Presuppositional commitments

Why do so many of our Christian young people lose their faith when confronted with the secularism of the university?  Greg Bahnsen offers an answer in the midst of an exhortation:

"One must be presuppositionally committed to Christ in the world of thought (rather than neutral) and firmly tied down to the faith which he has been taught, or else the persuasive argumentation of secular thought will delude him.  Hence the Christian is obligated to presuppose the word of Christ in every area of knowledge; the alternative is delusion." (Always Ready, emphasis added)

Creative reading

"I never remain passive in the process of reading: while I read I am engaged in a constant creative activity, which leads me to remember not so much the actual matter of the book as the thoughts evoked in my mind by it, directly or indirectly."       — Nicolas Berdyaev

The revolution continues

For the latest effort by the Obama administration to promote the homosexual lifestyle (it is still a chosen lifestyle!!) check out the article from Onenewsnow.

Bahnsen article on the Areopagus address (Acts 17)

Our reading from Bahnsen last week included his comments on Paul's address to the Athenian intellectuals in Acts 17.  I mentioned that his longer treatment of that passage was included as a chapter in his book Always Ready.  It is also available online from Covenant Media Foundation.  Here is the link in case you don't have the book, or would like to have the article in an electronic format (e.g., it's easier to extract quotations you may want to save).  Enjoy.  Read it twice.

Embryonic stem-cell research

     My good friend and colleague in the ministry, Pastor Paul Viggiano, continues to raise a strong public witness for Christ-centered, Bible-shaped social policy in his editorial on embryonic stem cell research in this week's online Daily Breeze.  Read his telling commentary here.  Thanks, Paul, for your faithful witness, and compelling argument.  Let us pray that God will open the ears and hearts of those who make these terrible choices…from the President on down.

Expect more poison from pastors

   Peter Jones' latest e-newsletter "InsideOut" is a report from the recently concluded National Pastors' Conference (held in San Diego, February 9-14, sponsored by Zondervan and InterVarsity Press).  

   He notes the conspicuous absence from the festivities of an inerrant, trustworthy Bible as "the only infallible rule of faith and practice" (let alone actual biblical exposition!), Christ the Lord (as opposed to the human "Jesus" who is definitely "in"), and the resurrection of the body (as part of a distinctly Romans 8 eschatology).

   Instead Jones saw "various new forms of old-fashioned though very cool liberalism."

   Take a look at the newsletter, and if you don't already subscribe, go to Peter's home page and get on the list.

The Apologist's Evening Prayer

From all my lame defeats and oh! much more 

From all the victories that I seemed to score; 

From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf 

At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh; 

From all my proofs of Thy divinity, 

Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me. 

Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead 

Of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head. 

From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee, 

O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free. 

Lord of the narrow gate and the needle's eye, 

Take from me all my trumpery lest I die. 

— C. S. Lewis