Bill Pratt | May 31, 2009
There are two difficult passages in 1 Peter (3:19 and 4:6) that seem to indicate that this may be possible. I have read a number of interpretations of these verses, but there seems to be no consensus. However, almost every commentator I read agrees that these verses are not teaching that salvation after death is [...]
Bill Pratt | May 25, 2009
Many Christians are shocked when they read Romans 9:13: “Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” Since when does the God of love hate people? This verse, coupled with the rest of Romans 9, has led many to believe that God does not love all people, at least with regard [...]
Bill Pratt | May 23, 2009
Many of my evangelical friends have fretted over how Obama received support from Christians in the recent election. One of our blog readers, Kay, has mentioned her dismay about this many times and asked how we, as Christians, should respond. Before I say just a few words about our response, I wanted to give you [...]
Bill Pratt | May 20, 2009
We have discussed, on this blog, the idea that a person’s religious beliefs and worldview have a direct effect on their moral behavior. Worldviews not only affect people, but entire nations. In the March 2009 publication of First Things, Jean Bethke Elshtain wrote a brilliant article which examines the decline of European morality. Here is [...]
Darrell | May 19, 2009
I recently entered into a conversation on Jessica’s blog regarding whether Mormons worship the same Jesus as Christians. I was surprised to discover a few Evangelicals who expressed the belief they do. Being a former Mormon I must say I wholeheartedly disagree. To those Christians who hold this position, I would like to give you something to consider… The [...]
Darrell | May 19, 2009
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints claims to be the only church on earth to contain the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Other churches are said to have a portion of truth but to be lacking in it’s fullness. In an Ensign article Boyd K. Packer explained the Church’s position on this issue by comparing the gospel preached by non-Mormons to using [...]
Bill Pratt | May 18, 2009
Sometimes Christians say things like, “When I see a beautiful flower, I see God.” It is a common experience, when witnessing a thing of great beauty, to comment that it reminds one of God. In fact, this sense of God’s presence is part of the blessing of being a Christian. However, Christians need to be [...]
Bill Pratt | May 16, 2009
Encouraging news from a recent survey of Americans on the issue of abortion. A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves “pro-life” on the issue of abortion and 42% “pro-choice.” This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this [...]
Bill Pratt | May 11, 2009
There is no doubt that religious people throughout history have killed people, at least partly because of their religious beliefs. Even Christians have been guilty. But many prominent atheists accuse religion, and especially Christianity, of mass killings and argue that if the world could rid itself of religious belief and turn to atheism, we would create a [...]
Bill Pratt | May 10, 2009
There are many passages in the Bible that speak to this issue, but I want to explain it in simple theological terms. First, God is omnibenevolent (all-good). That means that he desires our highest welfare. Second, he is omniscient (all-knowing). That means he knows everything that is possible to know. He has all the information [...]
