What does the Bible say about xenophobia?
Xenophobia is fear or hatred of anything strange or foreign, particularly as it relates to people. A xenophobe often has a severe dislike of those from other cultures. Accusations of xenophobia sometimes come up in debates about illegal immigration or how a country should respond to refugee crises. People may also be charged with xenophobia…
What should a Christian do when convictions violate a tolerant society?
Many in society today want to view themselves as “tolerant.” By that they usually mean “I accept people for who they are without passing judgment on any action or lifestyle choice.” But the biblically informed Christian cannot, in good conscience, approve of all actions or lifestyle choices; the Bible clearly delineates some lifestyles as sinful…
How should a Christian view environmentalism?
There is a difference between the biblical view of the environment and the political movement known as “environmentalism.” Understanding this difference will shape a Christian’s view of environmentalism. The Bible is clear that the earth and everything in it was given by God to man to rule over and subdue. “And God blessed them, and…
What does the Bible say about suicide?
Suicide is a tragic reality in our fallen world. That people experience desperation to the point that they believe the best option is to end their own lives is heartbreaking. To lose a loved one to suicide prompts a range of questions and a special kind of grief. But the Bible offers hope—both to those…
How should Christians respond to cancel culture?
Cancel culture is the modern social attitude that controversial speech or behavior must be punished through public shaming, silencing, boycotting, firing, bankrupting, deplatforming, etc. The result is that the offender’s influence, presence, and/or reputation is “cancelled out.” It’s proper for whistle-blowers to reveal corruption and illegality or for abused women to come forward, confront their…
What is rape culture?
The term rape culture refers to an environment in which the prevailing social attitudes normalize or trivialize sexual assault and abuse. History is replete with evidences that human civilizations as a whole have been dominated by a rape culture. Rape is still sometimes the means by which conquering armies or terror organizations display their victories.…
What is punitive justice? What does the Bible say about punitive justice?
Punitive justice places an emphasis on punishment as the best way to deter crime. The goal of punitive justice is that lawbreakers suffer the pain of punishment and determine to avoid it in the future, while onlookers will decide not to commit criminal acts so as to avoid similar treatment. In some cases, such as…
What does the Bible say about inequality?
Equal rights has been a major theme in Western culture for the last century. Because this idea of human equality is so deeply ingrained in modern societal thinking, we often assume that the Bible fully supports it as well. First, we need a clear definition of equality, which can refer to sameness in measure; likeness…
What is an incel?
The term incel is short for involuntary celibate. Incel is a self-identifier used by a group who particularly resent their inability to have a relationship, specifically a sexual relationship. The concept originally included a wide range of backgrounds and applied to different kinds of people who felt especially lonely, rejected by society, or spurned by…
What is a biblical view of social action?
In recent years Christians have stepped more boldly into the social arena and made their voices heard. Both Christians and non-Christians alike have taken another look at the Bible’s emphasis on helping the poor and speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Leviticus 25:35; Exodus 22:25; James 2:14–16). Whereas a few decades ago…