In 1889, Jane Addams founded Hull House, a Chicago charity that prided itself in the absence of religious affiliation. This product of Social Universalism became the inspiration of governmental social work programs of the 1930s and community action programs of the 1960s. The nation’s first major political attempt at a
Horace Greeley was America’s leading journalist of the 19th century. A Universalist, Greeley believed that people were naturally good and that every person has a right to both eternal salvation and temporal prosperity. While Greeley considered himself a Christian, he rejected the biblical idea that a man’s sinful nature leads
It has been said that cultures build systems of charity in the image of the God they worship. In other words, the foundational belief systems of a society will inevitably determine the culture of that society, which, in turn, will shape its institutions and programs—including those dedicated to poverty fighting.
The babies are alive. A recent headline from the little-known Center for Medical Progress should be front and center on every major newspaper and news broadcast: “University of Pittsburgh ADMITS Hearts Beating While Harvesting Aborted Infants’ Kidneys.” The Roe v Wade decision by the Supreme Court legalized aborting babies; it
The Apostle Peter, in his first epistle, writes to the persecuted church, believers suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ at the hands of Roman authorities and the pagan world. Peter acknowledges that suffering and instructs them how to deal with it in a redemptive way. The Apostle Paul, in
Centuries after the gospel brought compassion to ancient Rome, the context of our world today is equally difficult. I have been told of places in Africa where twins are seen as an evil omen; at birth they are not allowed to live. The reality of people begging on the streets
Why does the world hate the Jews? Dennis Prager relates Hitler’s answer to this question. “We are fighting,” he said, “against the most ancient curse that humanity has brought upon itself. Against the so-called Ten Commandments, against them we are fighting.” His life’s mission, he said, was to destroy “the
Courage in Tiananmen Square I had never felt more alive than the day I stood with a group of pro-life protesters before a police station in Tucson, Arizona, hands cuffed behind my back. About a hundred of us—mostly Christians—had violated the law to protect the lives of innocent, preborn babies
The Divided States of America desperately needs people who will speak the truth in love. Francis Schaeffer spoke prophetically almost a half century ago about the worldview struggle and division we are experiencing in the US. These two [Christian vs. naturalistic] worldviews stand as totals in complete antithesis to each
What is the secret to human flourishing? Is it money, good circumstances, schooling? Can a person or community in poverty, persecution or suffering flourish? Yes! The Bible, clearly and repeatedly reveals that a major factor or key to human flourishing, is character and it’s accompanying quality, virtue. Sadly, both character
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