I have a confession to make. I don’t like the three angels’ messages. My discomfort with Revelation 14:6-11 goes back to the summer I was 9, in the primary pavilion at camp meeting. That’s when I learned the already familiar verses as a Scripture song. Even at that young age it was clear to me that “he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone” is
Born in the early 80s, I joined the largest generation so far in history, later referred to as the “Millennials” by Neil Howe and William Strauss.[1] Growing up with the Internet, this new generation is pragmatic, nomadic, impatient and technologically savvy. Raised in a world of virtual technologies, we are always expecting to be updated with cutt
Those who believe in the biblical view of sexuality are treading the well-worn path of scriptural literalists who, in ages past, supported slavery using precisely the same mode of textual interpretation—or so goes the argument. Dr. Robert Cargill of the University of Iowa put the view forward rather vigorously in his blog: “Let me say this to those
It was the last day of school before Christmas break. As my students exchanged gifts, I noticed that some students did not receive gifts, while others received two or three (the students didn’t have a “party;” it was just those who wanted to give to their friends). I watched a few sad faces, and a few “oh-well” faces, but the kids who struck me the
God is omniscient; God is omnipotent. God is omnipresent. We grew up with these notions of God burned into our brains. When they explained to us that he knows all, is capable of all, and is everywhere, we thought, how natural; that is just like God. He couldn’t be any other way. We have grown up, and our questions have multiplied fruitfully and fil
Since Charles Darwin first published his landmark work, On the Origin of Species, the fields of science and religion have continually clashed over the subject of origins. In recent decades, this long-standing controversy has escalated with the rise of so-called “new atheism,” championed collectively by Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris an
One of the central arguments raised against the Christian worldview is that its core tenets are anti-intellectual. Critics argue that Christianity is based on faith in the Bible’s authenticity, rather than solid evidence in its favor. Does the Bible require us to surrender our intellect and common sense in order to accept its claims, or does it wel
If you are an Adventist, you probably believe that the redeemed will spend a millennium in heaven after Jesus’ second coming to earth. It is something we look forward to and often talk about when we think of heaven. But did you know that not all Christians understands the millennium as Adventists do? In fact, four major views of the millennium have
In an earlier news update, L. S. Baker, Jr., outlined a few reasons why there is a need to study the composition of the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy; also called the Torah). While for Christians who take Scripture seriously as trustworthy, true, and accurate, it seems like a given that Moses wrote most of the content in these books, for
“Hey, Scottie,” Kenneth Bergland called, “Filipe [Masotti] and myself are trying to get Ph.D. students together with a wide background of interests and specialties to begin a study group that has an interdisciplinary approach. We are thinking of studying the Pentateuch. We would like some archaeology students. Are you interested?” I was. And so beg
