Category Archives: Culture

11 Years of Same-Sex Marriage: A Canadian Perspective

In yesterday’s post Chaplain Mike asked “How do you envision your pastor, church, denomination, tradition responding to this new reality?” I have a slightly different perspective on this, as being in Canada I can look backwards to see has transpired.  In my home province of Ontario, same sex marriage has been legal for over eleven years.Continue reading “11 Years of Same-Sex Marriage: A Canadian Perspective”

The Balance Has Tipped

Comments on this post are now closed. Thank you for a good discussion. . . . It was a good week for same-sex marriage advocates. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied petitions to review cases about the issue in states including Utah, Virginia, Indiana, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. But the effects are wider. Because theContinue reading “The Balance Has Tipped”

How Christmas Helped Me Leave the Culture Wars

In 1988 I made a brief sojourn as a soldier in the trenches of  the Culture Wars.    At the end of January of that year, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in the case of  R. vs. Mogentaler, and struck down the 1969 law that restricted abortion.  The court did however leave room forContinue reading “How Christmas Helped Me Leave the Culture Wars”

Randy Thompson: The Sky Is Always Falling

The Sky Is Always Falling by Randy Thompson “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” (Alphonse Karr) The other day I went up to the local garage to have our mechanic switch our car’s regular tires over to snow tires—a winter ritual for many of us here in New Hampshire. While waiting,Continue reading “Randy Thompson: The Sky Is Always Falling”

A “Biblical” View of Marriage?

NOTE FROM CM: The following article was written by Robert R. Cargill, assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Iowa; Kenneth Atkinson, associate professor of history at the University of Northern Iowa; and Hector Avalos, professor of religious studies at Iowa State University. From The Des Moines Register: The debate about marriage equalityContinue reading “A “Biblical” View of Marriage?”

How the ELCA Dealt with the Issue of Homosexuality

Let me begin on a personal note. The 2009 ELCA decision to approve their social statement on human sexuality, with its provisions for homosexuality, have never been on my radar in terms of why I choose to affiliate with the ELCA. I explained in this morning’s post that these things have never been “hot-button” issuesContinue reading “How the ELCA Dealt with the Issue of Homosexuality”

Chaplain Mike’s “Agenda”

In the comments on yesterday’s post, some of you questioned my motives and my “agenda” for discussing Bible verses that directly address the subject of homosexuality. Well, let me lay it out plainly for you. To be perfectly honest, this is not something I would prefer to talk about. It has never been an issueContinue reading “Chaplain Mike’s “Agenda””

What Does the Bible Actually Say about Homosexuality?

MOD NOTE: I have been deleting and editing a lot of comments because you are not sticking to the topic. This post is about one thing — EXAMINING WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY. It is not about our personal reflections or ethical considerations of the subject. All I want to do is look atContinue reading “What Does the Bible Actually Say about Homosexuality?”

Which “Culture” Most Threatens the Church?

I don’t often find much but material to debate and argue against at the evangelical culture war “news” site, The Christian Post, but every once in awhile, something worthwhile appears amidst all the moralizing and political posturing. Case in point this weekend: a CP interview with Ken Myers, called “Is the ‘Culture’ Really the Church’sContinue reading “Which “Culture” Most Threatens the Church?”

The Blessings of Boredom

NOTE FROM CM: Though Damaris’ post is not about sports, it does address our culture of entertainment and “hyperstimulation” in which sports plays a part. As an example, having spent hours in the Super Bowl Village over the weekend, I can safely say it was a sensory extravaganza — all stimulation all the time. What’sContinue reading “The Blessings of Boredom”