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A Day in the Life
David Michael Smeenge
Tuesday, March 2, 2010

As someone who now identifies himself as a disciple of Jesus, I often wonder what it was like for the Apostolic Disciples (the classic 12 disciples). Understanding of what their lives may have been like, for the initial three years and the years that followed, is critical to interpreting Scripture. It is difficult to remind myself that the disciples were normal men, in whatever way “normal” applies here.

A quick reflection on the pursuit of truth
David Michael Smeenge
Thursday, August 27, 2009

Most definitions of science contain something akin to ‘knowledge of truth’ and ‘using the scientific method / methodological reasoning of study.’ Nowadays, they also contain a disclaimer of ‘from the physical world’ but the basic core of finding and applying truth is still there.

Jesus Christ, on numerous occasions claimed to literally be ‘The Truth.’ That’s fairly ridiculous, and to my knowledge isn’t seen in any other major prophet or religion. Isn’t it a fairly radical idea that Truth could be a person?

Government responds to "right-wing extremists"
John Nelson
Thursday, April 23, 2009

 

April 15 is perhaps overall the most dreaded day in America each year. We all know the wonderful feeling that comes with handing our government our hard-earned money. We resign ourselves to paying taxes, even if we don't like it. This year, however, is a little different. All across the nation, organizers and grassroots organizations planned marches and rallies on April 15, Tax Day. Under the slogan "Taxed Enough Already," over 500 "tea party" protests attracted an estimated half-million supporters, including 300 right here in Houghton.

On judgment, accountability and confrontation
David Michael Smeenge
Thursday, April 23, 2009

If I was blatantly blaspheming against Christianity I would expect someone to correct me. Even if I was off on something a small bit or missing a point, or just plain wrong in something that I was doing, I would expect someone to hold me accountable to the standards that Jesus left for us. Furthermore, if I was completely disregarding Jesus in some way I would expect (or demand, for that matter) that someone had the nerve to confront me about it.

Where is God's preserved Word?
Luke Mounsey
Thursday, April 23, 2009

Having established God’s promise to preserve His Word to all generations, the question arises, If God’s Word is available today, then where is it? God’s inspired, preserved Word is available today, both in the original languages, and in translations.

Online Exclusive: Inerrancy and Infallibility in the Bible
David Michael Smeenge
Thursday, April 9, 2009

Inerrant's definition, like many definitions, varies from source to source. Generally, inerrancy is understood as "totally without error." When I was in high school, my English teacher offered us extra credit for each English-esque related error we found. When I turned in an error for extra credit taken straight out of my NRSV Bible, I received bonus points. Now, this presented me with a dilemma: if the Bible is truly without error, how is it that I find one in the Bible?

Johnsen's Comments Should Offend
John Nelson
Thursday, April 9, 2009

The Thirteenth Amendment is known by every average American, and is as follows: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

The purpose of human sexuality
Tyler Schwartz
Thursday, April 9, 2009

Scripture clearly demonstrates that God established the union between a man and his wife to be a metaphor of the relationship between God and His people - between Christ and His church. Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians: "'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:31-32 ESV).

How should Christians deal with media bias?
Stephen Anderson
Thursday, April 9, 2009
In such a fast-paced culture, where there is far more information out there than any one person can possibly soak up, people are forced to get information from other (supposedly) reliable sources. This is unavoidable, but the difficulty comes in determining how accurate and unbiased that information truly is. This is particularly difficult for Christians in a culture that is so bent on tolerance and acceptance, often of beliefs that directly or indirectly contradict the Bible itself, which is the (only) absolute truth.
Have we forgotten how to act like Christ?
David Michael Smeenge
Thursday, March 26, 2009

I was impressed by the attendance of both skeptics and believers at the Creationist speaker and showing of Religulous this weekend, but was disappointed in the approach some believers took towards the skeptics. During the creationist speaker I was grateful that some members of the newly formed Skeptic's Society at Tech, composed primarily of atheists and agnostics, were in attendance. The skeptics were the ones near the front primarily dominating the Q&A period.

Colored by weights, not numbers
Duane Stephenson
Thursday, March 26, 2009

We can often look at other people and think that others have it so much better. Perhaps less often, we perceive glimpses of poorer societies and we think that others have it so much worse. Even in our own lives, the intensity of difficulty can vary dramatically. Sometimes we can feel as free and happy as a free and happy bird flying through the air, and yet at other times we feel loaded down like a heavy load, low on energy or motivation. Why do these weights of life vary so much, in variety and in strength?

Price check on worship, aisle 9!
Aaron Vergin
Thursday, March 26, 2009

"Call within the next ten minutes and receive 3 CD's packed with all of your favorite praise and worship songs - all for only $19.99!  But wait!  There's more..."  I overheard my television singing and seducing from the next room over.  I didn't realize it at the time, but this meager commercial would really begin to bother me as the days passed.

Through God's filter
John Nelson
Thursday, March 26, 2009

We live in a culture that is constantly throwing information at us. Everywhere we go, we see television, newspapers, and the Internet ablaze with the latest local and world news. We struggle to stay above the surface as it all rushes by, and many times it seems we don't have enough time to break apart the meat from the bones, so to speak. While a great source for news, secular media is just that: secular.

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