Tried With Fire

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 If you asked me to define the sanctity of life, here it is: Since all human beings are made in the image of God, all human beings should receive dignity, respect, and the right to life. This applies to the born and unborn. This applies to male and female. This applies to all people regardless of their race or ethnicity. The sanctity of life is not based on the ability to function independently or even the value with which a person contributes to society at large. The sanctity of life is an issue of personhood  because identity is individual and never subsumed by another person regardless of the relationship. I think this definition covers what most evangelical Christians believe especially when it comes to defending the rights of the unborn. The gruesome videos exposing the horrific practices of Planned Parenthood only emphasize the fact tha...

Trigger warning: Rape, violence against women, target/victim blaming, objectification. The Bible isn't a book of nice moral stories on how to be a good person. It contains very stark pictures of the sin and the brokenness of mankind after the fall. One of these depictions is in Genesis 34. Jacob's daughter, Dinah, is seen by Shechem, a prince in the city where they are sojourning. He takes her and rapes her. Then he wants to marry her. What follows is mutual deceit on both sides. Shechem's father suggests they strike a bargain and begin to intermarry, which is agreed upon by Simeon and Levi but only if the men are circumcised. The men of Shechem think this is a small price to pay because they will eventually assimilate Jacob's family and his wealth. But Simeon and Levi are plotting to kill them in their weakness and not only that - they have misused and abused a covenant sign from God to exact their revenge. Once the deed is done, Jacob's sons take the property...