Moralistic, therapeutic deism, a term first used by Christian Smith, seems a fitting description of much of what passes for Christianity in North America. This philosophy leads people to believe in a God who wants them to be good, wants them to feel good about themselves, doesn’t need to be consulted except in case of … Continue reading Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism
humility
Without me ye can do nothing
The words of Jesus are blunt; unless we submit our lives, our being, to His control, we are not capable of being a Christian. We can pretend, we may think we are doing a great job on our own, but sooner or later something will happen and whatever is really in our heart will show … Continue reading Without me ye can do nothing
Our neighbours are not interested in our faith
What are we doing, or not doing, that leaves our neighbours uninterested in our faith? Looking at myself, I recognize that I come from a family of opinionated and argumentative people. Some people enjoy a good argument, but it’s not the best way to share the gospel. A whole lot of people are wary of … Continue reading Our neighbours are not interested in our faith
Who is in charge here?
A friend, thinking to reprove my affection for cats, told this little fable: A dog, upon being given shelter, food and lots of affection, begins to worship his master, thinking to himself: “Wow! this man must be a god!” A cat, upon receiving the same kind of treatment and affection, thinks to himself: “Wow! I … Continue reading Who is in charge here?
The Pride of Man
Fifty-five years ago I bought Gordon Lightfoot's first LP record. Most of the songs were ones he wrote. One, The Pride of Man, was written by Hamilton Camp. The song is based on Biblical prophecies of the fall of Babylon. Every stanza ends with the line “Oh God, the pride of man, broken in the … Continue reading The Pride of Man
Quotes on life and writing
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it. -J. M. Barrie My little notebooks were beginnings — they were the ground into which … Continue reading Quotes on life and writing
Why I do not read the King James Bible
I read the Authorized Version instead, of which Cambridge University Press is the main publisher. The text is identical to that in Bibles that are called the King James Version, except that the AV maintains the alternate marginal readings that were placed there by the translators 400 years ago. I suppose that if we would … Continue reading Why I do not read the King James Bible
Intriguing book titles
These are two of my recent reads, with titles that seem to need a little explanation. Randy Newman's book, Questioning Evangelism, is not about questioning the value of evangelism, which might be your first impression. Rather, he is advocating asking questions as a means of evangelism. Forty-five years ago, Tom Skinner published a book entitled … Continue reading Intriguing book titles
Do people make a church?
A church leader once told me "We have never seen it happen that a church would begin to drift away from the truth and then recover itself. When you see a church begin to drift, it's time to get out and start over again." I have observed a lot of getting out and starting again … Continue reading Do people make a church?
Spectator or participant?
Canadian politics just became much more interesting. Maxime Bernier has withdrawn from the Conservative Party, of which he almost became leader, to found a new political party. He is speaking up about issues that others want to avoid talking about and this has raised a storm of criticism. Perhaps he is starting a movement at … Continue reading Spectator or participant?
Flatlander Faith 