Two Rival Religions?

Albert Mohler quotes from J. Gresham Machen and a modern-day counterpart, Howard P. Kainz, on the rivalry between Christianity and Secularism:

Kainz concedes that some will resist his designation of secularism as a religion. “Religion in the most common and usual sense connotes dedication to a supreme being or beings,” he acknowledges. Nevertheless, “especially in the last few centuries, ‘religion’ has taken on the additional connotations of dedication to abstract principles or ideals rather than a personal being,” he insists. Kainz dates the rise of this secular religion to the French Enlightenment and its idolatrous worship of Reason…

Similarly, Kainz argues that modern secular liberalism includes its own dogmas. Among these are the beliefs “that mankind must overcome religious superstition by means of Reason; that empirical science can and will eventually answer all the questions about the world and human values that were formerly referred to traditional religion or theology; and that the human race, by constantly invalidating and disregarding hampering traditions, can and will achieve perfectibility.”

Read more at Albert Mohler’s Blog: Two Rival Religions?.

Tim Challies on the Michael Jackson Memorial

Everybody involved wanted to invoke God’s name, as you’re supposed to do when remembering a loved one, but it was clear that most of them invoked a god made in their own image. Even those who spoke of Jesus or who prayed to Jesus did so without any clear reference to the Jesus of the Bible. They spoke of a Jesus who accepts all and even (or perhaps especially) those who had rejected him. Never did Michael Jackson give any evidence of putting his faith in Jesus Christ, yet those who watched were assured, time and again, that he was now safe in the presence of the Lord, waiting there for the rest of us to arrive. Words and phrases invoked God and used the Christian lexicon but without any reference to the gospel, the true gospel, the gospel that saves. Lost men declared to other lost men untruths about the god they wish for, not the God who is.

via Idolatry New and Old :: culture, idolatry :: A Reformed, Christian Blog.

Reuters on Abortion Terminology

Seems to me that the “official” policy of Reuters on the topic of abortion is a trifle slanted:

abortion

Unless quoting someone, refer to aborted foetuses rather than unborn babies. Describe those campaigning for a woman’s right to have an abortion as abortion rights campaigners and those campaigning against abortion rights as anti-abortion campaigners. Terms such as pro-choice, pro-life and pro-abortion are open to dispute and should be avoided.

via A – Handbook of Journalism. (Emphasis added.)

So… “pro-abortion” is open to dispute, but “anti-abortion” is encouraged? And “rights” is not “open to dispute”?

Reality Shows and You

In their new book, “The Mirror Effect,” addiction medicine specialist Drew Pinsky and business professor S. Mark Young argue that following the foibles of reality TV stars and other celebrities is not a wholly harmless pastime. The more time we spend observing the shocking, materialistic and egotistical behavior of reality TV stars, they argue, the more likely we are to mimic that behavior in our own lives and view the pathological self-centeredness of these “Joe Six-Pack” celebrities as normal.

That’s troubling, since most reality TV stars are anything but normal. In a 2006 study published in the Journal of Research in Personality, Pinsky and Young used the Narcissistic Personality Inventory to assess celebrity egoism. They found that reality TV celebrities ranked highest in narcissistic traits, surpassing even rock stars and actors.

via “Exploitative Reality Shows Degrade Us, Too”. HT: Challies

4 Ways to Take a Stand for God’s Way

This weekend, at our church, Pastor Brian White preached on Daniel 1:1-21, and how Christians can take a stand for God’s way in the culture.

He suggested 4 ways to do so (though there are many more), in the forms of statements the Christian can make to the culture:

1. “Culture, I will not worship your gods.”
2. “I will not allow you to change the definition of truth.”
3. “I will not allow you to parent my children.”
4. “I will not allow you to take anyone with you down the wrong path.”

Listen to the whole sermon here.

Between Two Worlds: Reflections on Jackson, Death, and the Celebrity Culture

Justin Taylor has gathered several bloggers’ reflections on the death of Michael Jackson:

Between Two Worlds: Reflections on Jackson, Death, and the Celebrity Culture.