Well over a year ago, my friend and fellow Patheos columnist, Jason Elam, asked me to submit a chapter for his book, Parenting Deconstructed. So, I did. Then I, along with another Patheos columnist, Keith Giles, took over the publishing company that was going to publish said book. Now, the book is officially available, and I’d like to include a portion of my chapter for you. Enjoy!!! Not only can discipline be instilled without including corporal punishment, the science says... Read more
Christians love to talk about their “biblical worldview.” They base their morals on it. They base their politics on it. They base their . . . everything on it. Or so they say. The problem is that no one actually has a biblical worldview. Literally. No one. Matt, how can you say this?!?! Because it’s true. Here’s why. First, the worldviews of those who wrote the Bible are as diverse as the worldviews of modern people. I can assure you... Read more
Is Progressive Christianity counterfeit Gospel? The short answer: no. But, like all questions, a fully-developed answer depends on a number of factors: What exactly is Progressive Christianity? What is the Gospel, for that matter? And how, precisely, would something then be counterfeit? What is the Gospel? The first question—what is Progressive Christianity?—can be rather difficult to answer, so we are going to hold off for now, focusing instead on the second: what is the Gospel? Put most literally, the word... Read more
All cultures and societies use myth to tell their stories, and by myth I don’t mean the stories aren’t true in some way. Myths are often quite true for the people who create them. In fact, they are so true that to challenge them is to challenge the group identity. French anthropologist and literary critic René Girard goes so far as to say that myth is one of the three key pillars a culture needs in order to even be... Read more
I was never a biblical literalist. My church was, but I wasn’t. There were just too many issues I had with a literalist reading of Scripture that, if true, turned God into a deity that I couldn’t worship. Here’s 10 of them, in no particular order. I. PREGNANT WOMEN AND THE FLOOD In Sunday School, we learn about a great flood that wipes out all of humanity save for one family. The takeaway, we’re told, is that if we are... Read more
Atlantica, ATLANTIC OCEAN – For decades, conservatives have been unable to see color due to a medical condition called Ignoramus Sightosis. Why this condition has only plagued conservatives has been baffling medical professionals across the globe. Just as baffling is how most of them suddenly were able to see color for the first time this past week after Disney released a teaser trailer for their live-action remake of the classic animated hit “The Little Mermaid.” “We are flabbergasted,” said Dr.... Read more
As a writer, sometimes I don’t know what to say. I know that sounds fantastically contradictory, but it’s true. Over the past 7 years, I’ve said so much that I’ve landed at a place where I just don’t know what else to write about. Does that mean I’m going to stop writing? Of course not! I have 5 books in the works, cohost 2 podcasts, and still plan on keeping this blog up and running. But right now, I’m sort... Read more
The following is from the Preface to my recently-released book Learning to Float, with Michelle Collins. I think you’ll enjoy it. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Are you sure? What happens if you don’t love him back? I’m good. I go to Church. I read my Bible (sometimes). I got baptized. But you also watched porn today. And yesterday. And the day before that. Yeah, but every Christian’s a sinner. I’m fine. I’ve... Read more
I was raised Evangelical. Bible Studies. Retreats in the woods. Worship team practices. Potlucks. The whole nine. I knew the faith. I knew what I had to believe in order to be right with God. And I stayed true to the path as best I could. But here’s the God’s honest truth. It was basically all a lie. Since leaving the church over 10 years ago, it has become the very thing it preached against for all those years. It... Read more
One of my life’s passions is gardening. Though it is just a hobby, I take it very seriously. When my plants are healthy, I am happy. As the old saying goes, “Happy plant, happy Matt.” Currently, I manage two gardens: one at my home in Chico, Ca and another at my best friend’s in Paradise. Because the latter property is huge – around an acre in size – the garden, too, is massive. And on top of that, we have... Read more
