With more than 50 years of faithful preaching of the Scriptures and zero public scandals, Pastor Begg had certainly earned my unofficial designation as a “solid” celebrity pastor. However, his recent handling of a cultural matter countered a Biblical worldview, and this was not at all consistent with the reputation that has long preceded him.
Which begs the question that many have raised in recent weeks: What are we, as Believers, now to do with Alistair Begg?
Since publishing the original SITMAC series in 2018, I’ve received several requests to write another installment. Admittedly, I didn’t believe one would be necessary because, as my logic went, by exposing the up and coming protégés of the old guard (see Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, etc), it should be easy to sniff out other false and extremely problematic preachers and pastors by association. Those birds all seemed to flock together, so writing about yet another member of their coop felt redundant.
What I didn’t consider at the time, however, was the role social media was beginning to play in platforming charlatans who don’t necessarily have ties to the old guard. I also didn’t consider how, thanks to social media, false teachers and problematic brothers (and sisters) no longer need a pulpit or a local church to sow error and confusion before a mass of God’s people.
Prior to episode 902 of the Relatable Podcast with Allie Beth Stuckey, I had extremely little knowledge of Kat Von D.
I’ve certainly heard her name in passing as I’ve consumed pop culture news over the years. In recent weeks, for example, I’d seen various headlines reporting on her recent baptism into Christianity. So, indeed, I’ve definitely heard of her.
Yet, I’m embarrassed to admit that I was so unfamiliar with her claims to fame and professional résumé that I initially confused her with the burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. In my defense, both women do have “Von” in their names; they’re both undeniably gorgeous, fair-skinned brunettes who often rock a bold, red lip; and they are both closely associated with Marilyn Manson.
In the premiere episode of Season 4 of Truth + Fire: The Podcast, host Veritéetfeu tackles "married single motherhood", a parenting phenomenon where married mothers take on the sole responsibility to care for their children. But is this practically beneficial for the mother, the father or their children? More importantly, is it Biblical?
While browsing through Twitter the other day, I happened upon an interesting post from one of my favorite Christian writers, Samuel Sey.
In it, he declared:
“If a woman doesn’t want to be a mother, she shouldn’t be a wife. My dude, stay away from her.”
Founder and blogger at slowtowrite.com and contributing writer for various other outlets, Sam has done well to pen prolific thought pieces on the state of our culture, and he always endeavors to do so through a Biblical worldview. We also share a platform at Pyrolithos Foundation, where we each publish articles that address cultural issues from a Biblically-conservative perspective. In other words, Sam and I are on the same team; he is indeed my brother in the Lord; and, in most instances, I agree with his commentary.
Yet, admittedly, I found his tweet to be a bit provocative and potentially discouraging.
The debate over student loan forgiveness has been a surprisingly controversial topic among Americans and Christians alike. In this episode, host Veritéetfeu picks up where her article Student Loan Forgiveness: Considerations for Conservative Christians leaves off to discuss the realities, reactions, and the rhetoric surrounding this topic.
The day the Biden Administration announced its Student Loan Debt Plan, my best friend sent me a text.
“Thoughts?”, it read.
It accompanied an infographic detailing who qualifies for student loan forgiveness and the maximum amount to be forgiven per borrower under the Plan.
My immediate response was, “It ain’t enough,” along with a laugh out loud emoji.
I then went on to express that if this plan would tank the American economy, “I don’t want it.” “For me, if they could just waive the interest, I’d be grateful,” I added.
“I’m glad I went ahead and paid off my loans, with the help of [my husband] of course,” my best friend replied. “I wouldn’t qualify for this program anyway.”
My best friend, a mechanical engineer, paid off her student loans a few years back thanks to an aggressive repayment plan she and her husband, also a mechanical engineer, devised. I saw the sacrifices they made and was there to witness God lovingly “interrupting” their plan along the way with the birth of their children. But, eventually, she would taste the gloriousness that is freedom from student loan debt, and I have continued to praise the Lord on her behalf for that!
My scenario hasn’t been quite the same, but I’ve been nonetheless on my own plight to rid myself of student loan debt.
