Sturtz Stuff

Increasingly the inescapable conversation happening around many churches (officially or unofficially) is about gun control. I’d just as soon get hit in the head with a ball peen hammer then advocate a certain position. Why? Because I’m not sure what I think. I am torn between Niebuhr and Yoder on this one. In the spirit of full disclosure I must say that I do not own a gun nor do I have any plans on owning a gun. I have shot some shotguns and rifles on a gun range. I have been hunting (came back with nothing). The only heirloom gun I used to own was a BB gun my father had received from his uncle as a child. Yes, I played with toy guns as a kid. I know many who are avid gun owners that I consider brothers in Christ. I am not out to take guns away from those who own guns legally. I am attempting to take a moment and reflect on what I have seen and heard about gun control specifically by Christians. Perhaps it goes without saying yet the politics on this issue seems to be in the ...

Here is a blog post from Roger Olson. If you would like to read this from Roger Olson's blog - click here. I post this because the issue that he is defining and critiquing often seems to pop up among Christians and churches. Regrettably when the issue discussed by Olson pops up it ends up causing all kinds of fear and anxiety. Perhaps a little understanding might lower the fear and anxiety level a bit.         What Is “Fundamentalism” and Who Is a “Fundamentalist?”      Recently I posted here “Why I Am Not a ‘Liberal’ Christian.” Someone asked me to write a similar post about fundamentalism—specifically how to identify a fundamentalist. I’ll begin with what most readers, probably, want to see and what the requester asked for—a series of criteria for identifying fundamentalism (or someone as a fundamentalist). Then I’ll go on to give historical-theological justification for the criteria. Readers who are not in...