Pastor's Blog

In light of the debate about the Second Amendment and the gun laws our President would like to see imposed, it might not be inappropriate to remind ourselves of the Founders' views on the subject.  James Madison, in Federalist 46, argued in favor of ratifying the Constitution in spite of the fears of the anti-federalists that the federal government would then have the authority to command a “regular army” and thus the power to deprive the people of their liberty. There were, in Madison’s view, two insurmountable obstacles to this kind of federal tyranny:  (1) the power of the state governments, and (2) a well-armed American populace, two advantages not enjoyed, he observed, by the people in the nations of Europe. Here are his words: Extravagant as the supposition is, let it however be made. Let a regular army, fully equal to the resources of the country, be formed; and let it be entirely at the devotion of the federal government; still it would not be going too far to ...

I have been only vaguely aware of an Atlanta minister by the name of Louie Giglio. What brought him to my attention today was an announcement he made concerning his voluntarywithdrawal from participation in President Obama’s upcoming inauguration on January 21. He had been invited to offer a benediction—an invitation he at first accepted, but has since declined. And why did he decline? Because an organization called ThinkProgress uncovered a veritable scandal. It seems that Giglio, the pastor of Passion City Church, committed a heinous offense.  What grave misdeed did he commit, you ask, to move him to offer this voluntary penance? Nearly twenty years ago he preached a sermon in which he said—oh, the horror of it!—that homosexual acts are sinful. ThinkProgress posted excerpts of the sermon, which they characterized as “disturbing” and “rabidly anti LGBT”.  They were nothing of the sort, of course. The excerpts clearly show Giglio’s concern for people ensnared by this part...