language

The Dreaded “A-Word”

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It was asked of me recently, “Is the purpose of your blog to start arguments or conversations?” I said arguments. Let me explain why. What Arguments Actually Are I think arguments have a bad rap nowadays, and it’s because the word has been misused to mean “nasty screaming matches that are completely illogical where no coherent point is being made.” That’s not an argument. That’s a fight. An argument can, however, have a range of legitimate definitions. Here are two of them: An argument is a series of statements intended to build a case and make a point about reality. … [Read more]

Christians Don’t End Up in Heaven

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  I said off-hand in a different blog post that Christians weren’t going to heaven, and I got some lip about it. But before I start explaining myself, let me narrow the audience for you. This post is directed at Christians. The “yous” in this post are “readers who have believed the gospel that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ of God, and by believing, have life in His name.” Okay, lets get back to the point. Christians don’t end up in heaven. “Of course we’re going to heaven!” you say. “That’s the gospel, Stephen! We’re going to go to … [Read more]

Yes You’re a Sinner and No It’s Not “Okay”

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  There are two parts to this title and each reflects some common rhetoric I hear among Christians. I think the entire statement needs to be hammered into people’s skulls. Yes You’re a Sinner and No It’s Not “Okay.” It’s such a basic truth that I wonder why it needs saying, but we have to address the issues as they arise. Let’s look at the first half first. “Yes, you’re a sinner” Christians today usually fall into one of two camps on this, either they refuse to ever acknowledge sin, or they never get off of sin to talk about … [Read more]

You’re Just Another Klansman

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In light of the recent decision by the Supreme Court, the one upholding the constitutionality of Obamacare, I thought I would share my thoughts on the ever increasingly important subject of words and what they mean. With that in mind, I’d like to share a quotation with you. “This is an institution of chivalry, humanity, mercy, and patriotism; embodying in its genius and its principles all that is chivalric in conduct, noble in sentiment, generous in manhood, and patriotic in purpose; its peculiar objects being: First, to protect the weak, the innocent, and the defenseless from the indignities, wrongs, and … [Read more]

Feasting or Gluttony: Which are You Doing?

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I’m eating barbecue with my friends on Memorial Day. We’ve just floated the Comal River and we are about to blow any kind of diet we had, then a joke gets made about gluttony. Should we be joking about the sin of gluttony? Is it really a laughing matter? Does eating barbecue with your friends on Memorial Day, (way more barbecue than you’d eat on a normal day) even count as gluttony? What is the line between feasting and gluttony? What does the Bible say about feasting? In the bible, feasting is seen primarily in the Old Testament, and the … [Read more]