Steve’s Books
Category Archives: Society and Culture
Declaration of Independence
As I read America’s Declaration of Independence this morning, I was struck by its many parallels to our times. The Declaration included a list of 27 grievances committed by the British king against the original “united States of America.” For … Continue reading
Posted in Sin and Salvation, Society and Culture
Tagged dead to sin, victory over sin
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Christian: Do you hesitate to observe Easter or Christmas?
I listened to a sermon on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was preached to a congregation which met at 6am at the church outside on Easter morning. To them, the sunrise was a reminder of the dawn of Jesus’ … Continue reading
Politics and the Christian
The problem with political parties is not their individual takes on the nation’s issues. The problem is that they are filled with sinners, people who too frequently are without God’s level-headed wisdom and guidance. The problem with the politicians in … Continue reading
Enter Christmas Prepared
As we enter this Christmas season, let’s do it from the solid foundation of scripture. (But then that’s how we’re to approach all of life, isn’t it?) So, what does the Bible say about the Christ Child? We already know … Continue reading
The Stories Continue
Some atheists attack the bible, saying it is full of fiction. The stories of God working in people’s lives are not true, they say. But the stories did not stop with the book of Acts. The biblical canon stopped with … Continue reading
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Mindfulness
Sit comfortably in a quiet place. Breathe in deeply, count 1, then release. Repeat until all stress is gone and you are refreshed. Is mindfulness pop psychology? My medical (IPO) sent me a slickly designed card with a handy card … Continue reading
The Cultural Christian versus the Called-out Christian
It has been said that if you were born in India, you would most likely be a Hindu because your parents were. If you grew up in the Middle East, then you would be one of the three strains of … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
Tagged atheists, Christianity, good works, growth, salvation
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Leaving the Faith? Watch out for this logical fallacy
Many young people who leave home for college life end up abandoning their religion and moral constraints. (This is what the college professors and staff want them to do.) They are convinced by their professors that their religion was something … Continue reading
Faith without proof is alive and well among the religious and secular
Many religious people trust in their spiritual authority for their religious beliefs. They don’t study the religious text for themselves. They don’t understand how their authorities came by their tenets, so theirs is a personal faith without proof. “All I … Continue reading
Posted in Science and Evolution, Society and Culture
Tagged atheists, faith, proof, reason
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Does God care about the Christmas holiday?
Does God care about us displaying Christmas trees? Does He require that we put on happy faces for the holidays? Do we need to put up Christmas lights? Are we to be ashamed if we don’t have a scene of … Continue reading
Why are you Christians so intolerant?
Are Christians more intolerant than other people or groups? Let’s start with the dictionary definition of the word ‘intolerant’ to make sure we are on the same page: 1. Unable or unwilling to endure something [such as endure criticism]. 2. … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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What I Learned from my Biases
I remember when I first became aware of the impact of my biases upon myself. A Republican lady from church emailed several people about the negative actions of a certain Democrat. I rolled my eyes with the attitude of, “Well, … Continue reading
Don’t I have to love myself before I can love others?
People often give this response to the story in Matthew’s gospel where a lawyer asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus had answered: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with … Continue reading
Does God help those who help themselves?
I don’t know the origins of this phrase, but it sounds like an observation born out of experience, or possibly someone struggled with trying to make sense of the relationship between God’s work and man’s work, and he came up … Continue reading
You defend your religion because you’re biased, right?
A bias is the same as having a particular view of the world. Everyone has a bias. The atheist’s religious bias is that there is no God. A Christian’s religious bias is that there is a God and he created … Continue reading
Posted in Religion and Spirituality, Society and Culture
Tagged assumptions, atheists, bias, Christians, worldview
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Why do atheists and agnostics twist my words around?
Remember that atheists (and agnostics) do not have an experience with the spiritual, supernatural, or metaphysical spheres. As I remember in my days before Christ, when I did not understand these things nor comprehend their power, I reconciled them with … Continue reading
Are there UFOs in the Bible?
Here is one of the most remarkable descriptive passages in scripture. If you believe in flying saucers, then you may think Ezekiel is describing one here. However, the other elements in the narrative rule out the idea of a flying … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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What do you think about living as if you were to die tomorrow?
“Live as though you were going to die tomorrow.” Is it possible to make this saying a guide to living? From a practical perspective, I have problems with it. Suppose you were an employee in a dead-end retail job. If … Continue reading
Are the recent natural disasters expressions of God’s wrath?
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed over 200,000 people. Suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 caused the deaths of 2,973 victims and 19 hijackers. Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of New Orleans, Louisiana, killing … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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Why do Christians insist that life starts at conception?
The Bible is the first and last word when it comes to defining life, before birth and afterward. Here are several verses that indicate God’s handiwork early in the womb: Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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If Jesus promises me peace, then why do I worry so much?
Peace is the heritage of the Christian. If that is so, why do so few experience it? I used to read self-help books because I wanted to better myself. I wanted more self-esteem, more inner strength, more peace. But I … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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Why is marriage so important?
When God created marriage (Genesis 2:20-25), he gave one of the reasons for it in Malachi 2:15b: “He seeks godly offspring.” Another goal was to express, through the relationship of husband and wife, the bond between Christ and his church … Continue reading
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Why don’t Christians follow the laws in the OT about putting homosexuals to death?
When God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians and brought them to Canaan, He gave them new rules to live by; he developed practically a whole new society. The rules he gave were so he, a holy God, could live … Continue reading
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I did not ask to be created, so why should I owe God anything?
This question does not really make sense. Since you had no consciousness before you were born, you could not make any choices. You did not ask because you could not ask. It is better to act in the real world … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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Is it okay for Christians to wear tattoos?
When the Lord brought his people out of Egypt to bring them to a new land, he cautioned them against taking up any of their practices. “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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Why does God hate homosexuals?
You probably get the idea that God hates homosexuals from the many public radio and television figures and even street evangelists who have spoken against homosexuality using slurs and put-downs. You get the idea that God hates homosexuals because these … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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How could God accept slavery?
What comes to mind when you think of the word slavery? Plantations. Back-breaking labor under the hot sun. Harriet Tubman. Whippings. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Slave auctions. The Civil War. Abraham Lincoln and the Proclamation of Emancipation. Frederick Douglass. Chattel. Slave … Continue reading
Aren’t you dishonest in picking and choosing which laws in Leviticus to follow; for instance, regarding homosexuality, eating pork, and imposing capital punishment?
When God gave the laws to the Israelites, they were leaving Egypt. They were no longer under the laws of the Egyptians. So God gave them laws to help them see what a holy God they had, and through the … Continue reading
Should Americans allow Muslims to practice their religion according to their holy book, including the Shar’ia laws?
America has a representative government. It is rule by the people, for the people. So if enough Muslims can get specific religious laws voted into civil law here, then they will certainly be lawful. Look at what the homosexuals are … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
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God that says homosexuality is unnatural and yet people insist it is a choice – so who is right?
In the OT God told the Israelites not to engage in the same homosexual lusts as the people in the land to which God was sending them. So we know God is against homosexuality. It is certainly possible that some … Continue reading
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