Category Archives: Ethics

Rightly Understanding Good Works: Purpose vs. Substance

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Matt

To say that the value of our good works is their benefit to our neighbor is nothing more than an extension of the doctrine of justification.  Our works do not make us righteous before God–Christ has completely taken care of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Lutheranism | Leave a comment

You Can’t Fix Wicked

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Matt

How do Americans deal with tragedy?  The recent murders in Connecticut offer an unfortunate insight.  Both before and after the most basic facts were in, a familiar set of cries arose:  “Ban guns!”  “Ban violent video games!”  “Put an armed … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 2 Comments

Marriage Civilizes

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Matt

Shocking news:  there’s another trashy and dehumanizing reality tv show out there.  Apparently, this one involves a rapper who fathered children by 10 different women, and their life “together” as they compete for attention and whatnot.  The “star” of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Chastity, Ethics | Leave a comment

The Responsibility to Vote?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Matt

Presidential elections bring more than political ads and disappointment; they also mark the season for a peculiarly American form of moralizing.  We are reminded that voting is a great honor & privilege that we have received at an equally great … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Politics | Leave a comment

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

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

Shame and the Slut Double Standard

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Matt

I’m not a big fan of shaming.  In other words, I don’t like the idea of emotionally manipulating people specifically for the purpose of making them feel shame.  On the other hand, I don’t like the idea of emotionally manipulating … Continue reading →

Posted in Chastity, Ethics, Feminism | 7 Comments

Abusing Sola Scriptura

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Matt

“The Bible doesn’t say it’s wrong, so I can do it if I want to.” Unfortunately, this is a common refrain among protestants and Lutherans looking for some kind of license.  We can see this very clearly when it comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Law, The Modern Church, Theology | Leave a comment

Doing Unto Others: Misunderstanding the Golden Rule

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Matt

Though it is highly controversial to publicly point to Christ’s teaching on things like divorce when indicating how we ought to live, “the golden rule” seems fair game for conservative & liberal, Christian & secularist alike.  In a sense, this … Continue reading →

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