Real Poverty? / Media Bias

The Newsletter of IBTM
with Douglas Jacoby
2 August 2023

Good morning from St Augustine, Florida, the oldest (European-established) city in the United States. (Photo R: Castillo de San Marcos, the old Spanish fort.) I’m here visiting family. On this trip I’ll also be in Denver (tomorrow) and Athens, Georgia (Sunday). In Denver we will celebrate the
graduation of the third class of the Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology. Graduates this year hail from Kenya, Kuwait, Nigeria, and the United States. (Photo from 2022 graduation below.)

Today there are three offerings: two Q&As (one with a guest response), and a guest article on media bias. I hope this week’s bulletin proves useful.

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Q&A 1641: Covenant vs. Contract?

Q: What's the difference between a covenant and a contract?

A: While they are equivalent in many contexts, there is an important nuance to covenant. In the words of philosopher Douglas Groothuis, "A covenant, in the theological sense, is more than a contract. A covenant is made with a sense of honor and obligation before a transcendent reality." KEEP READING

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Q&A 1642: Is There Real Poverty in the West?

Q: Is "poverty" relative? … I know what real poverty looks like from working in Haïti. And yet I have to constantly listen (from politicians, the media, etc.) about poverty in my country, which I consider an insult to the "real" poor… KEEP READING

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Dealing with Media Bias, by Thayer Salisbury

It is upsetting. These days, it also seems inevitable. Lies are told, and many people believe them. Maybe that was overstated. Sometimes, it is a half-truth or a conjecture stated as a proven fact rather than a direct and intentional lie. But the result is pretty much the same. Children are growing up with a lot of false information in their heads. Many adults are making decisions based on false information. And this false information is not always coming from off-the-wall fringe Internet sites. Often, these days, highly respected sources cannot be trusted. KEEP READING

Used with permission from John Clayton, Does God Exist?

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John 16 “Sermunion”: Join Us Sun 7pm UK Time