Biblical Insight Tag

09 Nov 2012 Gideon Strauss on Principled Pluralism

Find an 8 minute video of Gideon Strauss making the case for Principled Pluralism here. This is a concept that has been expounded further in God & Government, a quality book recently written by ARPA board member Dr. Cornelis Van Dam. What follows is the description of the short video: "From debates about the hiring practices of churches to rumors of community adherence to Sharia law, Americans have long been facing questions regarding the role of various religions in public life. As our nation grows increasingly diverse, can we coexist...

09 Jul 2012 Canada Day Sermon: God Surrounds His People

{s5_mp3}http://www.arpacanada.ca/attachments/1601_slaa.mp3{/s5_mp3} Note: You can find another Canada Day sermon, in text (not MP3) by Rev. G. Nederveen here. On July 1st, 2012 Pastor James Slaa of the Canadian Reformed Church in Smithers BC delivered a very relevant sermon on Psalm 139:8-10, a text found in the Memorial Chamber of Canada's Parliament buildings. "If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there you...

09 Jul 2012 Canada Day Sermon – Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord

On Canada Day, Rev. G. Nederveen preached a sermon on Psalm 33:12a which is very applicable for all Canadian Christians, especially as it relates to our engagement with our government and society. Here follows the text, reproduced with permission from the pastor: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord - Psalm 33:12a  Today is Canada Day. Our country is celebrating its 145th birthday as a nation. And that calls for celebration. When we celebrate an event we usually reflect upon what we have received and achieved. For Christians it is always a time in which we focus upon the blessings of the Lord.  Now in terms of age, Canada's 145 years is but a drop in the bucket compared to other nations. The Chinese culture is at least 30 times older. And when we go back to biblical times then we hear about nations and cultures that are older still.

18 Jun 2012 Child Sacrifice

by Cornelis Van Dam (first published in Clarion, Volume 61 No. 12, June 8, 2012)In the world of ancient Israel, child sacrifice was a reality in pagan religion. So much so that God warned his people to have nothing to do with the practice even before they entered the Promised Land (Lev 18:21; 20:2-5). "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire!" (Deut 18:10). This horrific practice did however take place in Israel in both the northern and southern kingdoms. It was also part of the reason why God sent his people into exile (2 Kings 16:3; 17:17; 21:6; Ezek 16:20-21). While we today can recoil at the thought of taking your own offspring and laying them on the altar of a pagan god such as Molech, the question can be raised whether the danger and temptation to commit child sacrifice is not becoming stronger as our society drifts from its Christian moorings. Children today are also being sacrificed to idols of one's own making.

25 Apr 2012 Reflections on Chuck Colson & his last speech

Mark Penninga (April 25, 2012): Chuck Colson's promotion to eternity on Saturday leaves a void that will be hard to fill on this earth. Not many others have so faithfully given their lives to upholding Christ in the secular West. His leadership has inspired many, including myself, to make our political lives consistent with our faith. It was Colson's book "Loving God" that has been, apart from the Bible, the most influential book in my life. One paragraph gripped me like few other things ever have. I remember even making it the text on my computer screensaver back in my second year of university:

08 Dec 2011 Democracy Poetry: Submit In Love And Service

Martin Luther had a dream once, like a poet has a vision,Many people, mostly sceptics, holding them both in derision,Much prefer to spend their time on gambling, porn or television,With good laws that are enacted, they press for major revision.

09 Sep 2011 Political self-defense: Some people find Christianity quite offensive – it just isn’t so

By Michael Wagner, Originally published in the February 2011 issue of Reformed Perspective magazine(http://reformedperspective.ca/), page 8 The concept of self-defense is easy to understand and its validity is recognized by most people, whether Christian or not. If somebody is attacked, it is easy to understand that fighting back is a proper and even moral thing to do. That’s why people sympathize with the victim in these situations—self-defense seems naturally just.

15 Mar 2011 Debate: Ethics without belief is not only implausible, it’s impossible

The following article, by ARPA Canada board member Neil Dykstra, was published in the Calgary Beacon in response to an opinion piece by Janet Keeping, president, and Dan Shapiro, research associate, of the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership. You can find their response here. Ms. Keeping and Mr. Shapiro, in their agreement with the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal decision that banned prayer in Saguenay’s city hall, describe a vision for Canada in which government policies are made without any influence whatsoever from religion. They invert “Freedom of religion” into its exact opposite – where only humanist ethics are acceptable in the public square, to the exclusion of all other belief systems. In so doing, they ignore the pluralist foundation of Canada’s constitution and history.

22 Feb 2011 Video: What Does God Require in the Sixth Commandment?

Pastor James Visscher (Langley Canadian Reformed Church) applies Lord's Day 40 of the Heildelberg Catechism to issues like capital punishment, abortion, and how we treat others in our daily lives. ...

03 Feb 2011 Free e-booklet: Public Religion in a Privatized Society by Ray Pennings

On May 4, 2010, Ray Pennings (Senior Fellow and Director of Research at Cardus) made a presentation to MPs in the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. The event was organized by ARPA Canada and was co-sponsored by Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott and Liberal MP John McKay. The presentation was a condensed version of this document. The extra information in this booklet was prepared by Mr. Pennings to supplement his talk. Booklets are available by contacting [email protected]