Archive | November, 2012
Deadly Sins-Fairlie

More than the love of possessions, the love of possessing…

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?  Responding to this question, one 24-year-old shopper on Long Island said she was thankful that “stores are open on Thanksgiving Day.”  A not-at-all-surprising response, given the commercialization of Thanksgiving—beginning with Early

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Last Christian

The Last Christian on Earth (5): The Smorgasbord Factor**

At the heart of the modern mindset is a negative sort of freedom, “freedom from”—freedom from tradition, freedom from lasting commitments, freedom from a place, freedom from other people’s expectations, and so on.  The absence of external constraints allows

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Chesterton-2

G. K. Chesterton on wonder and gratitude….

“Gratitude, being nearly the greatest of human duties, is also nearly the most difficult.”  

 

This line from G. K. Chesterton is in “Christmas and Salesmanship,” a short essay published just before Christmas, 1935.  Here are a few

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Digital Distraction

Coming to grips with the culture of digital distraction…

The Web gives; the Web takes away.  Blessed is the person who understands how the Web works.

 

·         It enables 24/7 connections and the possibility of “multitasking.”  It takes away “mindfulness”—the ability to focus on the

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Gravedigger

The Last Christian on Earth (4): The Private-Zoo Factor**

“Privately engaging, socially irrelevant.”  This phrase succinctly summarizes what the Assistant Director calls “the private-zoo factor.”  It is a form of dualism that restricts religion to the personal lives of believers and prevents the Christian faith from invading

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Holiness-DeYoung

Holiness is the sum of a million little things…

In our age of “awesome” and “cool,” some words get distorted while others get ignored.  “Awesome” is an overused adjective that has become meaningless because it’s used to describe everything.  Holiness, though, is one of those words that gets

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Wild Things

How Sendak may be more realistic than Sunday school or catechism class…

Where the Wild Things Are is a dark book for a dark universe, according to Dr. Russell Moore.  In a recent article in Touchstone magazine, “Death of a Wild Thing,” Dr. Moore offers some provocative reflections on how this

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Last Christian

The Last Christian on Earth (3): The Cheshire-Cat Factor**

In more and more areas of life, religion has become irrelevant.  Modern culture has been secularized.  Religion, or more specifically the Christian Church, has not disappeared.  Rather, it has been displaced by the ideas and institutions of

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Assisted Suicide 2

A liberal pro-choice case against assisted suicide…

Having a handicap can get you killed!  This is a message we hear from the folks in the disability rights movement.  They know that adequate medical care may not be forthcoming if you suffer from a severe, untreatable,

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