Weekly Roundup
Herod’s Tomb Found
Did everyone hear about this? Yes, it seems the Tomb of “Herod the Great, the ruthless ruler who is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew as governing Judea during the time of Christ’s birth and who also led a massive expansion of the Second Temple”, has been found.
Further reading on this: Denny Burk, Haaretz.com, Bible Places Blog, and you can see pictures here.
SBC Pres Sets Record Straight
Frank Page sets record straight on his education stance
CCM Redefines Christian Music
“This month marks a historic step for our magazine, and, as a result, the fans and the industry we serve,” said CCM Editor Jay Swartzendruber. “We’re going to start mixing indie and general market Christians such as The Fray, Mary J. Blige and Sufjan Stevens in with artists with traditional Christian label affiliation. Rather than define ‘Christian music’ just by its label or distribution, we’re now defining it as Christian worldview music. CCM Magazine has always taken its role as a leader seriously, and we believe this is the way of the future.”
You can read the whole press release here. I agree with Denny. Bravo! Friends, there is no such genre of music as “Christian”. Good job CCM.
Driscoll on Packer
Mark Driscoll gives us some good words on some good words he heard live from J.I. Packer. Read it.
Comfort/Cameron vs. The Athiests
Here is my initial post. Here is Nick’s post on it. Here is Justin’s post on it. Here is the debate. I haven’t watched it so I shan’t comment.
In The Womb
On “In The Womb” by Dr. Mohler. Check it out. Psalm 139 comes to life.
That is all I have time for. Enjoy the weekend, and to all the moms out there, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Follower of The Way 
on May 11, 2007 on 11:00 pm
I don’t see how ANY pastor in good conscience can say he supports a parent’s decision to send their children to evolution training camps every day. Mr. Page sure clarified his stance. It’s really no stance at all. Now I do understand that there are people under a pastor’s care who do send their children to public schools. I would assume these elders are teaching these parents about the importance of establishing a Christian worldview rather than encouraging a decision to do the opposite. Someone told me today that they feel that if a Christian family refuses to give their child a Christian education that church discipline should be used.
There is obviously a negative view about an “exiting” of public schools or else Mr. Page would not have felt it necessary to issue a response. He obviously did not want to be associated with the “Exodus Mandate”. The question for me is why do we need a group like “Exodus Mandate”? The Holy Scriptures are pretty clear in how we are to train up our children.
on May 12, 2007 on 7:31 pm
Garbage! No wonder the SBC has such a high turn over rate of teenagers walking away from the Faith by the time they are 21. Get a clue SBC! RJ, your blog entries never cease to amaze me. Are you intentionally scrapping the bottom of the barrell for material to post? 😉 I would rather see UNC roll over Duke for the rest of my natural born life than see pastors, nay SBC Presidents, play pattie cake- pattie cake with atheist factories (pubwick skoolz). It’s sin plain and simple.
on May 13, 2007 on 10:29 pm
Stop beating around the bush BJ…tell us how you really feel!
on May 14, 2007 on 9:31 am
Guys,
1) I don’t support Christians sending their children to government schools (let’s call them what they are).
2) I think it is unwise in most cases to send you child to a government school that teaches from a patently unbiblical worldview.
3) I view Christian teachers teaching in a government school the same I would someone working for another branch of the government. I support their decision and pray they have a lasting affect on students.
4) But to bring this up as a matter of church discipline to me seems…well…dumb. If we did that the only consistent thing to do would be to bring up people for church discipline for not reading their bibles every day, not praying enough, not spending enough time teaching their children, mom’s not staying at home, etc. Things like money issues, spiritual maturity, etc. have to be taken into consideration. If this is a discipline warrenting action, then you have to do it to everyone no matter what stage they are in their christian walk and their life circumstances. Sorry, can’t help you with that one. Seems like a uncharitable, graceless, legalistic position to me. This is a wisdom issue, not a law one.
on May 14, 2007 on 10:33 am
Guys,
I agree with Russ comments completely.Although my heart breaks for children who are exposed to any unbiblical teaching we cannot blanket condemn everyone for having there children in public schools.This is one reason in my opinion why christians don’t have much impact in our society today because we don’t know how to talk through issues without condemning the other side.I won’t even comment on the church discipline remark.That is just plain silly.My thoughts.
Steve
on May 14, 2007 on 11:09 am
Steve,
Thanks for the comment. I agree 100% about condemning attitudes. They are conversation stoppers and do nothing but divide and foster arrogance. Could that be why The Lord adorns the humble with salvation? (Psalm 149:4) I’m speaking to myself as much as anyone else.
on May 14, 2007 on 12:33 pm
Russ,
We talked briefly about this on Saturday. I had never heard the argument for church discipline before until the other day. It just happened to be the same day you posted the “roundup” so I threw it out there to see how people would respond. I’m surprised more people didn’t weigh in on it. Along those lines it really got me thinking(not about taking people in front of a church for sending their kids to public schools) but thinking about how serious and committed I am to the things of God in all areas of my life.(many of the things you mentioned in point 4). I’ll give a brief response to the points you made.
1)Agree-I named them according to their byproduct,but yes,they are gov’t schools
2)What few cases would be considered wise to send them to gov’t schools?
3)Agree
4)Church discipline? I don’t know. I had never heard that before last week. Based on your last sentence-Are you saying that how we train up our children falls under Christian liberty? Saying there is only one preferred method(you should homeschool not use private schools or vice versa) would be legalistic,but are you saying that to tell someone that they are wrong to abdicate their parental responsibility over to nonChristians is being legalistic? Of course I know that all things are to be done in love and there is a right and wrong way to say things, but I see nothing wrong with telling someone that.
Steve,
We fail to impact our society because we have given a whole generation over to secular humanism.:) I understand the point you are making. We need to have the right attitude when we dialogue with each other.
on May 14, 2007 on 2:18 pm
Dax,
Well, I had a big long reply and lost it in cyberspace! So this will be the condensed version.
2) Single mom, deadbeat dad, no money, church is strapped. Gov’t school only option. I can imagine several more scenarios where gov’t school is the only option, albeit temporary in some.
4) Yes, how we train our children falls under Christian liberty. What we train them does not. Neither does the bible say we can’t delegate teaching to others, even a non-Christian. We have a positive commandment to train them in the nurture and instruction of The Lord. I’m quite certain in the history of the world Christian children have been educated biblically by non-Christians, and the parents were not sinning, but carrying out their Christian duty in the context of their time and place in history. I am NOT SAYING we should strive to do this or anything like that, but trying to point out the illogical nature of the “church discipline” argument.
Case in point. There are Christians who have sent their children to gov’t schools but AT THE SAME TIME have trained them up by biblical standards and did pretty good at it. They did this in spite of the gov’t school environment and teachings, but they did it. I can think of numerous examples of this.Are you going to perform church discipline on the parent who can’t homeschool or afford private school but who spends all their time with their children instructing them biblically, doing the best they can? Again, I am not advocating this method.
The more I think about that idea the more it becomes, to me, pretty ridiculous. There is probably a good reason you haven’t heard it before last week.
on May 14, 2007 on 3:35 pm
Condensed? I hope you still had time to eat on your lunch break.:)
on May 14, 2007 on 5:07 pm
Yes, McDonalds drive thru is pretty quick. Uh-oh…better watch out, that may get me under church discipline for improper use of the temple! Not a good steward either…I should have brought my lunch! 😉
on May 14, 2007 on 9:36 pm
RJ,
Interesting thoughts on the matter. What about people who know the debate and clearly understand both sides and still refuse to educate their children via Christain education. I only ask because I am considering sending Bryce to a school where he will be taught to hate God and His Law. He will also be taught that the story of creation is a myth, and if I am lucky that Jesus is a myth as well. He will also be told that the Bible is no different than any other book.
I see no real problem here. Who I let teach my child about origins, purpose, and things to come is totally a liberty I will cash in on, right? I can always teach them other wise only I am not considered scientific. My child will recieve an Objective education from this institution which should be effective in Kingdom work. Gimmie a break!
Jesus said that we are either for Him or against Him. That sounds like the law of excluded middle to me. You are saying it is O.K. to situationally be on the opposite side of Christ.
Furthermore, just becasue parents in history “might ” have suceeded in parenting Godly children through atheist factories does not in anyway justify it. You also contradict yourself in #4 when you say
” Neither does the bible say we can’t delegate teaching to others, even a non-Christian. We have a positive commandment to train them in the nurture and instruction of The Lord.”
How does the Bible not say that we can’t delegate teaching to others, and then also command “Us” (Parents) to train “them”(our children) in the nuture and insruction of the Lord? Now that’s “illogical.”
Also this :
“I’m quite certain in the history of the world Christian children have been educated biblically by non-Christians, and the parents were not sinning, but carrying out their Christian duty in the context of their time and place in history. ”
How does Christian duty become relative? Are you a Christian relativist? Is God’s commands only binding in certain places and at certain times in history? I don’t understand.
The only dicotomy I will give your analysis is that of a new Christian, and someone who has sat under the teaching of Elders who have railed against pubwic schoolz for years. That is to say, it may be granted as liberty though short lived just like a new Christain struggling in a sin. Once a New believer grows enough to understand the simple things of the Christian Worldview the time is up. Christian education is as much a doctrine of the Christain Worldview as any other doctrine. In fact is it’s foundational. It is not a liberty. Draw a line in the sand, dude. A spade is a spade.
on May 17, 2007 on 2:02 pm
BJ,
Thanks for the comments and clarifying your stance. We’ll have to agree to disagree on the “church discipline” issue. I think at this point I’ll just let the reader decide who is presenting a view on education that is consistent with biblical precepts and Christian principles. I’m all for drawing lines in the sand, I just don’t want to make them narrower (or wider) than the Bible does. I think we need to be very careful calling something sin that is not explicitly given as such.
I just want to emphasize that I am not arguing for sending Christian children to government schools, or endorsing that as a wise option. I *am* against a view, that in my opinion, is obviously not explicitly given to us in the Bible, seems legalistic, uncharitable, and fraught with seed that can sow divisiveness among Christian brethren. God help us if that happens.