Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 359
January 21, 2014
Why not Lutheranism?
Mathew Block, communications director of the Lutheran Church Canada, posts about that article on the millennial generation yearning for liturgy and sacraments and joining “high church” congregations. He asks, Why don’t more of these young Christians looking for liturgy end up in Lutheran churches? As the article notes, most seem to go Roman Catholic, Orthodox, [Read More...]
Privacy vs. anonymity
Yale constitutional law professor Jed Rubenfeld makes a distinction that, I think, advances the debate over government and corporate surveillance: Privacy refers to the content of our communications, which is protected constitutionally. But the fact of our communications, which the NSA is exploiting, is not. What we need, Prof. Rubenfeld says, is legal protection for [Read More...]
Christian influence in Eastern Europe
Filip Mazurczak reports that Eastern Europe is recovering its Christian identity, not only in personal conversions but also in cultural and legal influence. In Hungary, Croatia, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, a pro-family, pro-life revolution and a rediscovery of Christian roots is occurring. While few in the American media have noticed, this trend should challenge [Read More...]
January 20, 2014
A watershed in American evangelicalism?
The New Life Church in Colorado Springs was one of the nation’s leading megachurches. But then its pastor, Ted Haggard, was brought down in a sex and drug scandal. Now the congregation is changing the way it is doing things. Instead of trying to be new, it is trying to find its place in historic [Read More...]
At his post 29 years after the war
The Japanese soldier who held out in a Philippine jungle for 29 years after the end of World War II died. Hiroo Onoda was 91. Read his story–including why he finally turned himself in– after the jump. Would you say Lt. Onoda was an example of outrageous stubborness (a vice) or inspirational integrity (a virtue)? [Read More...]
President modifies NSA surveillance program
President Obama has given a speech in which he announced changes in the National Security Administration’s program of collecting and data-mining phone and internet records. Here are the changes, which seem pretty minor. After the jump, an analysis of where things stand. From Barton Gellman, Obama’s restrictions on NSA surveillance rely on narrow definition of [Read More...]
“Alone yet Not Alone” gets Oscar nomination
Alone yet not Alone is one of those small but ambitious “faith-based-films” that usually get little traction in the Hollywood world. Some of my students and people I know here at Patrick Henry College worked on it. But I don’t think anybody expected it to win an Oscar nomination, which it did for “best original [Read More...]
January 17, 2014
Are Americans becoming more liberal?
Democratic operative Steve Rosenthal argues that America is becoming more liberal. Do you think he is right? He cites the opinion shifts on “marriage equality,” immigration reform, the legalization of marijuana, and distrust of big business. I would say that such issues may suggest that America is becoming more libertarian. But that’s hardly the [Read More...]
Slandering a Christian teacher
You may have heard about the little boy who wanted to distribute to his class candy canes with messages about they symbolize Jesus and the Gospel. His teacher wouldn’t let him. So Glenn Beck, Fox News, and many Christian activists have been excoriating that teacher. But Hillsdale professor Korey Maas says that the teacher first [Read More...]
The Millennials’ longing for liturgy & sacraments
Congregations that want to attract the millennial generation are now being told to ditch their contemporary worship services and to bring back the historic liturgy. Also, it turns out that young adults today have a “sacramental yearning.” Church growth enthusiasts, take note. From Gracy Olmstead, Why Millennials Long for Liturgy | The American Conservative. (She [Read More...]
