A few weeks ago, The Gospel Coalition released a book about deconstruction called Before You Lose Your Faith. Yes, those predominantly Reformed Churches who believe the Bible is the Word of God, that men have headship over women, that humanity is “corrupted in every aspect of their being,” and that on the cross Christ propitiated God and “bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins,” don’t want you to deconstruct your faith. I wonder why. Now, they... Read more
The 4-booklet anthology, entitled The Bonfire Sessions: A Year of Shadow and Flame, is out today. Here’s what it’s all about: What happens when two philosophically-minded friends sit down around a firepit to chat about life’s biggest topics? Within these pages, you’ll find out. In The Bonfire Sessions: A Year of Shadow and Flame, authors and podcasters Matthew J. Distefano and Michael Machuga give their readers a glimpse into their very real lives, modeling for others what they believe conversation should... Read more
Last week, I came out as bisexual. Needless to say, it’s been an interesting week. Exhausting, too. And overwhelming. But in the long run, I’m sure it’ll be liberating. Without a doubt, I’ve been asked more questions this past week than I’ve received in perhaps the entire last year. That’s saying a lot, too, because I’m typically asked a lot of questions in general. In this follow-up piece to last week’s bombshell, I would like to clarify a few things,... Read more
I’m happily married to a woman. We’ve been married for nearly 17 years. Some people may assume that makes me straight but I’ve got news for ya! I’m not. I’m a bisexual man. Guess what though . . . she’s cool with that. We’re cool with that. And if you’re cool with me, you’ll be cool with that. So, why am I just coming out now? Because I want to. It’s a part of who I am and I feel... Read more
The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother comes from Luke 15:11-32 and is a story we are all familiar with. However, I think it is a story that is often misunderstood, simply because we Christians don’t like to think of ourselves as anything but the hero of any tale. In this parable, we are like the father, the one who is preemptively forgiving of his youngest son’s immature and destructive behavior. Either that, or we see ourselves in the... Read more
In Part I of this two-part series, we talked about Christianity’s assumptions about so-called “original sin,” and why I don’t think they are the best way to think about sin. In this follow-up article, we are going to get into how God deals with sin and how human volition plays into things. In the last article, we established that God is against sin. I’m not sure any Christian would disagree with me there. The issue, then, isn’t whether God is... Read more
A lot of Christians have a skewed view of sin. If I had to guess at a percentage, it would be about fifty. In all honesty, it may be higher, but perhaps I only say that because I grew up in a predominantly white, entirely conservative, Evangelical church. And these folks are obsessed with sin. Sin this. Sin that. Sin. Sin. Sin. Why is this so? The cynic in me says it’s all about controlling the masses, but it’s likely... Read more
Last night, after chillin’ around the firepit with my best friend Michael, I made the 20 minute drive to my new home in Chico, California. Because I drive a janky-ass Jeep – replete with an antenna that hangs off the side, more car tape than is ever needed, and a door that fills up with water during rain storms – naturally I don’t have much of a selection of music for my drives. In fact, the 6 CD changer is... Read more
It’s no surprise that Keith Giles and I go way back. We’ve been with the same publisher for years. We’re working on our fourth year of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast. And even though we now live in different states, we’ve had the pleasure of becoming real-life friends. But none of that means I won’t also give an open and honest review of the work he does. In the latest installment in his “Jesus-Un” series, Giles tackles the ever-debated over... Read more
I bet y’all didn’t know I could rap. But I can. To prove it, my mixtape, entitled “Burn It Down,” is available now on iTunes. Click the album cover to pick it up today. Note: Strong Language. Not suitable for everyone. Read more
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