Sunday, Aug. 30: Can Nonviolence be Just?
Faith, Last Sunday, we explored the Sixth Commandment, "Do not murder," and its relationship to Just War Theory. If you haven't had a chance to listen to that message, please do so in preparation for this week's sermon. To set the stage for this week's message, imagine the scene: Okinawa, 1945, World War II. Private…
Sunday, Aug. 23: Can War be Just?
Faith, Imagine this scenario: You’re out to coffee with two friends—one an atheist, the other a Christian. The conversation turns to our nation’s conflict with Iran. Everyone at the table agrees that Iran's leadership poses a genuine threat to national security. Both of your friends agree that defending against that threat is morally justified, but…
Sunday, Aug. 16: The Murderous Heart
Faith, Why are we spending a whole month on the Sixth Commandment: "Do not murder"? After all, for 99.9% of us, this one can get checked off the list. None of us are doing time for such a heinous crime, right? I think that was the attitude of Jesus' listeners as well, and that's why…
Sunday, Aug. 9: Is God a Murderer? (No, but…hmmm)
Faith, We all love the fact that 1 John 4:16 explicitly tells us, "God is love." And it is safe to assume we all believe that if God is love, we should love one another, right? As I have stated before, God gave His commandments to His people out of love for them. Last week,…