prayer as gossip

June 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment
let us prayer prayer as gossip cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

Sometimes praying is more like prying. Be careful what you share at prayer meetings. The offer of intimate fellowship is intoxicating and can make you confess things you may regret later. If you confess anything about your lack of faith, finances, sexuality, questions… chances are that others will miraculously find out about it. Or, if the confessions are serious enough it may cost you the level of privilege that you now enjoy. Some people will not be able to help holding it against you. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons Tagged With: , , , , , Leave a Comment

atheists shouldn’t trust their feelings

June 19, 2013 By 12 Comments
atheists shouldn't trust their feelings cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

So why do people with religious experiences assert that their feelings of God's presence are valid and believable, but when another person who has never experienced God admits this, they are told that they shouldn't trust their feelings, the implication being that their feelings are lying to them about the reality of God's existence and personal presence in their lives? I'm intimately familiar with this line of reasoning. I used it. There is no proof of God. For some reason I've always … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons, teaching Tagged With: , , , , , 12 Comments

God sent me to all you stupid people

June 18, 2013 By 4 Comments
god sent me to the stupid people cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

I can't count how many times I've heard this attitude communicated by church leaders, itinerant preachers and teachers. They don't come right out and say this but it is certainly conveyed. When a man or woman says something like, "God gave me a message for you", my experience is that most people will do or pay anything to hear it. Heck, I've been at the receiving end of that myself. It's desperation. Desperation to hear from God. Desperation to find meaning and purpose. Desperation for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons Tagged With: , , , , 4 Comments

come on church you’re moving too slow

June 18, 2013 By 7 Comments
church too slow cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

I applaud churches who are breaking out of their shells and affecting change in the world. May their numbers increase! But I predict someone is going to raise the objection that it was the tortoise that won the race. But that's a different analogy. That's about patiently heading towards a desired goal. The tortoise wants to get there. This is something else. This analogy is about resisting movement towards justice and equality for all. The church doesn't want to get there. The fact that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons, teaching Tagged With: , , , , , 7 Comments

does the church have exclusive right of access?

June 17, 2013 By 21 Comments
the church has exclusive right of access cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

Some assert that the only way to God is through the church. Some would theologize that the church is Christ's body, and that Christ is the mediator between God and people, so those in Christ would be in the church, and to be outside the church is to be outside of Christ. Some would insist that you cannot find God without Christ and that the church is the best guide to finding Christ and therefore finding God. Some cannot imagine a spirituality outside of an organization. I admire and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons Tagged With: , , , , 21 Comments

happy father’s day to two father families

June 16, 2013 By 15 Comments
two father family cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

There are a lot of studies giving strong evidence that children of same-sex parents grow up well-adjusted and healthy. In fact, some studies argue that their childhoods are more positive. I'm not going to link any because there are too many to choose from. You can google it though. I can hear the arguments of some though: Just because they're happy does not make them right. Just because the child grows up into a well-adjusted adult doesn't excuse the sin that got him there. Enjoying sin for a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons Tagged With: , , , , 15 Comments

you do realize this is the same place

June 15, 2013 By 18 Comments
the same place cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

Some will immediately come to the defense of the church and say that I'm painting with a wide brush. But I challenge you to ask anyone on the street: "What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say 'church' and 'boys'?" "What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say 'church' and 'women'?" "What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say 'church' and 'money'?" "What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say 'church' and 'the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons Tagged With: , , , , , , 18 Comments

is your belief a house of cards?

June 14, 2013 By 29 Comments
belief a house of cards cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

It is a disservice to expect people not to ask questions, to think critically, or to challenge the status quo of the popular thought of their group. It is wrong because it deprives them of real intellectual development and spiritual growth. I think what usually happens to these people when they are confronted with a convincing truth that challenges their present way of thinking is that they revert to a childish coping mechanism of regressing into a more secure but less mature belief system. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons Tagged With: , , , , 29 Comments

10 reasons to be afraid of atheists

June 13, 2013 By 140 Comments
atheists under the bed cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

Here are ten reasons to be afraid of atheists: There are some pretty nasty atheists that even seem dangerous. I don't know any personally, but I have met some online that I'm glad are at arm's length. There are some atheists who are just rude and won't respect but attack your beliefs or rationale, which can make conversing with them very uncomfortable and confrontational. There are some atheists who, because they are atheists, are by your standards going to Hell and are therefore, by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons, teaching Tagged With: , , , , , 140 Comments

God as Atheist

June 13, 2013 By 14 Comments
god as an atheist cartoon by nakedpastor david hayward

The book of Job is my favorite in the Old Testament. It is brutally honest. It provides no easy answers. It concludes, leaving us with life as unfathomable mystery and that we cannot possibly understand it. It admits that even though there may be meaning, we aren't privy to it. This is life as I experience it. The crucifixion illustrates this even more graphically. Looking back, Paul says that God emptied himself of himself and became a man. As a human being, God experiences the absence of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: cartoons Tagged With: , , , , , 14 Comments