Dr Paul Allen

In August, Moody Bible Institute lifted its alcohol and tobacco ban for its 600 full-time employees, following recent similar moves by Wheaton College, Huntington University , and Asbury Seminary . Moody spokesperson Brian Regnerus said the change "came out of a desire in Moody's leadership to reflect a high-trust environment that emphasizes values, not rules," and to "require no more and no less than what God's Word requires." "We are giving employees the freedom that God gives them," Regnerus said. "We trust that they have the wisdom and spiritual maturity to make appropriate choices for their lives and the communities in which they are a part." He also said that Moody is not advocating for alcohol use. But some conservative Christians really are advocating for it. Ben Smith, cofounder of Reclamation Brewing Company in Butler, Pennsylvania , said that for too long, American evangelicals have talked more about the "evils" of...

Caricature of Dwight Lyman Moody. Caption read "Prayer and Praise". (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Dwight L. Moody didn't attend school beyond the fifth grade; he couldn't spell, and his grammar was awful. His manners were often brash and crude, and he never became an ordained minister. Once, before his conversion, he so outraged an Italian shoe salesmen with a prank, that the man chased him with a sharp knife, clearly intending to kill him. Yet, Dwight L. Moody was used by God to lead thousands of people to Christ . Moody's life of Christian service began with his conversion  on this day, April 21, 1855 . Dwight came to Boston as a teenager from Northfield, Massachusetts , and he felt all alone in the big city. The boy was desperate for work. An uncle took him on as a shoe salesman--on condition that he be obedient and that he attend Mt. Vernon Congregational Church. The young man had been raised in a Unitarian church which denied the full divinity of Christ...