When Helping God is Lethal
I have an atheist friend who hates the Bible because of the Old Testament: the violent wars, people struck dead, and idea of a fearful God. He doesn’t …
Cultural Creep
Imagine There’s No Heaven
Early one spring morning in 1971, John Lennon sat at a Steinway piano in his bedroom and composed one of the most popular songs of all time. His wife, …
Why Can’t We Forgive Ourselves?
I know a man convicted of a violent crime against someone he loves. He acted in a momentary rage. He had never been violent before. It shocked him. …
When Salvation Isn’t Enough
Years ago I worked with a man whose native language was Selfdeceitish. He once boasted how he stunned a client silent with his “brilliant analysis.” …
The Pimps and the Prostitutes Are Closer to Heaven Than We Are
Immanuel Kant was arguably the leading architect of the Enlightenment. He was raised in a pietistic family that embraced devotion to God, Scripture, …
Improving God
Bertrand Russell was one of the most influential philosophical thinkers of the 20th Century. He described himself as agnostic in general but atheist …
Humanizing Hitler
I recently heard of a movie made nineteen years ago. (I’m usually twenty-five years behind, so nineteen years late is up-to-date for me.) The movie …
When Success Fails
Twenty-five years ago, a client of mine became president of his company. It happened through a fluke (he was a mid-level manager), good luck, and a …
Counterfeit Spirituality
Three years ago, my wife and I hosted a smart, promising young woman for dinner. Though well liked and professionally successful, she was suffering …
Hunting Heroes
A few years ago I saw a video of a famous Christian writer who has morphed his verbal skills into marketing savvy. He teaches both the secular and …
Political Popular Science
A hundred years ago, prominent elements of the Western World’s political and intellectual elite embraced a new and exciting scientific theory. Leaders …
My First Parachute Jump … and My Last
As a young boy, my weekends were filled with imaginary World War II battles. Nearby parks fielded the Battle of the Bulge, and the skeleton of a local …