Sin Outlawed . . . Again

A news article about the religious history of the Chicago area began with this paragraph about Zion, a small town north of the city: "Rev. John Alexander ...

Sin Hard to Kill

Dead snakes can bite. Dead snakes bit five of thirty-five snakebite victims admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital [in Phoenix, Arizona, in a one year period] ...

Kofi Annan Faces Evil

United Nations leader Kofi Annan travels the world visiting areas of some of the worst violence and cruelty in human history. Few men have the responsibility ...

Augustine's Joy in Sin

Once, during the holidays, [before his conversion, early church father] Augustine robbed a pear tree. He tells of the event with a quite extraordinary ...

Marilyn Manson Doesn't Blame Devil

After being blamed for inciting the Columbine shootings, rock star Marilyn Manson argued in Rolling Stone:

I'm a controversial artist, one who dares ...

Seared Conscience

During my college years—in my infinite wisdom—it occurred to me that it made no sense to stop at red traffic lights when there was clearly ...

Self-Destructive Habits

While staying with my friends Tim and Jill Jones, I watched their hamster, Hammy, in his little cage. Hammy has a warm nest of cedar shavings to curl ...

Lessons from a Drunk Peasant

Human nature is like a drunk peasant. Lift him into the saddle on one side, over he topples on the other side.

Real Consistency

The only way to be "truly" consistent is as a non-Christian. If we are to be Christians at all, we will be inconsistent ones. We will be right ...

There But for the Grace of God Go I

As murder storywriters assume, and as most of us learn in experience, we have in us capacities for fury, fear, envy, greed, conceit, callousness, and ...