Issues In Perspective

Without question, one of the most hotly debated issues in American evangelicalism is the role of women in the church. One issue that cannot be debated, however, is that the Scriptures affirm the equality of men and women, both in the image of God, in their position in Christ and as joint heirs.

With the ongoing financial struggles of the American economy, Asia (especially China) is gloating. Furthermore, many are now suggesting that America is no longer the world?s leading economic giant but, rather, a declining one.

After US SEALS killed Osama bin-Laden, they brought home a significant amount of intelligence from more than 100 computer storage devices collected from his compound. According to columnist David Ignatius, three major themes emerge from all this intelligence:

Our son, Jonathan, lives in London, UK and this August my wife and I were in London for his wedding. It was a very special time for our family. But during the time we were in London we saw the London police carrying machine guns and other weapons, something I had never seen in all the times I have been in London.

Worldview issues?the thoughts, ideas and convictions that explain the nature and qualities of organized civilization. If you believe that there is no God to which you are accountable or that there is no God who has provided redemption for you, you will live your life quite differently than one who affirms such propositions.

A New York Times writer recently published one of the most chilling and shocking articles I have read in some time. Entitled, ?Unnatural Selection,? the article uses a phrase new to me, ?pregnancy reductions.? A seemingly neutral term, it actually refers to a frequently used procedure of eliminating one of the twins growing in a woman?s womb.

The provision in President Obama?s health care law requiring Americans to purchase health insurance or face tax penalties was ruled unconstitutional on 12 August 2011 by the US Court of Appeals of the 11th Circuit in Atlanta. For the first time since it was passed, this provision of the health care legislation is in real jeopardy.

In the July 2011 edition of Christianity Today there is an interview with Bishop Kallistos Ware, formerly known as Timothy Ware, who had converted to Orthodox Christianity as a young man and who wrote a rather definitive book entitled The Orthodox Church.

The division of the church between East and West is rooted deep in church history. First of all, early on leaders noticed the difference and discrepancies that language brought.

For the Protestant, Scripture is the final authority. For the Roman Catholic, it is both Scripture and tradition. However, for the Eastern Orthodox, theological authority is internal, coming from the Spirit, Who speaks to believers through tradition.

One of my personal heroes went to be with the Lord in July?the British scholar and Christian leader, John R.W. Stott. He was 90 years old. I will miss his pithy, succinct writing, his gracious style and his deep-seated commitment to genuine, biblical Christianity.

The city of San Francisco has declared war on crisis pregnancy centers in the Bay Area. The first element of attack is a bill introduced to the city?s Board of Supervisors that would make it illegal for such centers to advertise falsely about their pregnancy-related services.

The downgrading of the US credit rating from AAA to AA+ is significant, yet troubling. That different political groups within the US are trying to make ?political hay? out of this is obvious. But this nation cannot permit politics to determine our response.

As I am writing this, congressional leaders and the president have presumably reached a last-minute agreement on raising the debt ceiling of the United States in exchange, among other things, for a reduction in future spending of the US. In this Perspective, I hope to provide some important background and analysis to the crisis.

As is so often the case, history gives us increased understanding about events of our day. For that reason, I think it helpful to explore how the generation of Arab dictators came to power into the Middle East. To have that background brings an understanding to the current ?Arab Spring? unfolding before our eyes in 2011.

Broadly speaking, our evangelical culture in America is dumbing down doctrine and theology. Rarely in the typical evangelical church in America will you hear sermons or teaching sessions on God as Trinity or the importance of the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. In this Perspective, I want to illustrate the importance of sound doctrine to our lives.

One of my favorite columnists is Joe Klein of Time magazine. Although decidedly liberal in the political sense, Klein is honest and straightforward. I respect that about him. For that reason, his most recent column on Head Start was intriguing.

America has been experiencing a crisis for some time now in the area of its immigration policies and practices. In this Perspective, I want to add a biblical perspective to the discussion.

On 8 July 2011, the US space shuttle program came to an end. The shuttle Atlantis was the last operational shuttle to be launched into space; its mission was to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). The space shuttle program lasted for 30 years and involved 135 launches and two tragic disasters.

Nearly two weeks ago, my wife and I were watching ABC evening news and an ABC investigative reporter was summarizing a piece on Michele Bachmann?s husband, who runs a Christian counseling center in Minnesota. One of the goals of his center is to help counsel homosexuals who desire to change their lifestyle. The report was cynical and filled with innuendo and criticism from other professional couns...

One of America?s premier corporations, Boeing, has built a second production plant in South Carolina (its other one is in Washington State) for its 787 Dreamliner airplane, creating over 1,000 jobs so far. But the National Labor Relations Board, created in 1935 by the Wagner Act, has taken exception to Boeing?s decision.

Sexual scandals seem to abound right now in our culture: politicians, media leaders and former presidents, as well as the normal sexual perversion emanating from Hollywood. Are our expectations about fidelity in marriage too high and, in fact, unrealistic? Will this same expectation of basic fidelity in marriage now be extended to same-sex marriages?

Mara Hvistendahl has written a powerful and provocative book entitled Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls and the Consequences of a World Full of Men. She demonstrates that in China, India and other nations, there are many more men than women, the result of systematic campaigns against baby girls. In nature, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. Jonathan Last writes ?this ratio is biolo...

The debate within our culture about origins continues, and the legacy of Charles Darwin in this debate is immense and profound. We tend to forget that Darwin?s ideas were truly revolutionary and their impact continues throughout western civilization. Better than any other example, Darwin?s hypothesis about natural selection proves the point that ideas do indeed have consequences.

Recently, I received in my office at Grace University a single sheet entitled ?The Heartland Proclamation? by the Heartland Clergy for Inclusion. In part, this sheet read, ?As Christian clergy we proclaim the Good News concerning Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons and publicly apologize where we have been silent.