Author Archives: Matt

About Matt

Software engineer by trade; lay theologian by nature; Lutheran by grace.

The Perils of Trivia & Ignorance

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Matt

So the Italian scientists have been found guilty of manslaughter for their conduct during the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila.  The usual narrative is that they were unfairly found guilty for failing at an impossible task:  predicting when an earthquake would … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Science | Leave a comment

Having The Wrong Facts or Having the Wrong Guy?

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Matt

Let me tell you about Chris Evans.  Chris Evans is a Hollywood actor who recently appeared in The Avengers.  He was also in Snow White and the Huntsman which came out this past summer as well.  He previously starred in … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Heresy | 2 Comments

Sermon: “What Does Your Heart Tell you?” Mark 7:20-23

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Matt

Note:  I am not a pastor.  However, my pastor was called out of town this weekend, and I was asked to preach in his stead. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

How Not to Suck at Moralizing

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Matt

I love the Oatmeal–it’s a great humor repository for those of us who have the misfortune of being desensitized to coarse language.  Naturally, the latest offering, How to suck at your religion [as implied, language warning], caught my eye. To … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics | 1 Comment

Theology is an Acquired Taste

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Matt

Coffee is typically considered an adult beverage–not because children are incapable of drinking it responsibly, but because they’re uninterested in drinking it at all.  At 31, I myself don’t drink coffee for the same reason children don’t:  1) I have … Continue reading →

Posted in The Modern Church | 2 Comments

Excellence in Vocation: Chick-fil-A Day Wasn’t a Big Deal, and It Didn’t Need to be.

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Matt

“All you did was go and eat a sandwich!” After Wednesday’s huge show of support for Chick-fil-A, marriage, and/or free speech (depending on the patron), such comments are really all that the bullies have left.  It’s just hard to verbally … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Politics, Vocation | 3 Comments

The Persecuted Atheist

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Matt

Earlier this year, the Financial Times put together a sob story about the ruthless persecution of atheists in the United States.  The writer collects a number of anecdotes of discomfort at family gatherings, difficulty rising through the ranks of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Ethics | 2 Comments

It’s ART!

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Matt

Art Patrons Pay $100 for the Privilege of Eating Rat I think my favorite part of “Tomorrow We Will Feast Again on What We Catch” is that this attempt to “explore self-sufficiency in an urban environment” and “put people outside … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | 1 Comment

Preaching the Law vs. Preaching About the Law

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Matt

About a month ago, I posted a comment over at Brothers of John the Steadfast on a thread regarding legalism and a high view of the law.  The gist of the original post (with which I completely agree), is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Lutheranism, Theological Pietism | Leave a comment

The Dark Knight Rises is too Good to be either Liberal or Conservative

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Matt

Is new Batman movie liberal or conservative?  There’s already been a lot of back-and-forth on this.  Like some idiotic Obama supporters, the idiotic Rush Limbaugh thinks that the villainous “Bane” is an obvious reference to the villainous “Bain Capital,” Mitt … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics | Leave a comment