How holocausts happen

This article traces the same tactics used to exterminate the Jews in the Holocaust to the same ones used to justify abortion on demand today. There is a parallel dehumanising rationalisation behind the Holocaust & abortion.

Is the pope the antichrist?

‘These days no one asks a question like this. It seems too arrogant, too outdated, grossly missing the mark of a honest religious conversation. Moreover, any reference to the Anti-Christ seems to be further marred by the fancy treatments that it has received in popular pseudo-apocalyptic novels, futurist accounts of world trends, and millenarist explanations of Christian eschatology.’

The boys are back in town (podcast)

At what point do we say somebody has disqualified themselves from pastoral ministry and the office of elder? There surely are some things that permanently disqualify us, especially given that the eldership criteria are demanded of all church members.

Church history and Captain Obvious

‘We tend to compress and tighten up events much as the nativity scenes that will be played out in thousands of settings around the country compress and tighten up their events. And yet the irony is that the very compressing, the very colour saturation has the opposite effect to our intention.’

4 reasons churches don’t practice church discipline

‘Churches reject the practice of church discipline for lots of reasons. Some believe the practice doesn’t comport with the biblical concept of love. Related to that idea, some will point out that none of us are perfect, and therefore we should not be focused on getting rid of people when they sin. Still others maintain that the church can err in their practice of church discipline since the church is filled with fallible, sinful human beings. Finally, some maintain such a practice is far too invasive of private lives.’

How not to be a missionary in Scotland

David Robertson offers some advice to Americans seeking to ‘do mission’ in Scotland. The things he lands on extend well beyond Scotland and are just as relevant to England. Missionaries need to be contextually sensitive, partner with Christian groups, not sell specific methods and consider the needs in places that aren’t just London and other wealthy places.

From the archive: Real need requires real partnership

‘A lot is spoken of gospel partnership but it so often feels like something we say when we happen to be aware of other churches who are a bit like us. We deem ourselves partners by virtue of the fact that we think many of the same things and acknowledge each other’s existence. For some of us, it goes a bit deeper than that, perhaps even going as far as to send the occasional speaker here and there. And without wishing to denigrate that at all, if that’s where our partnership stops, it’s all a bit feeble isn’t it?’