How to do your own fact-checking

We live in an information-saturated world where it is increasingly difficult to discern facts from falsehoods, and truth from fabrication. Tech giants have largely abandoned internal fact-checking of content posted to their platforms. The rise of AI, including confected images, has accelerated the decline of public confidence in news and information sources, tempting many of …

Time to catch your breath after Easter

Easter is a busy time. For those entrusted with leading the people of God,ย the season of Lent may serve to focus deep attention on spiritualย reality,ย but theย celebrationย of Easterย is often filled with dramaticย intensity,ย layeredย worshipย services, heightened expectations, emotional proclamation, andย a desire to do justice to the mystery of theย cross and theย resurrectionย of our Lord Jesus.ย  When it is over, many …

Origin of the classic Easter greeting, “Christ is risen!”

Upon arrival at my place of worship this Easter Sunday, I was greeted by the declaration, โ€œChrist is risen!โ€ And, aware of liturgical protocol, I replied, โ€œHe is risen indeed!โ€ When I stood before my congregation to preach the Easter sermon, I spoke the declaration, and the people replied, with joy, โ€œHe is risen indeed!โ€ …

Why are there so many breeds of dog?

The extraordinary diversity of dog breeds in the modern world, from the toweringย Irish Wolfhoundย to the compactย Chihuahua, is the result of a long and intricate partnership between humans and animals. Unlike most domesticated species, dogs exhibit an extraordinary level of variation. This diversity reflects not only biological potential but also human culture and labour. Moreover, dogs …

Should Protestants reframe purgatory as final sanctification?

Last night, over a communal dinner, the conversation turned to John 17, and then to the status of Judas Iscariot, and then to the notion of โ€œperditionโ€ (Jn 17:12), which may refer to โ€œdestruction, ruin, or ultimate loss.โ€ From there, we skirted around the theology of predestination and Judasโ€™s assumed eternal fate, and then on …