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Ignoring the Prophets of Truth Author Marilynne Robinson wrote in her novel Housekeeping: “Having a sister or a friend is like sitting at night in a lighted house. Those outside can watch you if they want, but you need not see them. You simply say, ‘Here are the perimeters of our attention. If you prowl around under the windows till the crickets...

Establishing Righteous Justice In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s masterpiece The Brothers Karamazov, the court judgments lack any moral guidance. Dmitri Fyodorovich’s defense attorney defends him to advance his own career, even though he believes Dmitri is guilty. The prosecutor Ippolit Kirillovich seeks to appease the listening crowd at the trial.

Youthful Debasement Saddam Hussein, shortly after seizing power in Iraq in July 1979, joined with ruling elite members of the Ba’ath Party to execute 22 people who had opposed his ascent to power. The Ba’ath Party Purge violently removed any competition to Hussein’s rule. Hussein was following in the footsteps of a host of rulers throughout...

Partial Obedience Probably every parent of teenagers can relate to this experience: the parent issues an instruction or relays a story, while the teen nods and murmurs “um-hmm” without looking up from his mobile phone. A few minutes later, the parent asks, “Did you hear me?” “Um-hmm,” the teen replies without moving. When the young person...

The Refugees of Judah In their book Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis, Stephan Bauman, Matthew Soerens, and Issam Smeir write: “The question of refugees—and refugee resettlement, in particular—has divided the church as well. Many Christians feel torn between the natural desire to protect themselves and their families...

A Scary Challenge to Our Faith Why do bad things happen to good people? Rabbi Harold Kushner answered that question in his bestselling book by arguing that God is loving but not omnipotent. Prominent atheists have said this is proof there is no god at all. The book of Job, however, offers a different answer: God has His own reasons that we...

The End of Evil The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, consolidated much territory under his rule and laid the foundations for what would become the modern nation. But his true obsession was his fear of death and attempt to find an elixir that would grant him immortality. He killed scholars and burned books to focus their attention on...

Is the Hebrew word for man in Genesis 1:26–27 a personal name or a generic term for humanity? Question 1 In Genesis 1:26–27, the Hebrew word, which is translated as man in our English versions, is adam. Adam is sometimes used as the name of the first man (Gen. 5:1, 3-5). But in Genesis 1:26–27, adam is used in the generic sense for humanity,...

Why did God create humanity as male and female (Gen. 1:26)? Question 3 One key question of the 21st century is what does it mean to be human. According to Gen. 1:26, God created two biological and anatomically distinct sexes, male and female. God created male and female with complementary biological and anatomical distinctions. (The details...

God Knows You Pregnant mothers are given a fascinating chart detailing the stages of growth of their unborn child. For example, in Month 1, circulation begins and the tiny heart beats 65 times a minute. The baby is only about a quarter-inch long. In Month 2, the baby’s facial features develop with little ears, fingers, toes, and eyes. Today’s...