Ethics & Society — Articles — Advent Christian Voices

Overcoming Social Puritanism

It was a clip that showed up a few times in my newsfeed recently, and it got me thinking.

The speaker, a prominent theologian, was speaking about "Biblical Worldview" and commenting on the intense negativity we see in today’s society. Why are people so angry? He suggested people have decided that they can “enforce judgment, decide what is to be listened to, and decide how punishments are to be executed because, partly, they have decided there is no God and no objective reality for that God to judge - that they’re going to have to do it for Him.” This perspective, in part, has played into why people are hostile to a biblical worldview and angry about what Christians believe or how we behave, so they "cancel" you. Punish you. Try to change you.

"Nothing is Real: And Nothing to Get Hung About"

Last night, I read a recent Christianity Today article about the growth of medically assisted suicide in Canada, where it has been legal nationwide since 2016. (Several U.S. states including Oregon and California also have laws permitting medically assisted suicide. In our postmodern world, suffering of any kind is taboo.

Robert Mayer, Ethics & SocietyRobert MayerJune 24, 2023postmodernism, euthanasia, assisted suicideComment

Shiny, Happy Gothard

When a friend texted me last week and suggested that I watch the new documentary about the Duggar family, Shiny Happy People, I thought it was worth a look. I had heard of the Duggar family but like all reality TV, I ignored them. I may have seen them once or twice on The Today Show but a story about a family with 19 kids struck me as unrealistic at best and bizarre at worst.

Robert Mayer, Ethics & Society, Christian lifeRobert MayerJune 6, 2023 Comments

Character is the Issue?

A quarter century ago, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckaby wrote a book titled, Character is the Issue: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America (B&H, 1997). I think the book is accidentally prophetic in ways that the author never intended.

Robert Mayer, Book Reviews, Ethics & SocietyRobert MayerApril 2, 2023Comment

The End of Roe is Very Good

Unequivocally, the end of Roe v. Wade is very good. While it does not result in abortion being banned across the United States, it opens that possibility and has obliterated the notion of a national consensus on the morality of abortion…

Is it the End for Roe v. Wade?

I’m not here to rehearse the biblical, theological, historical, and cultural arguments about abortion. Many others have done that far better than myself. The matter that is now front-and-center for Christians like myself is how we follow Christ in a post-Roe context?

Letter to a Covid Vaccine Denier

In response to our Christmas letter to family and friends, we received a rather curious response from someone who accused us of living in fear because we take the necessary precautions regarding Covid-19. The person told us to start watching vvarious far-right media sources if we wanted to know what was right about Covid-19, and also indicated that “freedom and not safety” should guide our lives. We chose to respond with what we hope was kindness and grace while at the same time offering a clear understanding based on actual medical evidence and not political propaganda. A number of friends have told me of their frustration with vaccine deniers among their family and friends. And one Tennessee megachurch pastor told his congregation that anyone who wanted to wear a mask or who had been vaccinated was not welcome in his church. Sadly, he’s not the only one. So I share this letter with you in hopes that you might find it helpful in interacting with deniers.

Robert Mayer, Ethics & SocietyRobert MayerFebruary 10, 2022covid-19, vaccines Comments

What is Progressive Christianity?

Like me, you’ve probably noticed a rise in the number of people who identify as “progressive Christians”. And if you’re like most people, you’ve wondered, “What the heck does that mean?” Well, that question is difficult to answer for a couple of reasons…

Free at Last

This year, I found a new biography that looks at MLKs life from a fresh perspective–that of Martin Luther King’s Christian faith and the philosophical and theological impulses that shaped his convictions and his work: Martin Luther King: A Religious Life by Paul Harvey. In this post, I explore a fascinating subnarrative, MLKs what ministry leadership lessons we can learn from his work.

Life in God's Image

In April 2021 our denomination passed a new resolution (#21-08) on Human Dignity, specifically addressing prior resolutions regarding abortion[…]If we are to take this resolution seriously, I believe we also need to apply the same reasoning to the topic of capital punishment.

Adventism as Political Orientation

“So…are you a socialist or a capitalist?”Smiling, I respond to my imaginary inquisitor, “I’m an adventist.”

The Complementarian Position is the Harder One to Hold

I have been following the posts and video debate of my fellow Advent Christians Catherine Rybicki, Luke Copeland and Robert Mayer concerning egalitarianism and complementarianism. By now I am sure all those who are regulars at Advent Christian Voices have no need for these terms to be defined or explained. Of these two positions I do believe that the complementarian one is the harder of the two to hold.

Spiritual Formation, Ethics & Society, Biblical Studies, Lou GoingLouis GoingAugust 15, 2021 Comments

The Problem with Valuing Moral Values

The more I consider the political and cultural landscape of our country the more concerned I become that many professing Christians are confusing the fight for moral or traditional values with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ethics & Society, Lou GoingLouis GoingJuly 8, 2021Culture WarsComment

Are You Too Patriotic?

Some people have American flag pajamas. You know it’s true. Red, white, and blue attire knows no bounds. When you see such garb, do you think it’s a bit much? Maybe too patriotic? Perhaps you do; that tends to be my opinion.

Tom Loghry, Ethics & SocietyThomas LoghryJune 30, 2021patriotism, America, Christians Comments

Abortion, Murder, and Ethical Precision

Whenever the subject of abortion is brought back to the surface of public conversation, a whirlpool of debate and ethical consternation forms. Certain questions give us pause and leave us feeling uncertain. We ponder, “Are women who get abortions no different than the common murderer?” We ask, “What about those who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy?”

"Away With the Atheists?

Last week, new survey data indicated that only 47% of Americans are connected to a church, synagogue, or mosque; a dramatic drop over the past 20 years. Lots of pundits are worried about that. I'm not and you can read why here.

Ethics & Society, Robert Mayer, UnityGuest UserApril 15, 2021 Comment

So Long to Mr. Fix-it

Yesterday, I sat in a faculty meeting as part of an ongoing conversation our school is having regarding issues related to race and ethnicity. These are hard discussions…

Ethics & SocietyRobert MayerFebruary 26, 2021racism, race, african american, whiteComment

What Now?

With all that has gone on over the last week or so, what do we do now?

I do not think that there are any of us who have grown up in the United States who have any idea what it is that we are supposed to be doing in the aftermath of riots and murders at the seat of our government. Perhaps people from other times or places might have some frame of reference, but we have none.

Having no clear path forward, I have often found it to be helpful to return to the basics…

Ethics & SocietyJosh CheneyJanuary 20, 2021Biden, Trump, election, riotComment