Category Archives: Culture

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The Law of Influence and Christian Public Engagement

Should Christians be engaged politically? Should they make arguments in the public square? While some are calling for Christians to abandon the political arena due to perceptions that we are “too political,” this would ultimately be unwise and a net loss for everyone because of the moral vacuum it would create. “The alternative isn’t to not do politics,” observes Michael Gerson. “The alternative is to do it better.”

One thing is certain—someone will influence our society. Someone will make laws. Someonewill raise the topics for national, judicial, and constitutional debate. So why not labor as faithfully and prudently as we can for the greatest good of others and thus fulfill our role to be salt and light (cf Matt. 5:16)? As Christians, this is one way in which we can love our neighbor as ourselves.

Regardless of the spirit of the age, we are to use whatever tools and opportunities are arranged for us by God for his glory and for the proclaiming of the good news of the kingdom.

To find out more about our biblical responsibility to engage the public square, see my new book Think Christianly: Looking at the Intersection of Faith and Culture

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How Does Media and Pop Culture Affect Us? (Video)

Here is some insight on the impact media is having on us and why we need to be aware of it as Christians. (cf. Romans 12:2)

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I am the 10%

90% of babies who are diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted (or the more clinical phrase is “terminated pregnancy”). This is barbaric and unthinkable and needs to stop.

This little guy is one of the brave ones who is telling a different story. He is one of the 10%.

Here is another story by Gabe Lyons.

This is an excellent booklet – Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis

Train to make the case for the pro life position.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”-Ps. 139:14

These are ALL the kinds of things we do as we engage culture as everyday ambassadors. For more ideas, see my new book Think Christianly.

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Textbook Example of False Tolerance: Are Mormons Christians?

Mormonism could be true. Now as a Christian, I don’t think there is good evidence that it is true but religions make truth claims and those claims are either true or false. Our culture is having a spirited conversation right now about the nature of Christianity, Mormonism, and religious discourse in general. Is religion merely a private thing that no one can critique, criticize, or investigate? Or is religion both personal and public?

I have blogged on the issue of tolerance before, but this is a textbook example of “false tolerance” where we can make no judgments at all about the truth of others’ beliefs. People are throwing around words like “bigot” and “hate speech.” But as Stephen Prothero, professor of religion at Boston University argues, “the ideal of religious tolerance has morphed into the straitjacket of religious agreement.” That is an astute observation. He goes on to say in his provocative book God is Not One:

“No one argues that different economic systems or political regimes are one and the same. Capitalism and socialism are so obviously at odds that their differences hardly bear mentioning. The same goes for democracy and monarchy. Yet scholars continue to claim that religious rivals such as Hinduism and Islam, Judaism and Christianity are, by some miracle of the imagination, essentially the same, and this view resounds in the echo chamber of popular culture.”

Mormonism is not the same thing as Christianity. This shouldn’t be a controversial claim. Biblical Christianity teaches that Jesus is the eternal creator of the universe (e.g. Col. 1:16) and is part of the Godhead (i.e., the Trinity cf. Matt. 28:19). Mormonism teaches that Jesus was a created being and deny the Trinity. These are mutually exclusive claims (click here and here for more on the teachings of Mormonism). A civilized society needs to have the ability to talk about these difference without demonizing each other. We need to recover true tolerance, where we allow others the freedom to hold beliefs which we judge to be false. As everyday ambassadors, Christians need be able to intelligently engage the questions our culture is asking and discussing. But we must learn how to do this well and then have the confidence to enter the cultural conversation.