Society & Culture

In a move that could undo decades of American diplomacy, President Trump on Tuesday told Arab and Israeli leaders he will recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — despite opposition from many sides. A formal announcement is expected to come Wednesday, but Trump laid the groundwork on phone calls Tuesday to leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.

“Is there any possibility of getting the super Welfare State’s honey and avoiding the sting? Let us make no mistake about the sting. The Swedish sadness is only a foretaste. To live his life in his own way, to call his house his castle, to enjoy the fruits of his own labour, to educate his children as his conscience directs, to save for their prosperity after his death—these are wishes deeply ingrained in civilised man.

“The entire time, all the girls are lying?” the man shouted, right before he was escorted out of the event. “Why would they lie?” ….Pastor: “I would remind everyone,” he sniffed, “that this is a worship service.” One could laugh, or cry, or marvel at how much this strange episode eerily resembles a cut-rate, mawkish cable-TV stereotype of a benighted Southern church.

Doug Groothuis: My Dear Wormwood - I lick my parched lips with delight that our propaganda efforts are going splendidly well … We may have won the battle of words. Not that we have won any arguments—that is expecting too much. But we may have succeeded in eliminating arguments entirely. Oh, the delight in it!

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear one of the most important free speech cases in years … Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission involves Jack Phillips, a baker who claims a First Amendment right not to be compelled to design and create custom wedding cakes for same-sex weddings. Many legal commentators think the case is either a very close call or a certain defeat for Phillips.

Roger Olson: If Jesus or one of his apostles came among us (American Christians) and spent time with us in our churches and “circles,” would they recognize the church they founded and established anywhere?

“Southern Baptist institutions and other objectors to the six-year-old abortion/contraception mandate are still working to protect their freedom of conscience on a number of fronts after the Trump administration provided aid through a new rule.” BPNews

If someone tells you a scientific theory has been proven, you should ask what they mean by that. Normally, they mean “they’ve convinced themselves that this thing is true,” or they have overwhelming evidence that a specific idea is valid over a specific range. But nothing in science can ever truly be proven. It’s always subject to revision.

…the archbishop of Canterbury, said in an interview on Sunday that he doesn’t understand why President Trump enjoys such broad support among Christian fundamentalists.

Cochran was fired after he “wrote a men’s devotional book that advocated in a brief section the biblical view of marriage and sexuality, including that homosexual behavior is immoral.” BPNews