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There was a legitimate question at the time American troops were committed to Iraq, whether our action conformed to the Augustinian “Just War” tradition with its various criteria: just cause, proper authority, right intention, last resort, and the like. I felt the just war standards were met by the threat presented.
One of the great Christian theologians of modern times, Abraham Kuyper, once said, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"
One of the greatest misconceptions ever perpetuated is that Christianity teaches that sex is in itself somehow sinful or dirty. There could be nothing further from the truth.
Gay unions violate the natural created order in which man and woman join in holy union to bear and raise children. Homosexuality, like many other behaviors, violates this order.
I asked that very question of a Catholic Bishop, now a Cardinal. His response was, “I would look for a rich widow to marry.”
In the Christian understanding, apology and repentance are two different concepts.
The decision by the ELCA to ignore biblical standards of moral behavior is, given the history of modern mainline Christianity, not surprising, but it is deeply distressing.
Who wants to belong to a church that doesn't treat biblical teachings as truth? Would I sacrifice my life for something I didn't believe to be true? Of course not. But martyrs from the first century on have.
This kind of decision dishonors our Lord, dishonors the Church, and dishonors those who have kept the faith for two millennia.
This is why John Gresham Machen said, almost a century ago, that liberal Christianity is not a brand of Christianity: it is simply another religion altogether -- liberalism.
When you don't have the facts on your side -- or the law, I was taught in law school -- shout louder. This is all Mr. Hitchens is doing.
Odd, isn't it, that all of the suffragettes were Christians? Equally odd, the Christian Bible denounced slave traders at a time when the slave trade was in fashion. Christians in the Roman Empire worked to abolish slavery and gave rights to women. Papal bulls forbad slavery among the Spanish conquerors in the western hemisphere, and William Wilberforce, an outspoken Christian activist, valiantly led the battle for abolition of the slave trade in England.
I would suggest that Mr. Hitchens read a good book: professor of sociology Rodney Starks' The Victory of Reason. It might embarrass Mr. Hitchens in his ranting and raving, but probably not.
Centuries of Christian ethical reflection would lead to the answer "no." Inflicting bodily or psychological harm on a helpless captive would be inconsistent with the Christian understanding of human dignity. But as with all moral obligations, there may be circumstances for exception.
It is well understood in Christian tradition that while we are supposed to obey the law, there may be times when there is a higher obligation (see Aquinas, Augustine, and Martin Luther King). To rescue a drowning person, a Christian would be justified in disobeying a "no trespassing" sign.
So it is with torture; if a competent authority honestly believed that this was the only way to get information that might save the lives of thousands, I believe he would be justified. That is not moral relativism. It is making a difficult decision when human life and dignity will be affected either way. The Greeks called it prudence.
The public fascination with sex goes back to the Garden of Eden. It has been an issue in virtually every presidential campaign, and at the root of most great British scandals as well. Why?
Because sex outside of marriage is inherently titillating; and there is endless public fascination with the subject—and always has been. America is no more obsessed with sex scandals than the Greeks and Romans were.
From the Christian perspective, sex outside of marriage does violate God’s commands. It is a sin that Christians should go to great length to avoid. Sex out of marriage may seem glamorous and adventuresome; but the fact is somebody is always hurt.
I would agree with C.S. Lewis, who wrote in "Mere Christianity" that pride is the chief of sins. Down through the years it has been man’s abuse of God’s authority, his malice toward his fellow men, which has created the preponderance of human grief.
The internet is both a blessing and a curse for the cause of religion in the world. The fact that information can be exchanged instantaneously means ideas—bad ones as well as good ones—can be widely accessed.
The Question: What does the Eliot Spitzer scandal say about our public and private morality? Should he have resigned?
Integrity means wholeness. When a ship goes to sea, it assures its watertight integrity. Even a small leak can affect the ship.
Christians do not believe that we can separate public and private morality. A man who will cheat on his wife will cheat on the taxpayers.
Spitzer might not have lost his moral authority and been able to survive in office had he not set such a high standard through his years of prosecution. For him to stay would have been more hypocritical than even our morally indifferent, tolerant-at-all-costs society could accept.
The Question: Which "ism" is more entrenched in America, sexism or racism? Which should religion address?
Both isms—sexism and racism—are sadly a part of American culture as they are, often to a much greater degree, in other cultures around the world. The dominant groups of any culture do not give up their privileged position easily. Christians have always seen a primary responsibility of the Christian life to defend human rights.
What Islam Really Says About Violence, Rights and Other Religions
Gomaa, Fadlallah, Mubarak, Khan, Siddiqi, Ellison, others | On Faith
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