Today is Arbor Day, and it is as holy a day as I can think of. No, it is not a bank holiday. No, it is not tied to a religion. No, most people don’t really care or even know that today is Arbor Day (or what Arbor Day even is!). But it is a special day nonetheless. Why? Because trees are sacred. They are God’s gift to humanity, though we hardly deserve them. We continue to clear cut them... Read more
Growing up as an Evangelical, I used to believe that “taking the Lord’s name in vain” simply meant saying “Jesus Christ” when you shouldn’t, or “Goddammit” at any point in time. But God isn’t God’s name, and now that I’m not a child, I no longer believe in childish things. As an adult who has decided to live out my days as a post-Christian who still reveres Jesus Christ, I now believe that “taking the Lord’s name in vain” means... Read more
Tomorrow is 4/20, so to all my fellow humans who enjoy participating in some of that good “seed-yielding” fruit talked about in Genesis, I’ve attached a comprehensive list of all the times Jesus condemns the good herb: Gotcha! Facebook Instagram YouTube Also, if you’ve been digging my work on here, and want to see me be able to continue writing as close to full-time... Read more
(I posted this after the January 6th terrorist attack at the US Capitol. It is as relevant today.) Dear Trump-Supporting Christians, Are you happy now? Is this what you wanted, to watch fellow Trump supporters storm the Capitol building? Did you think all of Trump’s rhetoric and subtle—sometimes not so subtle—calls for violence would go unnoticed by members of your camp? Honestly, I’m at a loss right now. My thoughts are jumbled. I’m at a loss because I know some... Read more
One thing I can’t get over is how quickly so many Christians will sell their souls for the promise of being made great again. It’s as if they’ve never read that whole “temptation narrative” from Luke 3 and 4. You know, the one where the devil promises Jesus all the religious and political power the world has to offer, and Jesus rejects it like Wenbanyama rejects weak layups. So why is it, 2,000 years later, and Christians are willing to... Read more
April 16th is Emancipation Day, and it commemorates the ending of slavery in Washington D.C. in 1862 and the freeing of over 3,100 slaves. That’s right: 1862! That’s nearly 100 years after the founding of this country! But wait, if you listen to Christians on the Right–those who thump the same Bible a certain presidential candidate is currently hawking–then you’ll likely hear how this nation was founded on Christian principles. Some even go so far as to emphatically say how... Read more
Throughout history, different groups of Christians have defined their faith in different ways. From the earliest versions of the Apostles’ Creed all the way to the monstrosity that is known as the Westminster Confession of Faith, statements about how Christians are to be defined have been offered, countered, reoffered, and re-countered on countless occasions. But what if we threw out all notions that Christianity should be defined by a set of beliefs about Jesus and God, and instead thought of... Read more
Well, Donald Trump is at it again. After peddling a run of goofy-ass gold sneakers to suckers with at least $400 of disposable income–a smart move to lure in Black voters, according to the always racist and out of touch Fox News–he has now put his name on … you guessed it … the Bible itself; or, what many Christians call the “Word of God.” And while a litany of self-respecting Jesus followers are condemning him for it, a whole... Read more
How did Jesus use his “Bible?” Where did Jesus’ authority come from? When Jesus approached the Scripture, does he do it in the same way as modern evangelicals? Or, did Jesus have a specific hermeneutic. Watch this 10 minute video to find out my thoughts. Read more
Over the course of the coming months, I am going to post a handful of letters I am writing to friends and readers. They will be collected by the end of 2024, and will make up the third book in my Tolkien series. The first letter I am going to include here is on theodicy and God’s action (or inaction) in the face of evil and suffering. “I am fascinated by the internal theology and role of providence or divine... Read more
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