R. Albert Mohler Jr.'s Blog, page 291

The Briefing 12-02-15

Study denying gender distinction in human brains illustrates limits of naturalism on genderWashington Post (Rachel Feltman) — Brains aren’t actually ‘male’ or ‘female,’ new study suggests

Thesis from the Economist for moral good of porn overwhelmingly rejected by readersThe Economist — Online pornography Can porn be good for us?

Absence of religion in Downton Abbey show exemplifies fear of offending secular BritishAlbertMohler.com — “Downton Abbey” and the Modern Age—What Are We Really Watching?The Telegraph (Patrick Foster) — God banished from Downton Abbey, says show's historical advisor

The Briefing 12-01-15

Climate change summit in Paris reminder of twin human responsibilities of dominion and stewardshipNew York Times (Coral Davenport) — Paris Deal Would Herald an Important First Step on Climate ChangeFinancial Times (Anne-Sylvaine Chassany and Pilita Clark) — France bows to Obama and backs down on climate ‘treaty’Financial Times (Simon Kuper) — The latest forecasts on climate changeWall Street Journal (Gautam Naik) — Scientists Dispute 2-Degree Model Guiding Climate Talks

Opposition to Lord's Prayer ad in Britain exposes increasing intolerance of secularismNew York Times (Stephen Castle) — Church of England Defends Ad Refused by Movie TheatersThe Guardian (Giles Fraser) — Banning the Lord’s Prayer from cinemas is nonsense on stiltsThe Telegraph (Emily Gosden) — Ban Christmas ads if you don’t like religion, Church tells cinemas

Secular French President attempts to encourage religion for sake of environmentThe Economist — How secular France is giving faith a voice in the planet's future

The Briefing 11-30-15

Gunman attack at Colorado Planned Parenthood undermines values of pro-life movementUSA Today (Trevor Hughes and Doug Stanglin) — Gunman's motive in Planned Parenthood shootings unclearNew York Times (AP) — Police: 3 Killed, 9 Wounded in Attack at Planned ParenthoodWashington Post (Sarah Pulliam Bailey) — Officer Garrett Swasey, who died in Colo. Planned Parenthood shooting, was a co-pastor, skating championWashington Post (Danielle Paquette, Ana Swanson and Brady Dennis) — Civilian victims identified in Planned Parenthood shootingNew York Times (Richard Faussett) — Ex-Wife Says Robert Dear, Suspect in Colorado Rampage, Showed Few Signs of Obsession

Video of police shooting of Laquan McDonald reveals need for righteousness and justice for allChicago Tribune (Steve Schmadeke, Jason Meisner and Bill Ruthhart) — Shooting video latest stain on Chicago's policing record

Prevalence of profanity in 2016 primary exposes significance of language for character New York Times (Matt Flegenheimer and Maggie Haberman) — Foul-Mouthed and Proud of It on the ’16 Campaign Trail

Genesis 48:20-49:33

The Briefing 11-25-15

Thanksgiving and gratitude key to Christian belief about God, self, and the worldThe Heritage Foundation (George Washington) — Washington’s Thanksgiving ProclamationPBS — Stephen Jay Gould: Understanding EvolutionBrain Pickings (Maria Popova) — Carl Sagan on the Meaning of LifeGutenberg Project (Robert Ingersoll) — A THANKSGIVING SERMON.

The Briefing 11-24-2015

Majority voters already decided on 2016 vote, exposing worldview division of American politicsThe Week (William Falk) — The death of the swing voterNew York Magazine (Jonathan Chait) — Politics in a Country Where Nobody Changes Their MindNew York Times (Alec MacGillis) — Who Turned My Blue State Red?

Ages of Supreme Court Justices underlines significance of worldview of next President Washington Post (George F. Will) — A threat to freedom of speech at the Supreme Court

Unintended consequences of suicide laws illustrates teaching role of lawWashington Post (Aaron Kheriarty) — The dangerously contagious effect of assisted-suicide laws

They Did Not Honor Him or Give Thanks — Why Thanksgiving is Inescapably Theological

Thanksgiving is a deeply theological act, rightly understood. As a matter of fact, thankfulness is a theology in microcosm — a key to understanding what we really believe about God, ourselves, and the world we experience.

A haunting question is this:  How do atheists observe Thanksgiving? I can easily understand what an atheist or agnostic would think of fellow human beings and feel led to express thankfulness and gratitude to all those who, both directly and indirectly, have contributed to their lives. But what about the blessings that cannot be ascribed to human agency? Those are both more numerous and more significant, ranging from the universe we experience to the gift of life itself.

Can one really be thankful without being thankful to someone? It makes no sense to express thankfulness to a purely naturalistic system. The late Stephen Jay Gould, an atheist and one of the foremost paleontologists and evolutionists of his day, described human life as “but a tiny, late-arising twig on life’s enormously arborescent bush.” Gould was a clear-headed evolutionist who took the theory of evolution to its ultimate conclusion — human life is merely an accident, though a very happy accident for us. Within that worldview, how does thankfulness work?

The Apostle Paul points to a central insight about thankfulness when he instructs the Christians in Rome about the reality and consequences of unbelief. After making clear that God has revealed himself to all humanity through the created order, Paul asserts that we are all without excuse when it comes to our responsibility to know and worship the Creator.

He wrote:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. . .  [Romans 1:20-22].

This remarkable passage has at its center an indictment of thanklessness. They did not honor Him as God or give thanks. Paul wants us to understand that the refusal to honor God and give thanks is a raw form of the primal sin. Theologians have long debated the foundational sin — and answers have ranged from lust to pride. Nevertheless, it would seem that being unthankful, refusing to recognize God as the source of all good things, is very close to the essence of the primal sin. What explains the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden? A lack of proper thankfulness was at the core of their sin. God gave them unspeakable riches and abundance, but forbade them the fruit of one tree. A proper thankfulness would have led our first parents to avoid that fruit at all costs, and to obey the Lord’s command. Taken further, this first sin was also a lack of thankfulness in that the decision to eat the forbidden fruit indicated a lack of thankfulness that took the form of an assertion that we creatures — not the Creator — know what is best for us and intend the best for us.

They did not honor Him as God or give thanks. Clearly, honoring God as God leads us naturally into thankfulness. To honor Him as God is to honor His limitless love, His benevolence and care, His provision and uncountable gifts. To fail in thankfulness is to fail to honor God — and this is the biblical description of fallen and sinful humanity. We are a thankless lot.

Sinners saved by the grace and mercy of God know a thankfulness that exceeds any merely human thankfulness. How do we express thankfulness for the provision the Father has made for us in Christ, the riches that are made ours in Him, and the unspeakable gift of the surpassing grace of God? As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” [2 Corinthians 9:15].

So, observe a wonderful Thanksgiving — but realize that a proper Christian Thanksgiving is a deeply theological act that requires an active mind as well as a thankful heart. We need to think deeply, widely, carefully, and faithfully about the countless reasons for our thankfulness to God.

It is humbling to see that Paul so explicitly links a lack of thankfulness to sin, foolishness, and idolatry. A lack of proper thankfulness to God is a clear sign of a basic godlessness. Millions of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving with little consciousness of this truth. Their impulse to express gratitude is a sign of their spiritual need that can be met only in Christ.

So have a very Happy Thanksgiving — and remember that giving thanks is one of the most explicitly theological acts any human can contemplate. O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting [1 Chronicles 16:34]. In all things, give thanks to God.

America’s Evangelical Founding Father: A Conversation about George Whitefield with Historian Thomas Kidd

The Briefing 11-23-15

Mali and Paris attacks show developing rivalry between ISIS and al Qaeda, exposing same deadly worldviewNew York Times (Dionne Searcey and Adam Nossiter) — Deadly Siege Ends After Assault on Hotel in MaliNew York Times (Andrew Higgins and Kimiko De Freytas-Tamura) — Brussels Placed at Highest Alert Level; Subway Is ClosedNew York Times (Anne Barnard and Neil MacFarquhar) — Paris and Mali Attacks Expose Lethal Qaeda-ISIS Rivalry

Favored candidate loses Louisiana governorship overwhelmingly, exposing importance of characterWashington Post (Douglas McCollam) — John Bel Edwards defeats David Vitter in Louisiana governor’s race

Vocabulary debate over bathrooms and bathroom access adds to moral confusion of societyNew York Times (Emily Bazelon) — Making Bathrooms More ‘Accommodating’

The Briefing 11-20-15

Jewish prayer at shared holy site sparks controversy due to theology of prayer of Judaism, IslamUSA Today (Shira Rubin) — Jewish activists secretly pray at Muslim holy site

Significance of sibling-relationships to later life underlines tragedy of one-child ChinaWall Street Journal (Ann Lukits) — Opposite-Sex Siblings Build Confidence in RomanceNew York Times (Javier C Hernandez and Amy Qin) — End of China’s One-Child Policy Stings Its ‘Loneliest Generation’Wall Street Journal (Mei Fong) — China’s Quiet Two-Child Experiment

Sociologists argue next step in sexual revolution for men to take up more feminine roles New York Times (Richard V. Reeves and Isabel V. Sawhill) — Men’s Lib!