Conversing on Controversy: Replacement Theology

NOTE: This is the fourth article in my weekly series. To see the others, click the conversing on controversy tag. This would have originally been published on Thursday, but I did a Tebow special.

So...this week we're discussing RC Sproul Jr.'s explanation of replacement theology. Although he doesn't use the term, he admits that people could describe him that way.

What is Replacement Theology?

CoC: Calvinism vs. Arminianism

NOTE: This is the third article in my weekly series. To see the others, click the conversing on controversy tag.


So...I don't feel qualified to really discuss this topic so I'm going to refer you all to an AMAZING explanation of it:

CoC: The Civil War and Slavery

NOTE: This is the second article in my weekly series. To see the first, click the conversing on controversy tag. This article is a reprint of a research paper that I wrote last year. I can't find my final draft so this is my second one. 
This topic is, ahem, very controversial in my neck of the woods so I want to emphasize that I don't mean to offend anyone and that I personally am not a fanatic about either side. However, after studying the time, I'd like to set the record straight based on how I see it. Some statements that may seem a little strong are meant to spark debate. Just as in a debate people take extreme positions, I'm trying to remain consistent here with a basic thesis. In reality, my views are not so black-and-white about the subject.

The Civil War must qualify as one of the most divisive topics in American history. Historians do not quibble over what happened in most cases, but rather the motivation. On this point, scholars divide sharply. No modern consensus exists upon the cause of the war. Many in the South still call it the War of Northern Aggression and justify the South both morally and legally. Due to the books written by Southern apologists, U.S. textbooks now fudge the subject and no longer say that slavery caused the war. These scholars now portray Lincoln as a calculating, racist politician who trampled on the rights of the states. More confusion exists about the war now than existed in its own time. By looking at the historical facts however, it becomes possible to clear things up and set the record straight. After careful historical review, it becomes clear that the North, led by Lincoln, walked the narrow line between idealist goals like abolition of slavery and practical concerns like preservation of the Union, while the South supported neither.

CoC: The Republican Nomination

NOTE: This is the first post in a weekly series. I invite other bloggers and writers to discuss controversial topics with me. Check back every Thursday for the latest article. This article was supposed to run yesterday but the writer who was taking Ron Paul's viewpoint didn't turn his assignment in. Apologies. I've replaced that viewpoint with a fifth writer who intriguingly also picked Jon Huntsman. Many thanks to Josh who joined on short notice. Enjoy!

This is the first post in what I hope will become a long series that will be informative and attract many, many readers. This week's topic: The Republican Nomination

Why this topic?

With no clear-cut strong candidates and strong backlash against every candidate, this is the craziest Republican race in two decades. Since Ronald Reagan, the party has always been decently stable, anchored by the Bush family, and other holdovers from the Reagan era. But today, no candidate has been able to capture more than a quarter of the Republican vote at any one time.