Either we think all Muslims are somehow implicated in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, or we don’t. If all Muslims are thus implicated, then of course they shouldn’t be allowed to build near Ground Zero. Nor should they be allowed to build near anything else that matters to the rest of us. In fact, they should all be rounded up and exiled as the clear and present dangers that they are. If we don’t think all Muslims are implicated in the attack, then of course they should be allowed to build a mosque or community centre or whatever the heck they want to build wherever the zoning and funding will allow—just like any other citizens. Prof. John Stackhouse ☀
A national day of prayer in America is a throwback to the days when Christians unapologetically ran the show and it was unofficially and indisputably a Christian show. (The Day of Prayer was instituted in that great era of the dominance of what I call “Semi-Official, Semi-Christian Theism,” the 1950s–the same era that made “In God We Trust” the American national motto.) But America is a country that officially welcomes non-Christians and, indeed, non-theists, without prejudice and to full standing. So why continue to hold a national occasion that will definitely, inescapably, and rudely exclude some American citizens? Prof. John Stackhouse ☀
Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) has dismissed Dr. Bruce Waltke because he recently stated publicly two radical convictions: (1) that a Bible-believing Christian could believe in evolution; and (2) that the church needs to beware of becoming a cultural laughingstock for retaining anti-evolutionary views that cannot be supported scientifically. What’s pathetic about this action is that those points weren’t even radical in the nineteenth century, when Darwin himself had a number of orthodox defenders. So RTS apparently is not quite ready to catch up with almost two centuries of theology/science dialogue. John Stackhouse ☀
Christmas is therefore a Christian holy day that, when understood properly in its Biblical context, offers indeed a great commemorative feast in stark contrast to the spun sugar of the Santa Claus myth. But it’s not a feast to everyone’s taste and certainly not everyone will be partaking of it this year. So let’s not talk as if everyone will. Wishing everyone indiscriminately a “Merry Christmas” is not, furthermore, honoring Christ. If Christians really want to “put Christ back into Christmas,” then we mustn’t spray “Merry Christmases” around town as if they were so many candies being flung from a Santa Claus Parade float. Save “Merry Christmas” for people who actually do focus on Christ, and wish everyone else a happy holiday, whatever it might be. John Stackhouse ☀
…America is not an officially Christian nation, but rather a Christian-majority one. So if we apply the same logic elsewhere, then Muslim-majority countries should enshrine shari’ah as their laws, since Muslims are equally convinced that shari’ah is right, and should brook no exceptions for non-Muslims. The same would go for about Hindu- or Buddhist-majority countries. Then what happens then to religious liberty? Or is liberty important only if your views are correct—namely, Christian? I note that the three drafters are Timothy George, an evangelical historian of theology and academic administrator who shows up frequently in such projects; Robert George, a distinguished Princeton University scholar who is a stalwart defender of Roman Catholic conservative social policy; and Charles Colson, another evangelical whose impressive Prison Fellowship ministry arose out of his previous political career, a career that by any account was extremist and ended in the extremes of Watergate disgrace and a prison term. Such authorship confirms the sense that the project of building a “Christian America” according to the value of the Religious Right, rather than building the best possible pluralist and free society, is the agenda guiding such a declaration. Others of us, however, will think that God’s will might run to greater liberty for all, greater tolerance for ambiguity and dissent, greater pluralism of belief and practice, and perhaps paradoxically therefore greater opportunity for the Gospel. For it is not clear to us that such declarations, and the outlook that prompts them, really increase non-Christian willingness to respect conservative Christian concerns, let alone to seriously entertain any proclamation of the Gospel. It certainly is not clear that they move anyone closer to prolife, pro-traditional marriage, or pro-religious liberty views. Indeed, it’s not clear to some of us what good they do at all. John Stackhouse ☀
No, I’m no friend of yours, Facebook. You might have been a fun thing in your original form for 15-30-year-old singles who had lots of time on their hands and lots of loneliness to assuage. But you’re mostly a timesink, and my life is threatened by those at every turn already. I’d quit you right now, except… …it is fun to see people’s photos. Astonishing, sometimes. And heartwarming especially to see those of beloved friends and relations far away. So I’m staying on for that. But only that. Don’t ask me to become a “fan” of anything. Don’t ask me to participate in another pointless survey: “Find Out How Pathetic Is Your Judgment Regarding Wise Time Use by Taking This Easy Quiz!” And do not ever, ever poke me. But photos? Always a pleasure. Keep posting them, friends! Prof. John Stackhouse ☀
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