Some Different Post-Election Reflections

My first draft of this rejoinder mysteriously disappeared. Given our times, I should say the Woke Left did it, and if Trump had been put in office sooner, I’d still have my file.

No, let’s just go with, “the dog ate my homework.” So I am cranking out a new post. Apologies for the length. I won’t have time to edit it down.

Discussion

Syria and Just War Doctrine

Body

“Of course, the effects of the fall on creation, people, and nations will never be wholly erased until Christ’s return. Until then, as Ecclesiastes observed, there is indeed a time to kill.” - Breakpoint

Discussion

Can Christians Consider Mass Deportations As Moral?

Body

“There’s intense debate over practicalities in Trump’s plan regarding the money required and whether Congress will appropriate it, how to track down persons living here illegally…. Beyond calculations on what’s feasible or wise or popular, Christians are pondering what’s moral and immoral.” - Religion Unplugged

Discussion

The Need for Protestant Ethicists: A Response to Carl Trueman

Body

“Trueman is correct that moral sensibilities have profoundly shifted both within the church and without in recent decades. The church is generally ill-equipped even to begin formulating rationale to address the complex ethical questions it is confronted with.” - Mere Orthodoxy

Discussion

Yes, it’s wrong to gamble

Body

“Profiting from the weakness and misfortune of others is no way to treat a neighbor.” - World

Discussion

Is Ethics Ever a Matter of “Indifference”?

The term ἀδιάφορα (adiaphora), literally, matters that are to be viewed with indifference or that make no difference, does not appear in the Christian Scriptures and does not feature significantly in Christian Theology until the Reformation era. The term does, however, predate the Christian period by several centuries, being well-established in Greek philosophy/ethics. For instance,

Discussion

Just War 101 – Necessity Is Necessary

Body

“It may be that a given action—a particular search and destroy mission—is low on the necessity spectrum. On such occasions, if other values—such as force protection or noncombatant immunity, are sufficiently at risk then prudence might dictate standing down.” - Providence

Discussion