See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. Secondary Considerations: Romans 14:16 I began this series with the intention of sticking to Scripture for my main defense. That’s because Scripture is sufficient for every area of life (2 Peter 1:3)—I truly believe that. If something is just my opinion, I could be wrong. But God is never wrong. So what He says must be our foundation—our absolute—for all behavior. Though I’ve listed various Scriptures during our discussion, I recently realized I had left out a few key verses, and I would be remiss not to mention the important principles they teach in the context of our discussion. Let’s take a look at the first one. “So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil” (Rom. 14:16 ESV). As a theologian friend recently reminded me, “Context is king.” So let’s look at…
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See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. Secondary Considerations: What about the Weaker Brother? My allegory in Part 6 illustrates the current debate among some Christian authors. Some, like the “edgy chef” in my story, feel they have the Christian liberty to use a crass word or a profanity or two in a Christian novel. But others reject the premise that this is even a Christian liberty issue. They believe, based on biblical absolutes, that using unclean speech is unacceptable for any author who calls herself or himself Christian. In Part 3, we looked at the main verses that support their position. A Christian Liberty Issue? For the sake of the debate, let’s pretend the debate is a Christian liberty issue. What does the Bible teach about Christian liberty? If I use this rationale, can I use whatever words I want in my novel, regardless of what my…
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See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. An Allegory: The Edgy Chef Few communication mediums are more powerful than stories. So this week I offer an allegory to my continuing discussion. *** Imagine that a large restaurant association, founded back in the eighties, is well known for its kosher cuisine. The association board has always prided itself in its sensitivity to the religious convictions of its Jewish customers. It has agreed never, ever to allow its restaurants to serve ham, bacon, or sausage. But as times change and restaurants struggle to stay open due to tough economic times, standards change too, especially since some Jewish customers have become more enlightened in their eating choices. In fact, chefs at some of the association’s biggest restaurants have begun offering daring entrees with just the smallest bit of bacon or ham sprinkled in. “Hey, it’s not like we’re serving ham…
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Note: I’m taking a brief hiatus from my series on clean speech due to Thanksgiving plans with family and related time constraints. I plan to return to the series next week. In the meantime . . . I decided to compile a list of some of the biggest reasons for me to be thankful; that way on Thanksgiving day I’m not just stuffing my face with turkey. I’m actually approaching the occasion with a heart befitting the season. My Wife Kim got only a little sleep last night due to a nasty cold (of course, just in time for holiday travels) and a migraine. Yet she always keeps moving forward: getting stuff done, taking care of all of us. Whether she feels like it or not. This past November 2 marked our sixteenth wedding anniversary. Sixteen years—how is that possible? She has put up with me and fed me and…
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