Pastor's Blog

Introduction The idea of reparations for slavery has been around in one form or another since the time of the Civil War. [1]   Recently, the subject has received renewed attention as several Democratic candidates for president have announced their support for the idea.   They argue that the legacy of slavery and its attendant evils are largely responsible for the disparities we see today between whites and blacks in terms of their respective educational achievement, household income, net worth, homeownership, unemployment and incarceration rates, etc.    For instance, a ccording to studies done by the Pew Research Center in 2015, 36 percent of whites over the age of 25 have at least a bachelor’s degree compared with only 23 percent of blacks.      Whites have a significantly higher household income ($71,300) than blacks ($43,300). Homeownership is more common for whites than for blacks:   72 percent vs. 43 percent.  ...

Introduction Immigration has been at the forefront of our nation’s political divide for quite some time. Few issues are as divisive. Passions run high. Discussions frequently generate more heat than light. They often devolve into shouting matches and name-calling. Advocates of one position or another substitute slogans and chants for reasoned discourse. What is a Christian to think? As always, we should seek guidance from Scripture. “But,” someone may ask, “does Scripture even speak to the issue?” Indeed, it does. It addresses the issue both in broad principles as well as in numerous specific commandments. Staking the Positions Let’s begin by staking out the various positions. There are—at least theoretically— three . First, an increasing number of people on the left of the political spectrum (along with some Libertarians) advocate for a policy of “open borders.” This is the position that people should have a free and unrestricted right to enter and exit any country they pl...