Comments for The Humanitas Forum http://humanitas.org on Christianity and Culture Tue, 07 May 2013 00:14:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 Comment on Psst! Hey buddy, wanna buy an embryo? by Doug Kennard http://humanitas.org/?p=2155#comment-16771 Doug Kennard Tue, 07 May 2013 00:14:17 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=2155#comment-16771 C. S. Lewis would not be surprised at this, since he saw the elevation of science to that of magic years ago. What is troubling is that the public is so uninformed. If the public is only now learning of the horrors of the Gosnell case, how long will it take them to find out about marketing-to-order of embryos? Doug Kennard C. S. Lewis would not be surprised at this, since he saw the elevation of science to that of magic years ago. What is troubling is that the public is so uninformed. If the public is only now learning of the horrors of the Gosnell case, how long will it take them to find out about marketing-to-order of embryos?

Doug Kennard

]]> Comment on Understanding the full scope of the Great Commission… by Doug Kennard http://humanitas.org/?p=2146#comment-15201 Doug Kennard Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:52:02 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=2146#comment-15201 Hunter's book is great and very prophetic. The task of proclaiming Christ's Lordship in culture is enormous; and it is very discouraging when the local church is clueless in preparing its members for cultural penetration. Doug Kennard Hunter’s book is great and very prophetic. The task of proclaiming Christ’s Lordship in culture is enormous; and it is very discouraging when the local church is clueless in preparing its members for cultural penetration.

Doug Kennard

]]> Comment on Papal selection, popular culture, and the crisis of moral authority… by Michael Poore http://humanitas.org/?p=2130#comment-15172 Michael Poore Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:40:33 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=2130#comment-15172 Thanks, Doug! Yes, we should be aware of the influence of folks like Dr. Spock. And we could add numerous others such as Peter Singer and John Dewey. But Ken is pointing to something more foundational and less obvious than these celebrated relativists. To quote Ken again: "Moral conservatives tend to blame that decay on a succession of prophets of liberation, from foul-mouthed disk jockeys to publishers of pornography to progressive activists and lawyers and judges. But the loss of certainty about the existence of moral absolutes and the reduction in recognition of moral authority has more to do with technical, social, and economic changes in American culture than in the deliberate crusades of libertines." Thanks, Doug! Yes, we should be aware of the influence of folks like Dr. Spock. And we could add numerous others such as Peter Singer and John Dewey. But Ken is pointing to something more foundational and less obvious than these celebrated relativists. To quote Ken again: “Moral conservatives tend to blame that decay on a succession of prophets of liberation, from foul-mouthed disk jockeys to publishers of pornography to progressive activists and lawyers and judges. But the loss of certainty about the existence of moral absolutes and the reduction in recognition of moral authority has more to do with technical, social, and economic changes in American culture than in the deliberate crusades of libertines.”

]]> Comment on Papal selection, popular culture, and the crisis of moral authority… by Doug Kennard http://humanitas.org/?p=2130#comment-15009 Doug Kennard Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:21:11 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=2130#comment-15009 Ken is right on target about the pervasive influence of the "self" being the center of authority for so many Americans, and, increasingly so for evangelicals. I have always appreciated his cogent arguments from a Biblical world-view on this score. When we think of moral relativism and some of the key influences, we may first be inclined to think of rock groups and mass culture of the "'60s." And certainly, they were significant. But an oft-forgotten and deadly impetus for this moral relativism came from a source which influenced the young parents of the "Greatest Generation:" Dr. Benjamin Spock. It was Spock who was a significant carrier of the "therapeutic" virus that so profoundly affected us baby-boomers and every generation since. In short, it was Dr. Spock who taught us how to fall in love with ourselves. We desperately need to understand his influence if we are going to successfully re-ground ourselves in Christian absolutes. Doug Kennard Ken is right on target about the pervasive influence of the “self” being the center of authority for so many Americans, and, increasingly so for evangelicals. I have always appreciated his cogent arguments from a Biblical world-view on this score.

When we think of moral relativism and some of the key influences, we may first be inclined to think of rock groups and mass culture of the “’60s.” And certainly, they were significant.

But an oft-forgotten and deadly impetus for this moral relativism came from a source which influenced the young parents of the “Greatest Generation:” Dr. Benjamin Spock. It was Spock who was a significant carrier of the “therapeutic” virus that so profoundly affected us baby-boomers and every generation since. In short, it was Dr. Spock who taught us how to fall in love with ourselves. We desperately need to understand his influence if we are going to successfully re-ground ourselves in Christian absolutes.

Doug Kennard

]]> Comment on Will our children have faith? If so, what kind? by Martin http://humanitas.org/?p=2074#comment-10844 Martin Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:52:22 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=2074#comment-10844 Very well put together. Thank you Michael. Very well put together. Thank you Michael.

]]> Comment on A father’s concern: The top 10 reasons kids leave church… by Eric Burk http://humanitas.org/?p=2058#comment-10392 Eric Burk Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:46:45 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=2058#comment-10392 Thought provoking. Thanks. Thought provoking. Thanks.

]]> Comment on Creed or chaos? by Jeff Wright http://humanitas.org/?p=2050#comment-10183 Jeff Wright Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:13:34 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=2050#comment-10183 That is such an exceptionally helpful post. I'll be sharing that broadly. Thanks for posting. That is such an exceptionally helpful post. I’ll be sharing that broadly. Thanks for posting.

]]> Comment on A primer on how Christians can influence culture… by Martin http://humanitas.org/?p=1976#comment-8944 Martin Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:28:22 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=1976#comment-8944 "with its different values, different standards, different joys, and different goals." But exactly that no longer seems to be the case! There is little, if any, difference between Christians and "the world". The only difference seems to be that we go to church on Sundays and use less swear words. So if we are so 'relevant' that there is no discernible difference, especially in the cultural area (am afraid also in the moral there is less and less of a difference) then there is nothing to see and follow. For me, this links in with the question who really qualifies as a Christian today. Is our refusal to be different costing us our salvation? It certainly is costing us our power. “with its different values, different standards, different joys, and different goals.”

But exactly that no longer seems to be the case! There is little, if any, difference between Christians and “the world”. The only difference seems to be that we go to church on Sundays and use less swear words. So if we are so ‘relevant’ that there is no discernible difference, especially in the cultural area (am afraid also in the moral there is less and less of a difference) then there is nothing to see and follow.

For me, this links in with the question who really qualifies as a Christian today. Is our refusal to be different costing us our salvation? It certainly is costing us our power.

]]> Comment on Coming to grips with the culture of digital distraction… by Douglas Groothuis http://humanitas.org/?p=1778#comment-4517 Douglas Groothuis Sun, 23 Dec 2012 23:29:53 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=1778#comment-4517 I support the premodern classroom: books, humans, notes, talking, thinking, praying. No devices. I support the premodern classroom: books, humans, notes, talking, thinking, praying. No devices.

]]> Comment on Coming to grips with the culture of digital distraction… by Douglas Groothuis http://humanitas.org/?p=1778#comment-4516 Douglas Groothuis Sun, 23 Dec 2012 23:06:45 +0000 http://humanitas.org/?p=1778#comment-4516 PowerPoint is a tremendous part of the problem. PowerPoint is a tremendous part of the problem.

]]>