Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 319
July 4, 2014
America at 238–what’s to love?
The United States of America is 238 years old today. And, arguably, feeling its age. The country is polarized, but nearly every faction (though for different reasons) distrusts the government. Nearly every faction also (for different reasons) criticizes the culture. The patriotic legends of our history have been replaced with shame about slavery and how [Read More...]
“Up to now, I’ve given nothing for what I have taken”
Peter Wehner shares a letter written by his wife’s uncle, Frank Keaton, shortly before landing on Omaha Beach. It makes very good reading for Independence Day. From Peter Wehner, An Extraordinary Letter « Commentary Magazine: Dear Mother and Dad: Here is the letter I both like and dislike to write. Tomorrow we are scheduled to [Read More...]
Confessing the faith
Last Sunday was the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, two different and yet unified confessors of the Christian faith. Also on that day, one of my former students joined our church by adult confirmation, a rite that includes the vow to suffer all, even death, rather than renounce the teachings of the evangelical [Read More...]
July 3, 2014
Unfulfilling work as vocation
The Patheos faith & work channel’s blog Mission:Work gave a nice shout-out to us here at the Cranach blog. That site also has a poignant post from a man who left the ministry but all he could find was a factory job. He found that kind of work lacking in meaning. So now he quit [Read More...]
The street and the altar
The Lutheran pastor, Christian Führer, whose prayer meetings became a catalyst for the protests that overthrew Communism in East Germany died Monday at age 71. I was struck by this quotation from him: “It is not the throne and the altar, but the street and the altar that belong together.” That’s an interesting version of [Read More...]
Evangelicals discover George Herbert
Finally, as I have been agitating for throughout my career, modern-day Christians are discovering George Herbert, whom I consider to be the greatest and most spiritually satisfying Christian poet. Now Wesley Hill writes about him in Christianity Today. If you want a guide to Herbert’s poetry–what he is doing aesthetically, theologically, and spiritually–you should read [Read More...]
July 2, 2014
What happened to all of the cults?
Not long ago, people were worried about cults. Their teenagers and young adults would run off and join the Moonies, the Hare Krishnas, or the Children of God and not be seen of again. Often, parents hired “deprogrammers” to abduct the son or daughter who was caught up in the cult and to conduct a [Read More...]
Never-ending war
Drones that can zap our enemies from above like Zeus throwing down thunderbolts would seem like a great anti-terrorism technology. But we probably won’t like them as much when other countries–and terrorists–use them to assassinate people on our soil. But whatever you think of drone warfare, I was struck by a news story reporting on [Read More...]
Hobby Lobby hysteria
Critics of the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Obamacare contraceptive mandate must include exemptions for business owners whose religion does not permit them to purchase birth control pills and possible abortifacients are howling with indignation. Women are going to be prevented from having access to birth control! The ruling will result in more unwanted pregnancies [Read More...]
July 1, 2014
Churches that don’t baptize
Some churches that work hard to get people to “make a decision for Christ” never get around to baptizing them! In fact, there are some ostensibly Christian bodies that don’t baptize at all. And more that will baptize if someone asks for it, but most members don’t go to the trouble. And according to Christian [Read More...]
