Why This Blog

Dear Reader,

There are two simple reasons why I created this blog:

1. To encourage Christian parents with God's history through the church.
2. To discourage Christian parents away from wrong views of God's history through the church.

The first point is obvious: letters, essays, and practices in the realm of Christian education have been and will be posted. The design is for you the reader to have a dialogue of sorts with your spiritual forefathers. They are not going to speak back to you, but, as our elders, they have spoken first. And even if all they taught and did was not the best, at the least we should be aware of it first before we presumptuously discard their principles and practices in favor of some new fad.

The second point is less obvious: essays and short pieces will be presented, challenging some preciously held ideas (new and old). The design is for you the reader to critically read these postings, even following the reference trail I left for transparency. I will try to avoid innuendos: when I write "Perhaps they believe," I mean "perhaps..."--the word is not code for "you do in fact believe this." When I include a number of quotes, it is not to pick on people but to demonstrate the fact that such sentiments actually exist.

Americans tend to think in terms of sound-bytes and commercialized language. They especially think in emotional and pragmatical terms: I've met this guy, he can't be wrong! It works for me, you just don't understand. I will use emotional language at times but not in place of substantive evaluation and analysis. So some may take my articles as being brusque.

I do not write public critiques of private issues. Even with public issues (which are open to public critiques), I have attempted to contact people of opposing views.

Lastly, I am at a public disadvantage. My training, scholarship and character are verified by a local region of churches (ruling lay elders and professional ministers of the OPC) and those who know me. I have no big names to ride coat-tails on. I have no national conferences to head-up. You've never heard me preach. That is a huge disadvantage in the cases where I analyze men you may have heard and read and developed respect for even though you may not know them personally nor know of their actual credentials.

I can only implore you to read the evidence. And pray.

thank you,

Pastor Mathis