Roundtable: pacifism, guns in church, and pride
- Should church staff serving communion be required to carry concealed weapons?
The hosts debate the practical side: the Amish schoolhouse shooting and pacifism, whether communion servers should be required to carry concealed weapons (verdict: unnecessary and creepy; one trained person by the door is enough), a Texas tea-shop shooting story, and concealed-carry advice ('don't go looking for trouble'). Along the way they discuss whether evangelical Christians are weak-livered about confrontation, C. S. Lewis on humility as recognizing truth without needing credit, and pride as the root sin behind murder and the country's pride-and-greed problem.
More on Humility
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The New Testament case for human shaping
- What does the New Testament actually say about spiritual authority and submission?
Ben walks the New Testament texts: Hebrews 13:17 ('obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls') presumes a soul-watching laborer, not a rule-maker;…
From No. 600 · Rage The Elephant
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How to tell your voice from God's: the Bible test and leniency
- How can you tell the difference between you speaking and God speaking?
Ella distills the question: how do you tell the difference between you speaking and God speaking? Her first answer: we have a Bible — what God is telling you is probably already in it ('Ben's gonna have a proud papa moment').
From No. 597 · Maybe A Word From God
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Evaluating the event: Elijah, Josiah, the sign of Jonah, the donuts test
- How do we tell whether a church element has become the thing itself rather than pointing to Jesus?
The hosts work through evaluation tools for curated experiences: Elijah didn't ask God to repeat the fire, and Jesus refused to repeat signs for the Pharisees ('you get the sign…
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Dear LFTP: the untidy grandchildren's home
- How can I tell my son's family that visiting their untidy home increases my anxiety without offending them?
Mike reads a letter from a grandmother anxious about her son's untidy home; the hosts diagnose persnickety-vs-oblivious wiring (Ben's sock-on-the-floor example, Martha), advise…
From No. 589 · There Must Be A Reason