Liberty and Justice for All?
by Richard T. RitenbaughOver the last two days, two branches of the American government—the judicial and the legislative—proved again either that they have no idea what this nation's Founding Fathers meant when they drafted, debated, and ratified the Constitution, or that they simply do not care what it says. ...
17-Jun-05
Apologizing for the Dead
by Richard T. RitenbaughOn a regular basis, the church receives a question from a subscriber or a visitor to one of its websites about the Mormon practice of baptism for the dead. ...
10-Jun-05
A Dull and Compliant People
by Richard T. RitenbaughWithin the past month, I read an article denouncing both government and industry for its use of fluoride in drinking water, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and other dental applications. ...
27-May-05
Jedi Versus Sith
by Richard T. RitenbaughWhile on vacation in Southern California with my family, we were able to attend a first-day showing of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. ...
20-May-05
Growth
by David C. GrabbeIn the world of money, growth is of supreme importance. Regrettably, this approach has taken root within Christianity, too—both true and false. "Success" for a church is all too often measured in income, membership, and new converts, all of which are typically very unreliable indicators. ...
13-May-05
The West's Religion Problem
by Richard T. RitenbaughChurch of the Great God is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and as such, it is considered to be located in America's Bible Belt. ...
06-May-05
Eradicating Humanity
by Richard T. RitenbaughWhen I am not editing someone else's writing or writing something of my own, I am often found reading. ...
29-Apr-05
Are We Losing Our Children?
by David C. GrabbeThe frenzied pace at which we live takes its toll. Stress, anxiety, pressure, and busyness are the norm in our Western, civilized nations. The demands of life leave most adults gasping for breath and struggling to shoulder the load. But what effect is this pace having on the next generation?
22-Apr-05
Do You Believe—Really Believe?
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI made the Catholic Church—and the Catholic faith—front-page news around the globe. ...
15-Apr-05
Whither the EU?
by David C. GrabbeFor decades, we have been watching and waiting for Europe to unite under a fierce dictator to form the last revival of the Holy Roman Empire. ...
08-Apr-05
Religion and Politics
by Richard T. RitenbaughTwo events occurred this morning to prime the old thinking pump: the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City and receiving the February 28, 2005, issue of The Journal: News of the Churches of God in the church's mailbox. ...
25-Mar-05
Judging Life and Death
by Richard T. RitenbaughMany Protestants and Catholics probably recognized the irony in the fact that the Terri Schiavo "right to life" case came to a head during their "Holy Week," in which the faithful contemplate the death and life of Jesus Christ. ...
18-Mar-05
Where Was God?
by John W. RitenbaughShortly after the 9/11 tragedy, I wrote a brief column because so many were asking, "Where was God?" implying, "Why did He allow such an event to occur?" Perhaps a few made outright accusations such as, "How could He be so cruel?" but mostly it was implied. ...
11-Mar-05
The Gospel of Freedom and Democracy
by David C. GrabbeConservative columnist Cal Thomas observes: "These fanatics [Muslim fascists] believe the United States, Britain and the rest of the West are the ones in bondage. They note our promiscuity, our abortions, our obsession with homosexuality, our television, our provocative way of dressing and they wonder who is really free?" ...
04-Mar-05
John Paul II's Successor
by Richard T. RitenbaughLast week's leading news story dealt with Pope John Paul II's illness, described as a relapse of a viral infection that was making it difficult for him to breathe. ...
25-Feb-05
Toward Anarchy
by Richard T. RitenbaughHere in Charlotte, the local school system has descended into another crisis—only the latest one on a very long string of such problems—and this time the turmoil concerns what is being called deconsolidation. ...
18-Feb-05
Something Is Wrong
by Richard T. RitenbaughI recently experienced another birthday (making me as old as Jack Benny always claimed to be—really!), and in looking back at the last nearly four decades, I was struck with how different the world is today. ...
11-Feb-05
Going Nuclear
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe big news late this week was that—surprise!—North Korea has nuclear weapons. ...
04-Feb-05
Is British-Israelism Racist?
by Richard T. RitenbaughA fairly common accusation leveled at believers of British-Israelism is that it is a fundamentally racist idea. ...
28-Jan-05
The Great Wave and God
by John W. RitenbaughA vital understanding we can reach from the many articles that appeared in the media following the recent devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia is the appalling ignorance of God's involvement in the minds of the inhabitants of Western-world cultures. ...
21-Jan-05
Four More Years
by Richard T. RitenbaughYesterday, January 20, 2005, witnessed the second inauguration of President George W. ...
31-Dec-04
Was the Wave a Warning?
by David C. GrabbeThe devastation has shocked the world. ...
10-Dec-04
The Conundrum of Christmas Cheer
by Richard T. RitenbaughAll the overdone jollity of the season serves to hide the well-known fact that December is the most depressing time of the year for many people. It is a time that mainstream Christians are supposed to be celebrating a joyous event - the alleged birthday of the Savior, Jesus Christ - yet it leads the year in suicide, depression, and aggravation. Why?
03-Dec-04
Vision of America's Future?
by Richard T. RitenbaughA storm broke over Charlotte on Thursday, but not the kind that brings wind and rain. ...
26-Nov-04
Abortion's Unintended Consequence
by Charles WhitakerEconomists speak of the "law of unintended consequences." A person's actions can have consequences that are not anticipated, or unintended. Indeed, the consequences of our actions can turn out to be precisely the opposite of what we intended. ...
12-Nov-04
Exalting the Base
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe news story of the day focuses on the funeral (in Cairo, Egypt, his city of birth) and burial (in Ramallah, West Bank, "Palestine") of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat, 75, who died of an unmentioned disease on Thursday in a Paris hospital. ...
05-Nov-04
Politics and Idolatry
by Richard T. RitenbaughAccording to both American political parties, we have just endured "the most important" campaign and election in our nation's history, certainly in our lifetimes. ...
29-Oct-04
Sodom, Here We Come
by Charles WhitakerWhat an individual does—good or evil—affects the lives of others as well. Whether committed by man, woman, boy, or girl, there is no such thing as a victimless crime or a private sin. ...
22-Oct-04
How Normal Is Deviance?
by Charles WhitakerReaders with a background in statistics or logic will immediately recognize the oxymoron in the question, "How Normal is Deviance?" The question states a contradiction in terms, for defiance is, by definition, a departure from the normal. ...
15-Oct-04
Variety and Homogeneity
by Richard T. RitenbaughWith this year's Feast of Tabernacles in Mesquite, Texas, we here in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area had to drive across more than a thousand miles of the Southeast to "go up to the Feast. ...
17-Sep-04
The Victim: Truth
by Richard T. RitenbaughAs the presidential campaign grinds on toward the day of the election, everyone agrees that this political season has degraded into one of the meanest in recent memory. ...
10-Sep-04
Facilitating Lawlessness
by Richard T. RitenbaughAs I neared the intersection of two four-lane streets on my way to work a few days ago, I was suddenly forced to jump on my brakes. ...
03-Sep-04
Divine Intervention
by Richard T. RitenbaughSecular Americans snicker at insurance policies that refer to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters as "acts of God," when they, in their scientific arrogance, prefer to call them "acts of nature" or "weather events." ...
27-Aug-04
Disintegration
by David C. GrabbeIs the globalist dream fading? Forces have long been at work to unite the world—economically, militarily, religiously, educationally, technologically, and governmentally. ...
20-Aug-04
Who Gets Jesus' Vote?
by Richard T. RitenbaughOn Wednesday morning, news outlets carried the story of the Texas Faith Network conference in Austin attended by "religious leaders" on Tuesday. ...
13-Aug-04
Tropical (Storm) Punch
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Carolinas are about to experience a one-two, tropical storm punch that it has not been seen in nearly 75 years, according to a local meteorologist. ...
06-Aug-04
Our Enervating Culture
by Richard T. RitenbaughGod accurately catches the essence of our time when He tells Daniel, "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4). The word picture is of a multitude of people scurrying around like ants, but unlike ants, their scurrying is erratic, futile, and unproductive. ...
30-Jul-04
Tyranny by the Few
by David C. GrabbeAs this grand experiment we call America continues its descent into disorder, it may be instructive to examine some of the ingredients that are contributing to the national meltdown. ...
23-Jul-04
Natural Law
by David C. GrabbeEven before Isaac Newton wrote down his observations about gravity, people had a pretty good working knowledge of the principle. ...
16-Jul-04
Liberal Haters of God
by Charles WhitakerLiberals, says James Hitchcock in "The Enemies of Religious Liberty" (First Things, February 2004, pp. ...
09-Jul-04
Dangerous Believers
by Richard T. RitenbaughWhat would you consider to be the most dangerous element in society? Al Queda? Gangs? Hezbollah? Private militias? Chechen terrorists? Environmental militants? Rogue nations? AIDS and other STDs? Hamas? Drug cartels? Neo-Nazis? Pollution? Not according to former Clinton-era Labor Secretary Robert B. ...
02-Jul-04
Do Americans Value Liberty?
by Richard T. RitenbaughThis weekend, Americans will celebrate—with cookouts, picnics, parades, and fireworks—the 228th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from England on July 4, 1776, the commonly accepted beginning of the United States. ...
25-Jun-04
Do-Gooders in Charge
by Richard T. RitenbaughAs a child in the early 1970s, I remember sitting in the middle of the backseat of the family car, unbuckled and leaning forward over the front seat so I could see out the windshield. ...
18-Jun-04
An Abuse of Sovereignty
by David C. GrabbeThe subject of God's sovereignty has sparked endless thoughts, conversations, debates, and commentary. Most professing Christians will at least agree that God is sovereign, but there is a wide range of beliefs with regard to just how involved God is in their lives. ...
11-Jun-04
The Reagan Legacy
by Richard T. Ritenbaugh"There are many who say, 'Who will show us any good?' LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. ...
04-Jun-04
Valor and Sacrifice
by Richard T. RitenbaughSixty years ago, June 6, 1944, thousands of Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, to establish a foothold on the European continent and to begin to roll back the Nazi army toward the Fatherland. ...
28-May-04
Polling Problems
by Richard T. RitenbaughI have a problem with polls, especially those polls that become national news. ...
21-May-04
The Will of the People
by David C. GrabbeAnd [God] called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it. ...
14-May-04
Behind the Scandal
by Richard T. RitenbaughSince May 4, the leading story in just about every newscast has been the release and fallout from the pictures of the humiliation of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib by American soldiers. ...
07-May-04
Disbelief
by David C. GrabbeCan anything be more paradoxical than professing Christians not following the words of the One they claim as their Savior?
30-Apr-04
America's Cosmopolitan Elites
by Charles WhitakerThree isms lie behind current American domestic and foreign policy: globalism, secularism, and cosmopolitanism. ...
23-Apr-04
Identity as Sovereign
by David C. GrabbeAs the virulent and violent secular humanism spreads throughout Western civilization, the highest ideal has become the all-important "My Identity. ...