There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ.
EPHESIANS 5:20
Let me recommend the cultivation of the habit of thankfulness as an effective cure for the cynical, sour habits of fault-finding among Christian believers.
Thanksgiving has great curative power. The heart that is constantly overflowing with gratitude will be safe from those attacks of resentfulness and gloom that bother so many religious persons. A thankful heart cannot be cynical!
Please be aware that I am not recommending any of the “applied psychology” nostrums so popular in liberal circles. We who have been introduced to God through the miracle of the new birth realize that there is good scriptural authority for the cultivation of gratitude as a cure for spiritual sourness. Further, experience teaches us that it works!
We should never take any blessing for granted, but accept everything as a gift from the Father of Lights. We should write on a tablet, one by one, the things for which we are grateful to God and to our fellow men.
Personally, I have gotten great help from the practice of talking over with God the many kindnesses I have received. I like to begin with thanking Him for His thoughts of me back to creation; for giving His Son to die for me when I was still a sinner; for giving the Bible and His blessed Spirit who inwardly gives us understanding of it. I thank Him for my parents, teachers, statesmen, patriots.
I am grateful to God for all of these and more—and I shall not let God forget that I am!1
Each believer should be thirsting for God, for the living God, and longing to climb the hill of the Lord, and see him face to face. We ought not to rest content in the mists of the valley when the summit of Tabor awaits us. My soul thirsteth to drink deep of the cup which is reserved for those who reach the mountain’s brow, and bathe their brows in heaven. How pure are the dews of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how rich the fare of the dwellers aloft, whose windows look into the New Jerusalem! Many saints are content to live like men in coal mines, who see not the sun; they eat dust like the serpent when they might taste the ambrosial meat of angels; they are content to wear the miner’s garb when they might put on king’s robes; tears mar their faces when they might anoint them with celestial oil. Satisfied I am that many a believer pines in a dungeon when he might walk on the palace roof, and view the goodly land and Lebanon. Rouse thee, O believer, from thy low condition! Cast away thy sloth, thy lethargy, thy coldness, or whatever interferes with thy chaste and pure love to Christ, thy soul’s Husband. Make him the source, the centre, and the circumference of all thy soul’s range of delight. What enchants thee into such folly as to remain in a pit when thou mayst sit on a throne? Live not in the lowlands of bondage now that mountain liberty is conferred upon thee. Rest no longer satisfied with thy dwarfish attainments, but press forward to things more sublime and heavenly. Aspire to a higher, a nobler, a fuller life. Upward to heaven! Nearer to God!
FOR we know (not we think or hope only, but we know) that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (Our clay cottage will come down, but our heavenly mansion is ready to receive us.)
2–4 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (We cannot be satisfied here, for we are exiled from the glory land and compassed with infirmities. We await with expectation the summons, “Rise up and come away.”)
5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (God is preparing us for heaven, and has given us already a sure pledge of it in the possession of the Holy Ghost.)
6, 7 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (The exile longs to return, the child pines for his father’s house, and so do we pant for our own dear country beyond the river, and sigh for the bosom of Jesus.)
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
With this is view, we cannot afford to trifle or to sin. Every day should be viewed in the light of the last day, and then we shall live as we should.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. (The apostle did everything for Jesus and his church, and if any blamed his actions, he bade them remember that love to them was the sole motive of all he did.)
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead (or rather, all died):
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (The death of Jesus for us has made us reckon ourselves dead to all but him, and for him alone would we exist.)
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (Everything was spiritual, even his sight of Jesus with his mortal eyes was no longer cared for, in comparison with faith’s view of him after a spiritual fashion.)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18, 19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (Are we thus made righteous? These verses are wonderfully weighty: do we understand them by personal experience? Are we new creatures, reconciled by Jesus’ blood, accepted in the Beloved, and one with him? These are points which demand immediate inquiry.)1
6. Be strong and of good courage. After he had shewn that God would be with them, for their help, he exhorts the people to firmness and magnanimity. And surely this is one means of confirming our courage, to be assured that the assistance which God promises will suffice for us: so far is it from being the case, that our zeal and energy in acting aright is impaired, by our ascribing to the grace of God what foolish men attribute to their own free will. For those who are aroused to strenuous action in reliance on their own strength, do no more than cast themselves headlong in their senseless temerity and pride. Let us understand, then, that all exhortations are fleeting and ineffective, which are founded on anything else but simple confidence in the grace of God. Thus Moses assumes, as his ground of exhortation, that God will fight for the Israelites. It must, however, be observed that the people were animated to the perseverance of hope, when God declares that He will be their helper even to the end, by which lesson that impious hallucination is refuted, whereby the Popish theologians have fascinated the world. They deny that believers can be certain of God’s grace, except as to their present state. Thus do they hold faith in suspense, so that we may only believe for a day, and even from moment to moment, whilst we are in uncertainty as to what God will do with us on the morrow. Whereas, if faith corresponds with God’s promises, and is, as it were, in harmony with them, it must needs extend itself to our whole life, nay, even beyond death itself; for God removes all doubt as to the future by these words, “I will not leave thee nor forsake thee.”1
31:6 The appeal to the leader and people alike to be strong and courageous is based on the promise of the abiding presence of the Lord with them. The ark of the covenant would be a visible symbol of that presence as they crossed over the Jordan and went into battle. The same promise of the Lord’s presence is reiterated to Joshua after Moses’ death (Josh. 1:5), while Joshua is exalted as leader to demonstrate that the Lord is with him (Josh. 3:7; 4:14). The expression ‘be strong and courageous’ appears to have become a standard one, as it is later used again for Joshua (Deut. 31:23; Josh. 1:6–7, 9, 18), for the people of Israel (Josh. 10:25), for Solomon (1 Chron. 22:13; 28:20), and for Hezekiah’s military leaders (2 Chron. 32:7). The concluding words of verse 6 give the reassurance that God will never fail nor abandon his people. Entry into Canaan and possession of the allotted territory will only come to pass because of the constancy of God’s presence. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews utilises this verse as he teaches his readers to be content with what they have in life (Heb. 13:5). This was a promise that proved true over the centuries, and may well have become a regular part of the liturgy or homiletical usage in Greek-speaking synagogues.2
31:6 — “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Could anything feel more disconcerting or frightening than having to face a terrible trial all by yourself? God tells us that those who know Him never have to worry about that. He’s right there with us, in the easiest and most difficult of times.3
31:6Be strong and courageous. This command to all Israel is also made directly to Joshua (vv. 7, 23; Josh. 1:6, 7, 9). Do not fear. See Deut. 1:28. He will not leave you or forsake you. In 1 Chron. 28:20, David applies this to Solomon; cf. Heb. 13:5.4
31:6you should not be in dread from their presence Fear of the indigenous population, especially the giant clans, was at the heart of Israel’s unbelief that had resulted in the punishment of 40 years of wandering (see Num 13–14). See note on Deut 2:10–12.
God is the one going with you This phrase, used with some frequency in the ot, indicates God’s assurance of protection. See Gen 21:22; 26:3, 28; 28:15, 20; 39:2–3; Judg 6:13; Isa 8:10.5
31:6 Be strong and courageous. These and the following words resemble the encouragement God gave Joshua after Moses died (Josh. 1:9).6
5 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Dt 31:6). Lexham Press.
Daniel 1:6 — Welcome to Daniel! Daniel and his three friends – not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (those were the Babylonian names focused on the Babylonian deities), but Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (the Hebrew names, each extolling an attribute of the LORD God of Israel)!
Imagine Jerusalem falling and being taken prisoner to the other end of the known world. If you’ve been on one of our trips to Chicago, you can see parts of the Ishtar gate of Babylon – a beautifully constructed 46 foot high wall of glazed brick. Separated from home, awed by the beauty of Babylon, and given new names (Daniel 1:7) to strip them of their identity, will Daniel and his three wise friends (Daniel 1:4) maintain their faithfulness to the God of (conquered) Israel or will they be assimilated into the melting pot of Mesopotamia?
Daniel 1:21 — Daniel was diligent in his work (Proverbs 22:29), and now he stood before Nebuchadnezzar, Belteshazzar, Darius, and even Cyrus!
Daniel 2:4 — The phrase “in Syriack” indicates that from here to the end of chapter 7 the text is no longer in Hebrew but in Aramaic, the language of the Syrians.
Daniel 2:8 — Nebuchadnezzar has had enough of the palace retinue and official courtiers. In Daniel 2:12, we see that Nebuchadnezzar was finally willing to “drain the swamp.”
Daniel 2:16 — Notice that Daniel had the credibility to go to the king. While he wasn’t part of the “good old boys” club of favorites, Daniel’s words were esteemed.
Daniel 2:18 — Daniel and his friends prayed for mercy and thanked God for the answer (Daniel 2:20).
1 Peter 3:10 — Both Peter and James (James 1:26) had to deal with problems with the tongue. Good thing gossip isn’t a modern problem!
1 Peter 3:15 — Can you share the reason for the hope in you? There are great tools like Evangelism Explosion and Way of the Master that can teach you how to witness to others!
1 Peter 3:19 — Who were the spirits in prison? They were not men, but rather Genesis 6 angels, described in Jude 1:6. They were spirit beings that heard the declaration that Jesus was victorious! From GotQuestions.org:
First, let’s look at the word spirits. It is a translation of the Greek word pneumasin, a form of the word pneuma, which means “air, breath, wind.” It is used in the New Testament to refer to angels (Hebrews 1:14), demons (Mark 1:23), the spirit of Jesus (Matthew 27:50), the Holy Spirit (John 14:17), and the spiritual part of man (1 Corinthians 2:11). While the Bible makes it clear that human beings possess spirits (Hebrews 4:12), the Bible never refers to human beings as simply “spirits.” In contrast, God the Holy Spirit, angels, and demons are never said to possess spirits; they are spirits. So the standard meaning of the word spirits in the phrase spirits in prison argues for the spirits’ being something other than human beings.
1 Peter 3:21 — Many people point to this verse as proof of baptismal regeneration, but the parenthetical comment seems to disclaim any idea of water-based baptism. This is a baptism of the Spirit.
1 Peter 4:1 — Christ’s sufferings paid the price to free us from the power of sin!
Psalm 119:65 — Notice the quality of the Psalmist’s interaction with the Word: “thou hast dealt well,” “good judgment” (Psalm 119:66), “Thou art good and doest good” (Psalm 119:68), “It is good for me” (Psalm 119:71), and “thy judgments are right” (Psalm 119:75). There is an objective positive quality to the Word of God!
Proverbs 28:14 — The word “fear” is “me-pa-hed,” giving the idea of “to dread, be in dread, or in awe.” The hard-hearted man thinks there is nothing greater than him. The follower of God’s fear leads to humility.
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.Numbers 23:23
How this should cut up root and branch all silly, superstitious fears! Even if there were any truth in witchcraft and omens, they could not affect the people of the Lord. Those whom God blessed, devils cannot curse.
Ungodly men, like Balaam, may cunningly plot the overthrow of the Lord’s Israel; but with all their secrecy and policy they are doomed to fail. Their powder is damp; the edge of their sword is blunted. They gather together; but as the Lord is not with them, they gather together in vain. We may sit still and let them weave their nets, for we shall not be taken in them. Though they call in the aid of Beelzebub and employ all his serpentine craft, it will avail them nothing: the spells will not work, the divination will deceive them. What a blessing this is! How it quiets the heart! God’s Jacobs wrestle with God, but none shall wrestle with them and prevail. God’s Israels have to prevail against them. We need not fear the fiend himself, nor any of those secret enemies whose words are full of deceit and whose plans are deep and unfathomable. They cannot hurt those who trust in the living God. We defy the devil and all his legions.
Here is the video and summary of a debate between Christian theist William Lane Craig and Austin Dacey at Purdue University in 2004 about the existence of God.
The video shows the speakers and powerpoint slides of their arguments. Austin Dacey is one of the top atheist debaters, and I would put him second to Peter Millican alone, with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong in third place. This is the debate to show people who are new to apologetics. The debate with Peter Millican is better for advanced students, and that’s no surprise since he teaches at Oxford University and is familiar with all of Dr. Craig’s work. The Craig-Dacey debate is the one that I give to my co-workers.
Dr. Dacey’s 5 arguments below are all good arguments that you find in the academic literature. He is also an effective and engaging speaker, This is a great debate to watch!
SUMMARY of the opening speeches:
Dr. Craig’s opening statement:
Dr. Craig will present six reasons why God exists:
(Contingency argument) God is the best explanation of why something exists rather than nothing
(Cosmological argument) God’s existence is implied by the origin of the universe
(Fine-tuning argument) The fine-tuning of the universe for intelligent life points to a designer of the cosmos
(Moral argument) God is the best explanation for the existence of objective moral values and objective moral duties
(Miracles argument) The historical facts surrounding the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
(Religious experience) God’s existence is directly knowable even apart from arguments
Dr. Dacey’s opening argument:
There are two ways to disprove God’s existence, by showing that the concept of God is self-contradictory, or by showing that certain facts about ourselves and the world are incompatible with what we would expect to be true if God did exist. Dr. Dacey will focus on the second kind of argument.
The hiddenness of God
The success of science in explaining nature without needing a supernatural agency
The dependence of mind on physical processes in the brain
Naturalistic evolution
The existence of gratuitous / pointless evil and suffering
One final point:
One thing that I have to point out is that Dr. Dacey quotes Brian Greene during the debate to counter Dr. Craig’s cosmological argument. Dr. Craig could not respond because he can’t see the context of the quote. However, Dr. Craig had a rematch with Dr. Dacey where was able to read the context of the quote and defuse Dr. Dacey’s objection. This is what he wrote in his August 2005 newsletter after the re-match:
The following week, I was off an another three-day trip, this time to California State University at Fresno. As part of a week of campus outreach the Veritas Forum scheduled a debate on the existence of God between me and Austin Dacey, whom I had debated last spring at Purdue University. In preparation for the rematch I adopted two strategies: (1) Since Dacey had come to the Purdue debate with prepared speeches, I decided to throw him for a loop by offering a different set of arguments for God, so that his canned objections wouldn’t apply. I chose to focus on the cosmological argument, giving four separate arguments for the beginning of the universe, and on the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. (2) I reviewed our previous debate carefully, preparing critiques of his five atheistic arguments. In the process I found that he had seriously misunderstood or misrepresented a statement by a scientist on the Big Bang; so I brought along the book itself in case Dacey quoted this source again. I figured he might change his arguments just as I was doing; but I wanted to be ready in case he used his old arguments again.
[…]The auditorium was packed that night for the debate, and I later learned that there were overflow rooms, too. To my surprise Dr. Dacey gave the very same case he had presented at Purdue; so he really got clobbered on those arguments. Because he wasn’t prepared for my new arguments, he didn’t even respond to two of my arguments for the beginning of the universe, though he did a credible job responding to the others. I was pleased when he attacked the Big Bang by quoting the same scientist as before, because I then held up the book, specified the page number, and proceeded to quote the context to show what the scientist really meant.
To Whom the Benefit of the Death & Resurrection of Christ Belongs – Zacharias Ursinus Sermon
Zacharias Ursinus (18 July 1534 – 6 May 1583) was a sixteenth century German Reformed theologian, born Zacharias Baer in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland). He became the leading theologian of the Reformed Protestant movement of the Palatinate, serving both at the University of Heidelberg and the College of Wisdom (Collegium Sapientiae). He is best known as the principal author and interpreter of the Heidelberg Catechism.
Our salvation depends entirely on God’s grace. So it was with Abraham, who was called to trust that the Lord would fulfill His promise. In this message, R.C. Sproul considers what the covenant with Abraham teaches us about God’s faithfulness.
Today’s 20-min top headline news brief includes:
[5:29] -Laken Riley killer Jose Ibarra sentenced to life without parole. [Newsmax Breaking]
[10:07] -Carl Higbie passionately backs Nancy Mace stand to protect women’s rights. [Carl Higbie Frontline]
[14:29] -Nancy Mace: It’s offensive that a man in a skirt thinks he is my equal. [Greg Kelly Reports]
[18:06] -“Full House” actress Candace Bure leaves L.A. due to safety concerns. [National Report]
[21:33] -Sen. Ted Cruz speaks on his re-election and securing the Southern Border. [Rob Schmitt Tonight]
[24:46] -Sen. John Kennedy lights up Biden judicial nominees.
One of the most noteworthy theological trends in 21st-century pop culture has been the rehabilitation of the “villain.” From Cruella to Maleficent to the Joker and more, iconic villains are now routinely given spinoff movies and sympathetic backstories that complicate our categories of good and evil. This has dovetailed with the rise of the “trauma plot” and a narrative fixation on how destructive choices (let’s just call it “sin”) can be explained by past trauma.
Part of why Hollywood has gravitated toward this narrative is simply that it makes good (and financially lucrative) drama. Giving villains origin stories is intriguing. But I think this trend’s rise is also connected to the post-Christian culture’s confusion about sin and evil, morality and justice. In this world, the theological word “sin” has been replaced by the psychological word “brokenness,” and transcendent concepts of justice have been replaced by oppressor-oppressed power dynamics.
All this is on full display in Wicked (out today in theaters), the Jon M. Chu–directed movie about the Wicked Witch of the West’s origin story. The Wicked franchise (first a book, then a popular Stephen Schwartz Broadway musical, and now a two-part cinematic saga) is perhaps the clearest example yet that contemporary pop culture struggles with the category of evil. The title alone playfully probes the concept, redefining it as a word of empowerment (think “Wicked awesome!” as Bostonians might say).
Rather than being the iconically despicable, nightmare-inducing character immortalized by Margaret Hamilton in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is reconsidered in Wicked as a good-natured, well-intentioned outcast named Elphaba who has been seriously misunderstood.
‘Why Does Wickedness Happen?’
Why does wickedness happen? This question opens the film, posed by a munchkin in Munchkinland to Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande) following news that ends the original Oz film: the Wicked Witch of the West is dead. Glinda answers the question by narrating the life of her frenemy, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), from her birth in a broken home to a childhood marked by bullying to adult years when she and Glinda attended Shiz University—an institution reminiscent of Hogwarts for would-be witches to learn magic.
Much of Wicked (part 1, with part 2 set to release a year from now) follows the relational development between Glinda and Elphaba as roommate rivals-turned-friends at Shiz U. Their odd-couple dynamic is fun to watch; much of Wicked’s pleasures come from the way Elphaba and Glinda complement and learn from each other. There are genuinely moving scenes of them caring for one another against all odds (the Ozdust Ballroom scene stands out).
Wicked is perhaps the clearest example yet that contemporary pop culture struggles with the category of evil.
Grande is perfectly cast as Glinda, who reminds me a lot of Reese Witherspoon’s iconic character in Election, Tracy Flick: a popular, ambitious, but slightly annoying queen bee. “I’ve decided to make you my project,” Glinda informs Elphaba, exuding the sort of condescending liberal guilt of a privileged “do-gooder” whose altruism is largely about virtue signaling. She represents privilege, power, and Karen-esque entitlement; even her gestures of allyship and solidarity feel opportunistic.
Meanwhile, Elphaba is a marginalized icon of intersectionality: born with green skin, the daughter of an unknown father, ostracized in childhood, prone to quirky dance moves. It’s no doubt intentional that Elphaba is played in the film by a queer black woman (Erivo). Her character doesn’t neatly fit mainstream society’s binaries and norms. And as the story progresses, she becomes a freedom fighter for the oppressed, a “villain” only insofar as those in power mischaracterize her cause.
Wickedness in ‘Wicked’: Oppressive Power Structures
If Wicked finds wickedness anywhere, it’s not in Elphaba. Rather, it’s in Oz’s privileged power structures—namely the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), and others who gain power by using and abusing the less fortunate. It’s interesting that the Wizard is a God-proxy in the film’s world (characters exclaim things like “Thank Oz!” and “What in the name of Oz?”). This “deity” turns out to be a manipulative, self-serving, untrustworthy villain; religious mythology is exposed as a convenient means of perpetuating human power.
One subplot basically equates Oz’s elites with Nazi fascists. The talking animals—previously valued members of society—are now an oppressed group “othered” in ugly ways, blamed for everything (“scapegoat,” literally), silenced, and even locked up. “Animals should be seen and not heard” is the mantra of the fascist regime.
Elphaba emerges as the voice of resistance to this oppressive prejudice. “No one should be scorned or laughed at or looked down upon, or told to keep quiet,” she says, animated by her painful childhood trauma (we see a scene of her being bullied by a gang of white kids). But she’s also motivated by real compassion for others who are marginalized—chiefly her paraplegic sister (Marissa Bode) and the goat professor, Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage).
If Elphaba has a flaw in Wicked, it’s that she cares too much. Unlike many in the film who live decadent, thoughtless lives (“dancing through life” rather than “studying strife”), Elphaba can’t turn a blind eye to injustice. Her “wickedness” emerges out of an earnest passion that begins to consume her. Her character is emblematic of the hyperserious, humorless stereotype of the “woke.” How can one smile and make jokes when the world is so cruel and unjust?
Indeed, vice in the world of Wicked isn’t just embodied by powerful people who actively oppress; it’s also evident in those who don’t care enough that this is happening—the privileged who can eat, drink, and merrily dance while nefarious forces ruin the world. Silence is violence. In Wicked’s view of sin and culpability, some individuals are actually heinous and Hitler-esque; but entire classes of people are culpable for their willful ignorance; guilty on account of their naive, comfort-prioritizing “complicity” in an evil system.
‘Defying Gravity’: Anthem of Moral Autonomy
Elphaba’s framing as Wicked’s heroic protagonist has a lot to do with her advocacy for others. But it also has to do with her resolute belief in herselfand a bold rejection of imposed expectations and limits. This too reflects our post-Christian culture’s reframing of virtue and vice. To be radically autonomous, fiercely whoever you want to be: this is a high virtue. To conform to external norms and submit to authority outside yourself: this is the “vice” of weakness and uncritical complicity.
Wicked ends where act 1 of the musical ends, with Elphaba picking up her iconic broomstick, learning to fly, and fleeing Oz as an exiled villain. She and Glinda sing “Defying Gravity,” Wicked’s trademark empowerment anthem. It’s a thesis statement of sorts for the film’s remaking of Elphaba as a post-Christian messianic hero more than a depraved villain.
‘Defying Gravity’ is a thesis statement of sorts for the film’s remaking of Elphaba as a post-Christian messianic hero more than a depraved villain.
Elphaba defies gravity literally but also philosophically, rejecting higher authorities and moral norms: I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game . . . / I’m through accepting limits / ’Cause someone says they’re so. She asserts her “woken up” virtue (Too late to go back to sleep), moral autonomy (It’s time to trust my instincts) and “born this way” self-acceptance (Some things I cannot change).
It’s not surprising “Defying Gravity” has become a favorite anthem of the LGBT+ community, often performed at Pride events. The song (and Wicked generally) has a campy ambiance of naughtiness and shameless transgression. But it also narrates the choice many LGBT+ people make to sever relationships and separate from “nonaffirming” communities (including families) so they can live in freedom, on their own terms: As someone told me lately / “Everyone deserves the chance to fly” / And if I’m flying solo / At least I’m flying free.
There’s a sadness to Elphaba’s choice to “fly solo” and embrace her exile, justified by her “no one can bring me down” freedom: To those who’d ground me / Take a message back from me / Tell them how I am defying gravity.
Glinda recognizes the sadness of it but doesn’t necessarily think Elphaba is making the wrong choice. She sings, I hope you’re happy / Now that you’re choosing this / I hope it brings you bliss. Glinda’s way of loving Elphaba is, in the end, to affirm her choice—however destructive it may be for her and others. Indeed, “I hope it makes you happy” has become the grid of moral evaluation in a post-Christian world. You do you. Be yourself. Follow your heart. As long as you’re happy.
Gravity Can’t Be Defied Without Consequences
But gravity is an inescapable law of the universe. It can’t be defied without consequences. Universal laws and limits exist, no matter how forcefully we sing, “Unlimited!” God’s creation has a “grain,” and going against the grain always leaves you with splinters.
‘I hope it makes you happy’ has become the grid of moral evaluation in a post-Christian world.
This is the real tragedy of Wicked. It’s a well-intentioned story driven by an earnest exploration of right and wrong. The residue of Christianity informs its moral intuitions (e.g., the inherent dignity of all people, advocacy for the weak), and we can celebrate that Wicked wants us to think and talk about morality rather than simply “dancing through life.”
But even if the story helpfully praises the costly pursuit of justice and fighting for the marginalized, in the end its rejection of moral absolutes leaves audiences without real hope or clarity. In a “trust my instincts” world where subjective authority reigns, questions of what’s just and unjust, good and evil, are ultimately unanswerable. Heroes and villains are constructs; “wicked” is merely an arbitrary label imposed by one group over another as propaganda to consolidate power.
We can praise elements of Wicked as a well-told story and creatively rendered world. The songs and costumes are fun. The vibes are pleasant. But the moral ideas—however well intentioned—are ultimately incoherent and unhelpful.
This week we have stopped as a nation for Thanksgiving. I hope it’s more than a day of turkey and football games and that it’s been a time to stop and acknowledge the Lord–thanking Him for the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ. But if today for you is more about having a four-day weekend than it is about God, I invite you to watch more. #Thanksgiving #Pilgrims #Mayflower #Plymouth
From Trump’s latest administration picks to the latest on the immigration battle; those stories and more were covered on this News Round-Up & Comment broadcast.
–Embattled former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general yesterday saying he was becoming a distraction to President-elect Trump’s transition.
–Gaetz said Friday he will not be returning to Congress next year.
–President-elect Trump wasted little time in picking former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his next pick for attorney general after Representative Matt Gaetz dropped out.
–Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela, has been convicted of murder and sent to prison without opportunity for parole in the February killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
–The district attorney who declined to seek the death penalty for Jose Ibarra is a criminal justice activist and outspoken Kamala Harris supporter.
–The Biden administration is loosening some key immigration restrictions ahead of President-elect Trump’s second term, opening the door for thousands more illegal immigrants to enter the U.S.
–The Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has vowed that the city’s police and population would resist President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation agenda, comparing Trump and federal deportations to the Chinese Communist Party.
–Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul blasted the Biden administration for reducing office hours at 4 northern border crossings amid an ongoing surge of immigration.
–President-elect Donald Trump will be doing away with the politically correct term “undocumented non-citizen” and returning to the phrase “illegal alien” to describe people who have illegally entered the U.S.
–Sex traffickers may be using a Biden administration parole program to sneak illegal immigrant women into the U.S.
–Retired Border Patrol agent J.J. Carrell told members of Congress that the U.S. federal government is the world’s largest sex trafficking organization in modern history for children.
–The vicious Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren de Aragua has expanded its territory to at least 16 U.S. states.
–Another large migrant caravan departed from Southern Mexico with the goal of entering the U.S. before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
–The Los Angeles City Council approved a so-called “sanctuary city” ordinance that bars city resources from being used for immigration enforcement and city departments from sharing information on people without legal status with federal immigration authorities, in anticipation of potential mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump.
With Hollywood mainstays like Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi escaping the hostility of the United States, how can America possibly hope to maintain its cultural impact? It may be time to admit that the American dream is now dead and it’s only going to get worse from here. The Babylon Bee has learned of even more iconic entertainers fleeing Trump’s tyrannical rule for life abroad.
Here are the latest celebrities fleeing Trump’s America:
Barbara Streisand: What will America do without the woman who Walter Matthau famously said had no more talent than a butterfly’s fart?
America Ferrera: Her name is literally “America.” If that isn’t symbolic of something, we don’t know what is.
Cher: We now know the answer to the question of whether she believed in life after love. It’s “no.”
Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel Live: Actually, he was deported, so he didn’t leave voluntarily.
Pauly Shore: Surprisingly, also deported.
Frank Stallone: The country will no longer be blessed by the most talented member of the Stallone family.
The Target Dog: Technically, it’s his owner who’s leaving, who gave him one of those tranquilizers so he could sleep the whole flight to France.
Sean Astin: He now lives in New Zealand, where he is expected to live as a hobbit full-time.
Carrot Top: That’s it. American exceptionalism is officially dead.
America is truly toast. We will not survive this loss of creative genius. Have you heard of other celebrities fleeing the country? Let us know in the comments.
DOGE is here, and Elon and Vivek will eliminate millions of government positions
Some of the best “proofs” of evolution have been shown to be overstated, or have disappeared entirely, in the 150 years since Darwin first published his book.
It’s impossible to watch sports and avoid all the gambling ads. But if there was truth in advertising, then what they’d promise is, not excitement, but the chance to get money at the expense of others. Or, even more accurately, they offer you the chance to lose your bet, and possibility much much more if you get addicted.
Our kids’ frustrating misbehaviors will often be a matter of déjà vu for parents who recognize they acted similarly when they were kids. But adoptive parents can face the additional challenge of dealing with behaviors they haven’t seen before, perhaps because of their child’s very different history, or physiological repercussions that might have come from having an alcohol- or drug-addicted birth mom. So how can adoptive parents be sensitive to their child’s different needs, without succumbing to the temptation of just excusing bad behavior? Two biblical counselors offer some helpful biblical advice.
Babylon Bee is finding it hard to satirize our culture, because their mock-headlines are turning prophetic. This is an old Arrogant Worms song that has yet to be fulfilled, but it does seem only a matter of time.
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