Articles for tag: Polarization

November 9, 2020

By Jon Wren In the 18th century, some American cities began placing streetlamps in parks and at busy intersections to provide extra light and safety for their citizens. But the earliest lamps weren’t very efficient and had to be cleaned often due to the soot caused by the flame. In Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin watched the lamps being cleaned and had an idea for a new design. He proposed using four flat panes of glass on the sides, a long funnel above to draw up the smoke, and crevices below to allow for air. Franklin’s lamp was brighter, cleaner, and more

February 14, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Apologetics & Worldview

Reasonable Doubt

By Mark A. Taylor Confronted with doubters, some Christians display one of two unfortunate reactions. Some look away. They prefer not to think about serious skeptics. Isolated inside the church with no real relationships outside it, they are comfortable with a faith they themselves may never have questioned. They ignore the skeptic. But others attack. They can”t pretend doubters don”t exist. They”ve heard the cynical sneers about Christianity from public critics, and the arguments make them angry. They view disbelievers as the enemy, and their instinct is to defend the faith with sarcasm, condemnation, or insult. Those in either group

June 4, 2015

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Shades of Gray: Pursuing the Radical Center

By Ben Cachiaras If you want people to buy your book, read your blog, or retweet your thoughts, try to say something extreme. To be considered edgy, you must sit on the edge. Take a bold stance that sounds radical. To accomplish this, do your best to cleverly discredit the opposing view so as to create a clear divide between its inferiority and your brilliant, better way. Newspeople understand this. That”s why our screens are often filled with controversial “experts” from polarized positions who appear in little boxes like they”re on Hollywood Squares. Via satellite feed, they take turns talking