A call to a new Reformation in the teaching and life of Jesus' followers
Lots of folks, when they discuss the truth (or not) of faith, or when they try to sell Christianity to outsiders, spend a great deal of energy on issues surrounding the afterlife. The crassest version, but one many of us have encountered, is encapsulated in the question “do you know where you’d be if you die tonight?” The core message, of course, is that we’re … Continue reading Why do I believe? Part 13 — Not for Heaven’s Sake
With some frequency, some of my Bible-believing friends who tend toward the conservative end of American politics ask me how I can justify my more left-leaning political views. More than a few have expressed genuine consternation that anyone who believes in Jesus could possibly vote Democratic (as I often have), or could oppose certain Republican priorities (as I usually do even when I’m not happy … Continue reading How my faith impacts my politics
It’s been a while since I’ve written much on Open Theism, but a Facebook friend of mine, Jacob Matthew Hunt, has prepared an excellent reading list over at the blog The Greatness of the Open God. Take a look at the list here. Some quality stuff by some quality authors!
With the people of France and decent people everywhere, today I mourn the deaths of the editors, cartoonists, and staff of French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo. With the people of France and decent people everywhere, today I also condemn in the strongest possible terms, the murder of people who exercised their right to free expression in the public sphere. But in contrast to many decent … Continue reading Je ne suis pas Charlie
The thing that irritates me about most apologists is that they’re so damn sure of themselves. Not all of them are as cocky as William Lane Craig (who, in my estimation, uses sophistry and intimidation to cover up sloppy thinking). However, even gentle ones like Josh McDowell or Ravi Zacharias seem, at least in the stuff I’ve read, to present a neat, airtight package devoid … Continue reading Why Do I Believe? Part 11 – It’s not all positive … Theodicy
In some ways, this may be the most difficult bit I’ve written in my whole apologetics series. I’ve wrestled with whether to post it at all, but I feel honesty demands it. If I’m going to talk about why I believe what I do, I can’t ignore the fact that my personal experience of the divine is a big fat nothing. So here goes … … Continue reading Why Do I Believe? Part 12 – My personal experience is no help!
In my myriad discussions over the years, with friends and acquaintances who are dubious about the idea of Christian nonviolence, a recurring objection has been raised that often comes in a form much like this: “Yes, your theory is all well and good, but in the real world people are violent and evil, and can only be dealt with by force.” On the surface this … Continue reading The Practicality of Nonviolence
A couple posts back in this series, I wrote how the character of Jesus himself is a major reason why I choose Christianity. Closely related to this reality, I find myself attracted to Christianity because of what it is capable of producing in people. Note carefully, I said “capable of producing,” not “produces.” I am the first to admit that an awful lot of people … Continue reading Why do I believe? Part 10 — By their fruits …
Back before I started blogging in 2008, I read and then wrote an online review of Arthur Brooks’ book Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism. I’m reposting it here with some updates, because I continue to find people citing Brooks’ study as evidence that conservatives are more compassionate than liberals. In short, Brooks’ book is a highly flawed diatribe posing as a … Continue reading “Who Really Cares?” Arthur Brooks Book Review – Repost
I have recently observed or participated in several discussions about Christian marriage in the blog/Facebook world, that have troubled me mightily. On one hand, I see (mostly male) Christians holding forth the position that sex is so important to marriage that any wife who denies her husband his “rights” or “needs” in that regard, is sinning and violating Paul’s commands in 1 Cor. 7:1-5. Some … Continue reading A Few Thoughts About Marriage and our “Rights”