Blog - Page 199 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Newt Gingrich to Become a Roman Catholic

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:48-05:00March 15th, 2009|Categories: Roman Catholicism|

The New York Times Magazine recently ran a profile of Newt Gingrich. Buried in this story was some interesting information that missed many readers I feel sure: A Baptist since graduate school, Gingrich said he will soon convert to Catholicism, his wife’s faith.

Religion reporter Sarah Pulliam writes: "At a moment when the role of religious fundamentalism in the party is a central question for reformers, Gingrich, rather than making any kind of case for a new enlightenment, has in fact gone to great lengths to placate Christian conservatives. The family-values crowd has never completely embraced Newt, probably because he has been married three times, most recently to a former Hill staff member, Callista Bisek. In 2006, though, Gingrich wrote a book called Rediscovering God in America—part of a new canon of work he has done reaffirming the role of religion in public life. The following year, he went on radio with the evangelical minister James Dobson to apologize for having been unfaithful to […]

An Evangelical/Roman Catholic Letter

By John Armstrong|2009-03-14T05:00:00-05:00March 14th, 2009|Categories: Roman Catholicism|

I have many readers who are evangelical Roman Catholics. Some evangelical readers simply do not believe there is such a thing. Some Catholics do not believe there are evangelicals who love Catholics or understand them either. But I have friends in both communions and can't deny what I know and see day-after-day. Here is how one Catholic reader wrote to me a few days ago:

I have a dear evangelical friend who lives just behind us. We have much in common, both being parents of not one but two special needs young adults (hers adopted and ours homemade.) Our older ones have severe a mental illness that makes them angry and explosive, even verbally and physically abusive. (I took 5 years of martial arts to keep myself safe.) Things are better now, but my friend and I have really connected. Anyway, I shared some of my spiritual practices with her, and she has been very blessed by the Stations of the Cross, and by Jesuit spirituality from the website Sacred Space and Pray As You Go. She actually led […]

My Story of Three Conversions: An ACT Series on Missional-Ecumenism

By John Armstrong|2009-03-13T05:00:00-05:00March 13th, 2009|Categories: ACT 3|

We invite all who would like to hear about the unique mission of ACT 3 in calling leaders and churches to embrace the mission of Christ in a Trinitarian context that seeks the unity of the catholic church to attend one of these forthcoming events. These unusual meetings are open to anyone interested in the health and renewal of the church.

Each ACT 3 breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends by 10:30 a.m. Dr. John Armstrong will make a presentation on missional-ecumenism and answer your questions. Those who want a free signed copy of John’s forthcoming book, Your Church Is Too Small (Zondervan), will be able to request one if they attend a meeting. There is no charge for the meal.

Meetings and locations planned for the Chicago area for the following dates:

April 4        Blueberry Field Restaurant; South Holland, IL
April 25        Holiday Inn; Carol Stream, IL
May 2        Village Bible Church; Sugar Grove, IL
[…]

Baseball is Back: Spring is Official

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:48-05:00March 12th, 2009|Categories: Baseball|

Spring is official. I know, the real date is officially March 21, but for me the day Spring began is today, March 12th. I will soon be sitting in the brilliant sunshine of Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando watching the Atlanta Braves play the Washington Nationals. I plan to soak in the sunshine and relax, enjoy some of the fine culinary blessings, and have good fellowship. I’ve already seen several games this week with my daughter and son-in-law but today’s game will allow me the pleasure of sharing the day with David Gordon, a good friend, and seeing the greatest game under the sun for the fourth time this week. It doesn’t get any better than this if you have endured a Chicago winter. Thanks to the generous special gifts of two very dear friends this trip was made possible when I didn’t really have the money to come here at all. My heart is filled with gratitude to God for these days […]

Taken: A Supercharged Action Movie

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:48-05:00March 11th, 2009|Categories: Film|

Liam Neeson is a marvelous actor who plays serious, thoughtful, cerebral roles. In the new movie Taken Liam Neeson’s role is guaranteed to excite those fans who admire his skills. Neeson has rightly been called “an unstoppable force in this adrenaline-fueled thriller from director Pierre Morel.” Bryan (Liam Neeson) has taken early retirement from the CIA to live closer to his teenage daughter, Kim. Bryan's government work kept him away from Kim for much of her childhood and clearly destroyed his marriage in the process. Now that he is retired he desperately wants to make up for lost time. When Kim announces that she's taking a trip to Paris with her friend Bryan (Neeson) is extremely apprehensive about her traveling on her own. Her mother disagrees and Bryan is not a happy camper with this decision. Soon his worst fear is soon realized, as Kim and her friend are abducted upon their arrival in Paris.

When Bryan hears about the abduction he springs […]

Lincoln's Call to National Prayer

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:48-05:00March 10th, 2009|Categories: America and Americanism|

I have a very mixed response to certain types of religious involvement in American politics. The practice of, and dangers of, civil religion are often very real. Most conservative Christians are virtually oblivious of these problems, which date more to the era following the Second World War than to an earlier time in U. S. history.

While I do not care for "political religion" I do think the culture has clearly had a long relationship with faith, and in particular, Christian faith. Sometimes reading a bit of history will give a little perspective to these things. Here is a famous declaration from President Abraham Lincoln. I wonder if anyone could conceive of such a statement being issued by any president today.

President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation:

A Day Of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer
in the The

United States Of America

[…]

Why Do Some People Deny the Holocaust?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:48-05:00March 9th, 2009|Categories: Israel|

I have always wondered why some people deny the Holocaust. The record is so self-evident that no one should have any series doubts. But Holocaust deniers are real. We were all reminded of this fact by the recent controversy that touched the Vatican when renegade British Bishop Richard Williamson was restored to the Roman Church by Pope Benedict XVI.

Williamson, as you probably now know, dismissed the “so-called Holocaust” as “lies, lies, lies.” Iran’s dangerous president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejab, has called the Holocaust a “myth” while Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah says, “Jews invented the legend of the Holocaust.” Hutton Gibson, the father of actor Mel Gibson, is an ultra-conservative critic of the modern Catholic Church and argues that after World War II there were more Jews in Europe than before the War. And an engineering professor at prestigious Northwestern University, Arthur Butz, wrote a book titled: The Hoax of the Twentieth Century: The Case Against the Presumed Extermination of European Jews. What […]

Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:48-05:00March 8th, 2009|Categories: Evangelism|

Joe Eszhertas grew up in refugee camps and then in America's back alleys. When his mom died he was twelve years old. He turned against the church and God and dedicated the rest of his life to attacking everything virtuous and religious that he knew. Eventually he became a police reporter and covered robberies, shootings and serial killers. He then wrote dark, sexually graphic, and very violent films like Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge and Jade.

Joe knows a whole lot about darkness. He became addicted to cigarettes at 12 and drugs and alcohol by 14. He did everything within his power to dull his pain and to live out his anger at God and the world. But in his late 50s, on a very hot day in the summer of 2001, Joe came to faith in Christ on a street in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. Battling to save his life from the throat cancer that had caused him to stop alcohol and cigarettes Joe, […]

Roland Burris Wants a Legacy Just Like So Many Other Public Figures

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:49-05:00March 7th, 2009|Categories: Current Affairs|

Politics in Illinois is sad business, indeed the stuff of late night jokes. One bad governor after another and then came the Blagojevich impeachment in January. Now Blago is going to get a book deal. It makes you wonder why he signed for only six figures. But John Kass, in his often humorous and rightly cynical Chicago Tribune column, suggests the former governor could shake down a lot of folks to keep quiet about their connections to his "pay-to-play" political career. The one thing I personally feel fairly sure about is that President Obama never got hooked up with this scandalous business. (I hope this belief is proven true or the whole nation will face a crisis that we can ill afford right now. Watch the Blago story for unfolding dramatics.)

But what about Senator Roland Burris? This is the man the ex-governor appointed to take the seat previously held by Barrack Obama. Burris was tainted from the beginning but most thought that he was clean. Now he tells us a lot of information we did not […]

Wheaton College Men's Basketball Begin Their Search for the Best Today

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:49-05:00March 6th, 2009|Categories: Personal|

I have mentioned, several times since the first of this year, that Wheaton College, my alma mater, has a great basketball team this season. The Thunder finished 24-3 and ranked in the top five nationally. They were ranked number one for some weeks in December and January. They lost three games in a row when their All-American star, Kent Raymond, went down with an ankle sprain. When Raymond returned they got better in every game. They even won the conference title last Saturday when they were trailing rival Elmhurst in double digits very late in the game only to win dramatically at the end, 67-63. These guys seem to know how to win, even when their best game is not there for them. They are experienced, battle tested and really ready to play.

Tonight Wheaton opens the NCAA Division III tournament at home. They play the Fontbonne University Griffins (18-8) in the opener. Who knows where Fontbonne is located? I did not until I read the Wheaton […]