Is food the number one priority for poor people? Not necessarily, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Abhijit Banerjee. Motivated by the idea that the poor are starving, Western aid often focuses on providing food. But Banerjee argues that while nutrition is important, it’s not necessarily a poor person’s only priority. Rather, the poor […]
It’s better to be ruled by a wise Turk…
Many have tried to document the Luther quote: “It’s better to be governed by wise Turk than a foolish Christian.” The problem is that Luther never said it quite so succinctly. But Pastor Ron Marshall (Seattle WA) has found a reference that comes very close: “The question has been properly raised whether a prince is […]
The “real Lutheran view” about Mary? One moment, please!
“….Mary prays for the Church, and the saints do, too [?]….I no longer get bent when I hear of prayers to Mary….since she and the saints do pray with and for the Church.” According to Russ Saltzman, this is the “real Lutheran view,” what Lutherans “actually” and “officially” hold. [1] Just one moment, please! As […]
Cult of Three Cups of Tea should have known better
“The first tip-off that Greg Mortenson’s memoir Three Cups of Tea has some credibility issues comes in the book’s introduction. Co-author David Oliver Relin writes that as Mortenson is flying over Pakistan, the helicopter pilot marvels to Mortenson, ‘I’ve been flying in northern Pakistan for 40 years. How is it you know the terrain better […]
Forde-ism 9
Forde on Christian growth “ ‘The calling’ is to serve God. One shouldn’t mistake the idea of [the] calling to be that we receive some kind of mysterious message from God about what we’re supposed to be doing. We are supposed to be serving God in whatever we’re doing. So that the major point of […]