Surviving the Next Hit
by David C. GrabbeDwight David Eisenhower once observed, "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." ...
22-Dec-06
The Holy and the Profane
by David C. GrabbeWe do not often hear the word "profane" these days. Its full meaning has disappeared from common conversation, and it is now used almost exclusively with regard to language--as in profanity. But obscene or vulgar speech is only a fraction of what is contemplated by "profane." ...
15-Dec-06
Insinuating the Savior Into Paganism
by David C. GrabbeIn Dr. M. Scott Peck's disturbing book, People of the Lie, he tells the story of Bobby, a young man clearly suffering from depression. ...
08-Dec-06
Business as Usual
by Richard T. RitenbaughColumnist Robert Novak, perhaps best known these days for his involvement in revealing the identity of Valerie Plame (Wilson) as a CIA operative, has uncovered another fetid example of "business as usual" in the halls of Congress. ...
01-Dec-06
A Day of Inconvenient Truths
by Richard T. RitenbaughFormer presidential candidate and senator from Tennessee, Albert Gore, Jr., spent the first half of 2006 jet setting throughout the United States and Europe to tout his new documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. ...
24-Nov-06
Sacred Cows
by Richard T. RitenbaughEven though we live in a world deluged by knowledge--after all, our day is known as the "Information Age"--we often rely heavily on our preconceived ideas about many things. ...
17-Nov-06
What Is There to Be Thankful for Today?
by John O. ReidIt is not unusual today for a member of God's church to feel ill at ease with the world around him. ...
10-Nov-06
What If ... ?
by Richard T. RitenbaughOver the past year I have read three books by science fiction author Harry Turtledove. ...
03-Nov-06
A Polluted National Landscape
by Richard T. RitenbaughMidterm elections will take place across America next Tuesday. ...
27-Oct-06
Sorry, I Forgot
by Richard T. RitenbaughMany readers of this column know that Church of the Great God teaches that the Anglosphere (as columnist Mark Steyn phrases it)--Britain, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand--is composed of descendants of the biblical patriarch, Joseph. ...
20-Oct-06
The Farm
by James KelleyGrowing numbers of people around the world are worried about the food supply—and they should be. ...
29-Sep-06
Apostasy and Faith
by Martin G. CollinsBiblically, apostasy is rebellion against God or the abandonment of faith in God by those once enlightened by the truth. In the Old Testament it always relates to rebellion against God. In Israel, apostasy was a capital offense. One who sacrificed to another god was stoned to death. ...
22-Sep-06
Our Hidden Enemy
by John O. ReidThe world is full of dangers. Yet, one of our greatest enemies lurks within us, poised to bring disaster upon us if we allow it to take control. ...
15-Sep-06
'Dangerous' Speakers of Truth
by Richard T. RitenbaughSpeaking at Regensburg University in Germany, Pope Benedict XVI quoted fourteenth-century Byzantine Emperor Manuel Paleologos II, a Christian: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached. ...
08-Sep-06
As a Man Thinks
by Clyde Finklea"You are what you eat" is a common expression. But this adage is not entirely true. ...
01-Sep-06
Good Habits
by David F. MaasHave you ever tried to jump across the Mississippi River? I have done this several times. ...
25-Aug-06
A World Upside-Down
by Richard T. RitenbaughGod thunders in Isaiah 5:20, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" In this verse, He pronounces a curse on those who judge a matter exactly opposite to reality, and its connection to the surrounding verses suggests that such people do this knowingly to deceive others. ...
18-Aug-06
Whence Comes Leadership?
by David C. GrabbeAs the Western world continues to reel and lurch, tossed about by strong and conflicting forces, one cannot be in a conversation long before the well-worn topics of leadership and government arise. ...
11-Aug-06
Where Is Your Trust?
by David C. GrabbeWe may not put our hope in a secret rapture, but could we be guilty of the same assumed-infallibility with regard to a place of safety? Is our hope in a telephone call announcing that it is time to flee? Is our trust in being on good terms with the physical organization that is "guaranteed" to be whisked away and protected from every inconvenience? ...
04-Aug-06
The Wars of Israel and Judah
by David C. Grabbe... The record of biblical history underscores the fact that, where God's people are concerned, military might is far less of a factor in the outcome of a war than morality. ...
28-Jul-06
The Importance of Parenting
by Richard T. RitenbaughI enjoy reading the contributions of National Review Online writers posted at "The Corner. ...
21-Jul-06
What's in It for Us?
by Richard T. RitenbaughWhile in college, I took a yearlong course in International Relations under Gene Hogberg, news editor of The Plain Truth magazine. ...
14-Jul-06
Why We Homeschool
by Richard T. RitenbaughBack in the early years of the homeschooling phenomenon, its advocates were largely tie-dyed, granola-munching, back-to-nature, hippie types whose primary goal was to disassociate from just about everything manmade, and certainly from Establishment institutions like the public schools. ...
07-Jul-06
Evaluating Culture
by Richard T. RitenbaughIn listening to a series of 48 lectures by University of California at Berkeley Professor Robert Greenberg titled "How to Listen to and Understand Great Music," I have come to a greater realization of the evolving tastes among consumers of Western music. ...
30-Jun-06
Are We Really Free?
by Richard T. RitenbaughTwo hundred and thirty years ago next Tuesday, thirteen American colonies defied the most powerful nation on earth and declared themselves "free and independent States. ...
23-Jun-06
The Power of the Holy People
by David C. GrabbeOver the last decade or so, as the church of God has come to terms with its splintering and scattering, a frequently quoted verse has been Daniel 12:7. ...
16-Jun-06
Slowly But Surely?
by Richard T. RitenbaughCommon wisdom posits that given enough time, water runoff can reduce even the tallest mountain to countless grains of sand scattered over the ocean floor. ...
09-Jun-06
Crisis? What Crisis?
by Richard T. RitenbaughProbably everyone has heard and used the tired cliché, "He can't see the forest for the trees. ...
02-Jun-06
The Frustrations of Good Men
by Richard T. RitenbaughWithin this past week, I finally finished David McCullough's 2001 bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winner, John Adams, a book I have been wading through since sometime in 2004. ...
26-May-06
Dan Brown's Thirty Pieces of Silver
by David C. GrabbeBy now, everyone in the Western world has heard of Jesus Christ's betrayal in exchange for some coinage. ...
19-May-06
America's Imminent Perfect Storm
by Richard T. RitenbaughWinds of change are blowing across this nation, auguring a critical moment in American history. ...
12-May-06
'Arguments Over Words'
by Richard T. RitenbaughDuring my daily commute to and from the office, a trip of just under fifteen minutes, I usually have my radio tuned to WBT and its talk shows, but on occasion I have the pleasure of listening to a book on tape (in this case, on CD). ...
05-May-06
Society of Skeptics
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe last few issues of Biblical Archeology Review (BAR) have reminded me why I cancelled my subscription in frustration several years ago. ...
28-Apr-06
'The Alien Who Is Among You'
by Richard T. RitenbaughOver the past several weeks, the big story has been illegal immigration. ...
21-Apr-06
No Good News Here
by Richard T. RitenbaughA recent sensation in the world of New Testament studies is the "presentation to the world" of the supposed "Gospel of Judas. ...
14-Apr-06
Bucking Tradition
by Richard T. RitenbaughFor most people, it is a difficult undertaking to buck tradition. There is perhaps no clearer illustration of just how hard it is to throw off the habitual practices of our families and fellow countrymen than in our holiday celebrations. This is doubly true when speaking about religious holidays, such as Easter and Christmas. ...
07-Apr-06
Without Bitterness
by David C. GrabbeIn the annual contemplation of the Passover and Exodus stories, the question occasionally arises of whether or not the Christian Passover must be observed according to the original instructions in Exodus 12--specifically, with a lamb, bitter herbs, etc. ...
31-Mar-06
A Nation of Laws?
by Richard T. RitenbaughA primary concept that separates the United States of America from other nations, particularly those governed by strong men or oligarchies, is the principle of the primacy of law. ...
24-Mar-06
At Least Say, 'Thanks!'
by Richard T. RitenbaughOne of the saddest indictments of our modern, liberal culture occurred yesterday. ...
17-Mar-06
March 12, 2005: One Year Later
by David C. GrabbeLast Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the horrific church shooting in Brookfield, Wisconsin. On that fateful day, Terry Ratzmann entered the rented, hotel meeting room and opened fire with a semiautomatic pistol. A minute later, 22 rounds had been fired, four people were wounded, and eight lay dead—including the shooter. ...
10-Mar-06
Peaceful Is as Peaceful Does
by Richard T. RitenbaughSince September 11, 2001—and frankly since long before then—the Western and Islamic worlds have increasingly collided. ...
03-Mar-06
The Price of Arrogance
by Richard T. RitenbaughA consistent criticism of the Bush administration has been that it is arrogant in its dealings with the media, the Democrat opposition, and even with its own allies in Congress. ...
24-Feb-06
Where Are the Parents?
by Richard T. RitenbaughTwo recent incidents with Charlotte connections, both involving 18-year-olds, have made headlines and initiated debate over parental involvement and control of their offspring. ...
10-Feb-06
Under Green at the Crossed Flags
by Richard T. RitenbaughIf you will, please indulge me, as I am about to give some advice. ...
03-Feb-06
Is the Tide Turning?
by David C. GrabbeJanuary 22, 2006, marked the 33rd anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade, which made the killing of unborn children a legal right. ...
27-Jan-06
Somewhere in the Middle
by Richard T. RitenbaughA few weeks ago, a local talk-show host, self-described as "an aging hippie," remarked that he believed that in most matters one can find "the truth somewhere in the middle. ...
20-Jan-06
What 'The Bible and Its Influence' Will Teach
by David C. GrabbeFor decades now, the debate over the place of Christianity—and specifically the Bible—in public life has raged without any sign of abating. ...
13-Jan-06
Standing With God (Part Two)
by Charles WhitakerThe Failure of the American Left and Right—and the Responsibility of God’s People In Ezekiel 22, the prophet speaks of latter-day Israel. ...
06-Jan-06
Standing With God (Part One)
by Charles WhitakerThe Failure of the American Left and Right—and the Responsibility of God’s People Sociologists often point to the decline of the twin institutions of marriage and the family as the fount of most American cultural ills. ...