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A La Carte (3/7)

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A Surrogate’s Dilemma – This is a horrible story from CNN that so clearly displays the horrors of a culture that devalues life in the womb. “Crystal Kelley was offered $10,000 to have an abortion after ultrasounds showed the baby she was carrying for another couple had severe medical problems.”

The Link Between Spirituality and Sexuality – On a similar note, this article is thought-provoking. “[T]here is an embedded creational link between sexuality and spirituality. We were created for monogamy in both, and when a society loses one, it won’t be long before it loses the other. Why? Because God would have it so.”

Canada’s Supreme Court Ruling – And again, sticking with a theme, Joe Carter shows why Canada’s recent Supreme Court ruling (which some think may actually be beneficial to Christians) “has potentially broad implications for the Christian witness in Canada.”

The Competition for Coolness – “James K. A. Smith, in an extended analysis of how our habits shape our orientation to the world, reflects on the impact of Facebook and Twitter on teenagers.”

Do Not Chillax – Simon Akam writes a clever article on “adjoinages and the death of the American pun”

Whatever Happened to New Atheism – This article at the Catholic Herald says that the New Atheism is already beginning to fade away. “Even to non-believers, the argument that religion is a damaging parasite seems implausible. In their everyday lives people see that atheism does not explain the fundamental questions and a godless world doesn’t make us happier or even more questioning.” I sure hope it’s true! (Note: Though I risk stating the obvious, I do not endorse many of the Roman Catholic answers to those questions.)

Create a Contrast Culture – “Church leaders who stop by our little house of worship in Washington sometimes ask what we have done to produce all the discipling, evangelism, and hospitality they see. What programs are we using? It’s a 20th-century American way of asking the question. Church growth has been viewed in business terms for at least half a century, so the questioner assumes some program has birthed these activities.”

Youth is a time of life wherein we have too much pride to be governed by others, and too little wisdom to govern ourselves.

—Henry Scougal

  • the Democratization of Competence

    TGC, AI, and the Democratization of Competence

    TGC recently shared its policy for writers and the use of AI. Christianity Today did the same. In this article, I reflect on a new institutional/individual divide and consider how, just like blogs democratized influence, AI might democratize competence.

  • A La Carte (August 19)

    How I lied to my church / What longevity influencers get wrong / Late-stage academia / You have an enemy / Weakness isn’t our enemy / Engaged but not alarmed / Kindle and Logos deals / and more.

  • A La Carte (August 18)

    Beautiful slop / Fierce wolves / Say no to commercial surrogacy / The pain and blessing of hard adoptions / What should being a Christian feel like? / Hidden martyrs of the faith / Book reviews / Kindle and book deals.

  • Do Not Be Ashamed to Be Old

    Don’t Be Ashamed to Be Old

    Have you ever considered that many of the grandest things in this world are old? There is something to be said for those things that are new and young and fresh. But don’t we all have a certain level of respect and a special kind of awe for what is ancient?

  • A La Carte (August 17)

    Literal or symbolic / Family prayer is worth it / When your spiritual hero fails / Overconfidence / When you catastrophize / The joy of baseball / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Works & Wonders (August 16)

    Works & Wonders: A drone at Niagara Falls, 162-year-old bottle of Guinness, 10,000 American cities, the sun at highest resolution, ocean photography, and a full knowledge of the facts.