Everett Piper
Columns by Everett Piper
10 lessons learned from the Kavanaugh hearings
As an academic, I am always looking for teachable moments. The following is a list of 10 lessons some of our nation's foremost senatorial leaders have taught us during the past month's Kavanaugh hearings. Published September 30, 2018
Ignoring the reality of human nature is a mistake
George Barna, in his book "What Americans Believe," points out that 87 percent of non-Christians and 77 percent of self-described born-again Christians agreed with the statement "People are basically good." Our culture by and large has discarded the idea of original sin. Published September 23, 2018
The left’s eagerness to be offended shows they believe in a final measure of morality after all
Recent headlines prove once again a simple fact that is as obvious as the sunrise: Contrary to popular belief, and flying in the face of multiple denials, liberals and progressives alike actually do believe in God. In fact, those on the cultural left such as the ladies on "The View," or the talking heads on MSNBC, prove their "biblical faith" as persistently and aggressively as anyone, and they do so every day. Published September 16, 2018
Accusing Brett Kavanaugh of judicial activism
Susan Brooks Thistlewaite, professor of theology and former president of Chicago Theological Seminary, penned an op-ed for Patheos this past week excoriating the Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh as "a pre-selected political ideologue" of, what she considers to be, the myopic and agenda-drivenright. Published September 9, 2018
Liberal nonsense on parade
It's "1984" and we are living in schizophrenic times. Dickensian times. Orwellian times. The best of times, but yet the worst. Published September 2, 2018
Sexual misconduct that was overlooked in the Clinton years becomes a rallying cry
When Bill Clinton was philandering and lying about it, media elites told us over and over again that our conservative objections were priggish and judgmental. It was none of our business. Traditional standards about marital fidelity and sexual chastity were antiquated and puritanical; something to lampoon on "Saturday Night Live" and something to mock on "The Late Show," but surely nothing we should concern ourselves about or take seriously in modern times. Published August 26, 2018
‘Progressives’ are hypocrites and they don’t care if you know it
Recent news proves beyond any doubt that most of our nation's leaders have lost any ability to think clearly and consistently. It also exposes the Big Lie -- the fact that members of the elite class really never believed any of their previous posturing about human rights, personal freedom and the dignity of every human being. Their call for diversity and inclusion was simply sleight-of-hand. Published August 19, 2018
The anti-bigotry bigots at work
More "I can't tolerate your intolerance" from the anti-bigotry bigots. Published August 12, 2018
Knowing the difference between political posturing and a principled stand
As a university president, one of my obligations is to speak at various different church events. For 16 years, I have traveled the nation delivering talks on everything from religious liberty and academic freedom to the "snowflake rebellion" and the importance of the historical liberal arts model of higher education. Published August 5, 2018
Why one must love something bigger than himself
You know the story -- Narcissus was the son of the river god Cephissus. He ran in the foothills and forests of Greece, he joined with the fawns and dryads in the woodland sports as they ran in the fields and climbed the mountains. He was incredibly handsome. Published July 29, 2018
The audacity of Obama
This past week, Barack Obama delivered a speech where he said, "unfortunately too much of politics today seems to reject the very concept of objective truth ... People just make stuff up ... We see the utter loss of shame among political leaders where they're caught in a lie, and they just double down." Published July 22, 2018
Where Anthony Kennedy and Brett Kavanaugh diverge
"At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe and the mystery of human life." Published July 15, 2018
Sinners miss the lesson of the Gospel by fixating on sin instead of transformation
In his book "The Divine Conspiracy," Dallas Willard talks about what he calls the "gospel of sin management." He confronts the errors of both conservatives and liberals. He challenges the left and the right by saying both have missed the truth of the Gospel by ironically committing the same error: Fixating on sin rather than focusing on transformation. Published July 8, 2018
Suddenly, the left loves Leviticus
This week in the news: All of the sudden, the mainstream media, Hollywood, the liberal church, and other members of our national intelligentsia seem to care about what the Bible says. In particular, they appear to have suddenly acquired some affection for the Old Testament — a book that, heretofore, these proud members of the "smarter-than-thou" club have excoriated as laden with "hate-filled rhetoric." Published June 24, 2018
The despair of Anthony Bourdain
In the early 1900s, G.K. Chesterton spoke of the unavoidable consequences of denying God as our Creator and worshipping science above the sacred. Observing that the naturalists of his day were only too willing to turn their science into a philosophy and then impose their new religion upon all of culture with near fanatic zeal, Chesterton said, "I [have] never said a word against eminent men of science. What I complain of is a vague popular philosophy which supposes itself to be scientific when it is really nothing but a sort of new religion and an uncommonly nasty one." Published June 17, 2018
‘Reclaiming Jesus’ promotes a distorted Christian faith
A bit of news you may have missed over the past couple weeks was that of about 2,000 high-profile Christian pastors and church elders who, on May 24, marched on the White House. Published June 10, 2018
Demanding tolerance while refusing to show tolerance is folly
Delusion reigns in the mind of Lord Diversity and his minions. He demands tolerance while declaring he will not tolerate the intolerant. He requires openness of mind but closes his mind to all who disagree. His Majesty Diversity, after all, says it is true that nothing is true. He knows nothing can be known, he is sure that nothing is sure, and he is absolutely confident that no one can have confidence in absolutes. Published June 3, 2018
Surprisingly, Donald Trump has proved himself to be pro-life
Two years ago, as I sat in the chambers of the U.S. Supreme Court, I was crestfallen. Oklahoma Wesleyan's lawsuit against Obamacare and its unjust abortifacient mandate — a mandate that forced my university, under threat of law, to include abortion-inducing drugs in our health insurance package — hung in the balance. Justice Antonin Scalia had just died. All hope for a majority ruling in favor of our religious freedom seemed lost. Published May 27, 2018
Pursuing God, or petting goats
It is finals week at colleges and universities across the nation, and the University of Maine at Orono just announced a brilliant plan: It is providing a herd of goats for students to feed and pet in order to help them — presumably the students, not the goats — get through the stress of final exams. Published May 20, 2018
A professor’s prayer
Wednesday, May 3, was our country's National Day of Prayer. It was a day where millions of Americans gathered at various venues in various communities petitioning God for his forgiveness, protection and providence. Published May 6, 2018
