Dreher's thesis in Live Not By Lies is that Western society, and America in particular, is sliding towards a soft totalitarianism. A totalitarian state is "one that aspires to nothing less than defining and controlling reality." Soft totalitarianism appeals to pleasure and comfort more than threats of pain and punishment. It's more Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and less George Orwell's 1984. This soft totalitarianism, argues Dreher, will be supported by a nexus of big business (Fortune 500 companies and others), big tech - social media, and consumer habit data collection mechanisms in … [Read more...] about Live Not By Lies
Living Life Backward
One of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was to "begin with the end in mind." It's in this same vein that Pastor David Gibson exhorts us to live life backward. We must allow the inescapable reality of our death to dictate how we live: "Death can radically enable us to enjoy life. By relativizing all that we do in our days under the sun, death can change us from people who want to control life for gain into people who find deep joy in receiving life as a gift." Gibson draws from the mysterious book of Ecclesiastes to unpack his theme. The book can be thought of as one, … [Read more...] about Living Life Backward
Isaac Newton on Intelligent Design
"But though these bodies may indeed persevere in their orbits by the mere laws of gravity, yet they could by no means have at first deriv'd the regular position of the orbits themselves from those laws...This most beautiful System of the Sun, Planets and Comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being." Isaac Newton, General Scholium from the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1729) More in this great lecture: https://youtu.be/64WpGhpjkHg … [Read more...] about Isaac Newton on Intelligent Design
Josh Harris “Not Writing a Book or Starting a Podcast”
On July 17 the former best-selling author and pastor Josh Harris announced that he was separating from his wife. On July 26 he confirmed that this separation was in fact a divorce and--in bigger news--that he no longer considered himself to be a Christian. On July 19, in between Josh's two instagram announcements, Sojourners published a long interview with Josh Harris. I know from experience that interviews like this are completed months in advance. The timing of their publication is often designed to maximize exposure. The interview included this exchange: Villarreal: You say in … [Read more...] about Josh Harris “Not Writing a Book or Starting a Podcast”
Josh Harris Abandons Christianity
Josh Harris is strongly associated with "purity culture." The phrase "purity culture" is generally used derisively. But the Bible teaches purity. Christians should pursue purity. That said, it's fair to say that the "courtship only" school establishes a set of extrabiblical requirements which can prove helpful in some instances, but stiflingly restrictive in other situations. How you pursue a possible spouse depends on your circumstances. Though God's standards remain timeless (e.g., I Thess. 4:3-8), there is no one right method. It's one thing if you're 18 years old, living with your … [Read more...] about Josh Harris Abandons Christianity
Relevance is the Strongest Predictor in Whether Someone Thinks College is Worth It
People often ask "Is college worth it?" A research study from Strada Education has found that the best predictor for this question is relevance. Meaning this: If you think the courses you took at college were relevant to your life and work after college, you’re also likely to think you received a good education (quality) and that it was worth the cost (value). It's not about how much you paid. It's about whether you think what you learned was relevant. But the sad truth is that only 26% of working U.S. adults with college experience strongly agree that their education … [Read more...] about Relevance is the Strongest Predictor in Whether Someone Thinks College is Worth It