.)

The Declaration opens:

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are (1) the sanctity of human life, (2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty…We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

[Read more…]

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Hope Knows No Recession

BreakPoint | by Stephen Reed | Nov. 3, 2009

A Christian Virtue Highly Prized – In an extended recession like we are facing now, with people having a difficult time finding work after months of searching, promoting hope can seem rather saccharine, even unfeeling. Indeed, God sided with Job over his friends when they chided Job for feeling devastated at his many losses. Setbacks and tragedies are all terribly real, and to ignore a friend’s losses isn’t being much of a friend at all. [Read more…]

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Idol Worship, Counterfeit Gods

BreakPoint | by Marcia Segelstein | Oct. 27, 2009

What we worship defines us and controls us. And sometimes figuring out what we really worship isn’t easy. Timothy Keller is pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and author of the just-released book, Counterfeit Gods. He writes that while some cultures still practice idol worship in the traditional sense, “internal idol worship, within the heart, is universal.”

Anything and everything we turn to in order to satisfy our deepest needs and longings can become idols. Even good things such as family, love, and morality become idols when they take the place of God. As Keller writes, “If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol.” [Read more…]

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