Starbucks, Boycotts, and (Not) Buying Coffee: The Need for Theological Ethics
Matthew Anderson:
Moore’s case against boycotts is compelling, yet it raises more questions about the practice than it really answers. While Moore grants he is not opposed to all boycotts by Christians, he has left little to no room for discerning which boycotts we should pursue. Should Christians have, for instance, boycotted BP for their gross mismanagement of the clean-up efforts on the Gulf Coast? Or if it turned out that Starbucks was sneaking venti cups of cash into the coffers of Planned Parenthood, would a boycott then be permissible?
What’s more, there is a harder question that Moore seems to answer in the final sentence of his piece: whether Christians should buy Starbucks, even if they do not boycott Starbucks.
Theological Cool Kids
Will Adair:
Theological cool kids are Christians that have turned all their passion in to learning about God instead of living with God. They notice the sins of everyone else (especially spouses, other Christians, and coworkers) but are hard pressed to root out their own. They know what total depravity is in others but not themselves. I know I have the tendency to be one of those guys.
Cheap eBook
Just saw this on Amazon: For the City by @darrinpatrick & @_matt_carter for $2.99 on the #Kindle amzn.to/H8rOvz
— Aaron Armstrong (@AaronStrongarm) March 27, 2012
I reviewed this book a couple months back for those who are curious about it; it’s well worth spending $3 on.
Ecclesiastes
Listen to R.C. Sproul’s teaching series on Ecclesiastes for free at Ligonier.org.
Gospel-Centered Parenting
Will Walker:
The big picture of parenting is the big picture of the Bible because parenting is a depiction of the gospel. Consider the language Scripture uses to describe our relationship to God: Conversion is called being “born again” (John 3:3); our salvation is called an “inheritance” (1 Peter 1:3-4); God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12); we are called “children of God” (John 1:12, 3:1). Our father/child relationship to God is so significant that Sinclair Ferguson says, “This is the fundamental way for the Christian to think about himself: ‘I am a child of God and his people are my brothers and sisters.’” Parenting is a picture of the gospel: to us, to our kids, and to the world around us.
(You can also download the article in PDF format)
