Blog - Page 302 of 318 - John H Armstrong

War and Peace: The Present Confusion Regarding Real Evil

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:34-05:00March 15th, 2006|Categories: Current Affairs|

I have noted, several times in my recent posts, that peace between nations and states does not come because “Christian peace activists” intervene to lead warriors, whether dictators or religious militants, to lay down their swords. I have been reflecting for the past three days on the tragic death this week of activist American Tom Fox, a Quaker. Cal Thomas has also been thinking about this death and makes the same point in his syndicated column today. Thomas writes that Fox’s death is actually “doubly tragic.” Not only was an innocent person, who was sincerely seeking to do good, murdered by Muslim terrorists but “the likelihood that the presence of Fox and his colleagues would change the attitude or behavior of their captors was zero to none.” It is to this second tragedy that I speak.

These American and European peace activists should be credited for their fervent desire to do good. They believe in their cause very sincerely. Their motives are not in question, at least to my mind. However, their understanding of the nature of human evil and of sin […]

Martin Marty on the Evangelical Moment

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:35-05:00March 14th, 2006|Categories: American Evangelicalism|

Martin E. Marty is a mainline church historian and theological analyst who faithfully tracks major trends and ethical issues. I have interviewed Marty and spent some time with him in private conversations. I often disagree with him on a number of social and political issues but always find him an engaging and useful dialogical voice.

The Martin E. Marty Center at the University of Chicago produces a regular publication “Sightings.” You can subscribe to for free by writing Jeremy Biles at jbiles@midway.uchicago.edu. Marty’s post for March 13 is immensely important for evangelicals. He interacts with Jason Byassee’s guest column in the March issue of Christianity Today. Byassee is a youngish editor of the Christian Century, which Marty correctly refers to as “moderate to liberal.” Byassee, who I find personally a probing and insightful voice in the Christian Century, warns evangelicals to be careful about exercising their present public power, reminding us that mainline Christian groups had such power in an earlier era and did not use it well in many cases. He sees important parallels between his […]

The Seeds of Evil and Destruction

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:35-05:00March 11th, 2006|Categories: Politics|

Slobodan Milosevic was found dead in his cell in the Netherlands today. I can’t say I am profoundly saddened by this news. The former president of Yugoslavia, sometimes called “the butcher of the Balkans,” was one of the most brutal killers in the 20th century. He was on international trial for genocide, facing 66 counts of crime against the people, for the decade of bloodshed that he unleashed during the breakup of his country in the 1990s.

When one thinks of “ethnic cleansing,” a politically correct term if there ever was one, this man’s name will always come to mind. Sadly, the completion of his trial would have brought some historical closure and consensus that will not take place now that he is gone.

Milosevic once called himself the “Ayatollah Khomeini of Serbia," assuring his prime minister, Milan Panic, that the “Serbs will follow me no matter what.” Milosevic was clearly full of himself and of his warped view of the world. What made him so dangerous was that he had the power and the will to follow his distorted dreams. […]

A Healthy & Growing Church

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:35-05:00March 9th, 2006|Categories: The Church|

It is a great joy to see how congregations grow and mature in the grace of God. I have ministered as an itinerant speaker and encourager (since 1992) in churches of all sizes, types and styles, all across North America. There are strengths and weaknesses in every type of congregation that I encounter. Some are better at one aspect of life and ministry than others. All need of them need improvement. Some need major spiritual renewal if they are to recover their witness to the grace of Christ. Others are vibrant and alive.

I find that Reformed evangelicals too easily judge the local church by its doctrinal standards alone. This causes them to often feel very good about themselves if they “believe” the right doctrines and strongly teach them. Non-Reformed evangelicals tend to judge themselves by outward, less obviously doctrinal, appearances; e.g., music, style, excitement among their leadership, numerical growth, etc. Quite honestly all evangelicals struggle to keep a truly healthy ecclesiology before their people, since both the leaders and the people generally reflect the culture’s preoccupation with self.

This past […]

Read Reinhold Niebuhr?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:35-05:00March 5th, 2006|Categories: Culture|

David Brooks, author of fine book, Bobos in Paradise, is one of my favorite columnists. He writes a syndicated New York Times op-ed piece several times a week and very often hits a home run. He did so in his Friday, March 3, piece titled: "To-do List for a Great Educaiton."

He quotes Peter Beinart, of the New Republic, who laments the fact that Harvard graduates many students these days "without the kind of core knowledge that you’d expect from a good high school student." Beinart adds that Harvard, being dumbed down by progressive educational nonsense, provides required courses that are "a hodge-podge of arbitrary, esoteric classes that cohere into nothing at all." Since the New Republic is anything but a right wing magazine this is a pretty serious criticism of America’s most elite educational institution.

Brooks offers a list of things that every student should read to get a "great education" even if they do go to Harvard. What fascinates me is that Brooks puts at the top of his list "Read Reinhold Niebuhr." That got my attention immediately. Though […]

The Rite of Spring

By John Armstrong|2006-03-04T20:15:44-06:00March 4th, 2006|Categories: Baseball|

The world is back in its proper orbit. The rite of spring has arrived. This is much bigger than Groundhog Day, at least in my world. I heard the sound of a 32 ounce bat hitting a small well thrown white ball yesterday. I refer to seeing my first spring baseball game in Florida. For the record the Atlanta Braves beat the L. A. Dodgers 8-7, on a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth by future-star Jarrod Saltalamacchia. (One of the great joys of baseball is learning these amazing names!) But, truth be known, no one really cares that much who wins in a spring game. All the true fan cares about is this one simple fact: "The game is back. Spring is here! Summer will return."

The sun was high in the Florida sky, the stands were almost full for the home opener at the beautiful Ballpark at Disney. And I saw the Dodgers take batting practice while I had my first real "ballpark food" of the new season. On top of that the GM’s son, Jonathan […]

A Surprising Birthday Gift

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:35-05:00March 2nd, 2006|Categories: Personal|

Yesterday was my 57th birthday. I knew that my family was going to take me to lunch since they let me pick the place in advance. I am a pretty simple person, at least when it comes to picking my pleasures, so I picked T. G. I. Friday’s. I always relish these special times because they allow the whole gang (all eight of us) to be together. I also knew that my wife Anita would do her usual “party girl” routines and make the day very, very special. It was a memorable day but I did not know how memorable it would be at 8:00 a.m. when I came down to breakfast.

Around 9:00 a.m. two very dear pastor friends, Keith Duff and Tim Badal (Village Bible Church, Sugar Grove, Illinois), called to invite me to join them in hearing John R. W. Stott speak at 10:00 a.m., at Windsor Park Manor (a retirement home), which is only a mile from my residence. I couldn’t resist. I dropped all other plans and gladly went; wondering if this might be my last opportunity to […]

The Rise of the Megachurch

By John Armstrong|2006-03-01T21:35:48-06:00March 1st, 2006|Categories: The Church|

The number of megachurches, which refers to congregations with over 2,000 in weekly attendance, has more than doubled over the past five years. The number of such megachurches in America is now said to be 1,210. These churches draw an estimated 4.4 million attenders each week and collect more than $7 billion in donations per year.

I once thought that this megachurch trend was, overall, a very negative development. I generally saw megachurches as theologically compromised and culturally accommodated in harmful ways. I no longer believe this. Don’t get me wrong. I have deep concerns about some American megachurches. But I have deep concerns about most churches in the West in general. Furthermore, large churches have been part of the Christian story for centuries, not just over the last twenty years.

What I have come to see, by both more careful and honest study, as well as by first-hand experience, is that many megachurches have an incredible power to do good. Some are clearly using this power and influence in very impressive ways.

Why do people attack megachurches? […]

Dennis Prager: A Voice for Reasonable Moral Thinking

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:35-05:00February 27th, 2006|Categories: Politics|

I am not a huge fan of talk-radio, even less so of talk-television. I find much of this medium inane. It is more about entertainment than about provoking real thought. There are a few exceptions to this general rule, which proves the old adage that “exceptions prove the rule.”

I do listen to some talk-radio when I am in my car. This time period in my car is often in the middle of the day when I am going to and from appointments. One person I consistently enjoy listening to on the radio is the conservative Jewish talk-show host Dennis Prager. I have recently begun to read his online material www.dennisprager.com as well his published books. I sometimes disagree rather strongly with Prager about important moral and social issues; especially on abortion (he favors legal abortion with strong limitations in the first trimester).

Like me Dennis Prager is not a consistent conservative partisan politically. He often sides with the Republican Party on matters of national defense and public policy but his criticisms of the president, for over-spending and thus for […]

Harvard's President Resigns Under PC Fire

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:35-05:00February 22nd, 2006|Categories: Uncategorized|

Lawrence H. Summers is not a noted figure from the political right. In fact, he served as a cabinet member under President Clinton. But he has been the recipient of a barrage of politically correct attacks over recent years. Since 2001 Summers has served as the much maligned president of Harvard University and has been under great fire for some months now. Summers finally resigned yesterday, effective June 30, 2006. Sadly, his story represents a great deal of the problem in much higher education in our day.

In his resignation letter Summers said to the board of Harvard:

I have notified the Harvard Corporation that I will resign as President of the University as of June 30, 2006. Working closely with all parts of the Harvard community, and especially with our remarkable students, has been one of the great joys of my professional life. However, I have reluctantly concluded that the rifts between me and segments of the Arts and Sciences faculty make it infeasible for me to advance the agenda of renewal that I see as crucial to Harvard’s future. I […]