Abortion, Christian Living, Culture, Politics
John Beeson
Protecting the Voice of the Voiceless

The tide of public opinion on abortion has ebbed dramatically over the past two years. On Friday, June 22, the Supreme Court handed down one of the most critical decisions in our lifetime: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Forty-nine years of nationally enshrined abortion rights were pushed down to the states. The battle was not over, but had just begun. Pro-lifers who thought this was the beginning of a new pro-life era were in for a disappointment. The reaction from the pro-choice community was strong and their response led to a wave of support for their cause leaving many pro-lifers flat-footed.

Protecting the Voice of the Voiceless
Christian Living, Culture, Death, Fear
John Beeson
What Spooks You?

Across the street from our home is the holiday house. You probably have one in your neighborhood. They go all out for every holiday. On Saturday, cars stacked up on the main road leading into the neighborhood as families drove by slowly, taking in the massive display that must have cost the owners thousands of dollars.

 

Last week I drove by a home whose Halloween decorations weren’t as massive or ostentatious, but the lawn display was undoubtedly the eeriest I’ve ever seen. A life-like severed head hung from a tree limb. A decapitated corpse with a visible spinal cord jutting out between slumped shoulders sat underneath.

What Spooks You?
Christian Living, Culture, Fear, Wisdom
John Beeson
The Temptation of Temptation

In 2023, 46 horror movies were released. 75 million tickets were sold, and the industry made $798 million in domestic revenue alone. It’s been argued that horror movies remain a draw for many in the contemporary West because there is so little actual danger in most of our lives.

 

Atheist Steven Pinker in The Better Angels of Our Nature argues that we live in the most peaceful era of human existence: wars have decreased, human rights have expanded, and rates of starvation and lifespans have improved. Drawn to conflict, we now have access to global news coverage, which gives us the dopamine hit of feeling like we are in conflict.

The Temptation of Temptation
Christian Living, Fear, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom
John Beeson
Night

What attracts us so much to the dark?

In the story of Swan Lake, a ballet by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Prince Siegfried falls in love with Odette (who has been cursed by the evil magician, Von Rothbart), after happening upon her at the lake one night during a hunting trip.  As a result of Von Rothbart's curse, Odette is human only at nightfall, for at daybreak she transforms into a swan.  True and faithful love is the only thing that can break the curse, and Siegfried aims to marry Odette, proclaiming such love, at a ball his mother is throwing for his birthday. 

Night
Christian Living, Death, Heaven, Religion, Spiritual Growth, Worship
John Beeson
How Changing Your View of Heaven Transforms the ...

In 2003, Bart Millard still mourning his father’s recent death, penned the lyrics for “I Can Only Imagine,” a song that would go on to be the most-played song in the history of Christian radio.

Can you imagine what heaven is going to be like?

There are lots of different views of heaven out there. A couple of decades ago a cottage industry developed, selling stories of those who said they had been to heaven while on death’s doorstep. We’re told of bright lights, lives re-played, and a warm glow. Others might daydream of harps and clouds, when asked to imagine heaven.

How Changing Your View of Heaven Transforms the Way You Live Today

enemies

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Rooting Against the Patriots: on Enemies and Criticism

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Rooting Against the Patriots: on Enemies and Criticism

Life is more comfortable in black and white. Life is simpler when our enemies are despicable and our friends are admirable.

Outside of New England, America hates the New England Patriots. In the past twenty years, the Patriots have been in the Superbowl an astonishing nine times, winning six of those. Over that span they’ve had the incredible fortune of having perhaps the greatest coach, Bill Belichick, and the greatest quarterback, Tom Brady, in the NFL’s history team-up. On several occasions, the league caught them playing fast and loose with the rules. The combination of success and a marred record has made New England the perfect villain for American football fans.

My son rejoiced when the Patriots’ Tom Brady left the Patriots and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving the Patriots high and dry. And he celebrated when one of his least favorite football players, Cam Newton, signed as the Patriots new quarterback. Why? Because we like it when our enemies are easy to hate.

THE EVIL EMPIRE

He’s just like his dad and grandfather. I grew up hating the Yankees. My dad used to joke that his two favorite baseball teams were “the Royals, and whoever is playing the Yankees.” I agreed. The problem was, at the height of their powers in the 90s, there weren’t very many unlikable Yankees. I rejoiced when the unlikeable, steroid-abusing A-Rod signed with the “Evil Empire” in 2004. His presence helped justify my hatred.

For those of you who are rolling your eyes at my immaturity, I wonder if you might suffer the same disease in different areas? Did you hope for the worst candidate from the opposition party to make it out of the primaries? When the opposing party is in power, do you hope that they shine, or do you want them to fail (just as long as it doesn’t hurt you)?

For many of us, if we are honest, politics are a team sport, and if our team can’t win, we root for the opposing team to lose.

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