Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with The Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, and all things Tolkien. I’m such a nerd that I’ve studied the mythopoetic stories found in The Silmarillion and even read through The Unfinished Tales. I use LOTR analogies all throughout my personal writings and if I ever get another dog, will assuredly name him Tom Bombadil (to the annoyance of both my wife and daughter). But, c’mon, isn’t that the coolest name for... Read more
“The Bible is the inerrant Word of God,” or so says many Christians. But it’s not. I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry. Now, before you gird up your loins and fit yourself ready for battle, here’s 7 reasons why I say such an inflammatory thing. I. The Bible Never Claims to Be Let’s start with the obvious. The Bible never claims to be the inerrant Word of God. Not in Genesis. Not in Exodus. Not in Deuteronomy. Not in the... Read more
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 (which is why this will probably read more like a stream of consciousness than a well-constructed letter). I’m at a loss because... Read more
Today, we at the Heretic Happy Hour podcast begin a series on the “clobber passages,” beginning with the passages Christians use to clobber the LGBTQ+ community. In it, we discuss Genesis 19, Romans 1, and the Corinthian letter. Plus, we talk to theologian Alexander John Shaia. To listen to the episode, click the logo!!! If you wanna get to know me better, please follow me on social media. I’m pretty active on all platforms: Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Also, if... Read more
In case you didn’t know, I’m a Universalist. This means that in the end, I believe all will be reconciled to God and one another. How this works out, specifically, I’m not sure. It could be Christocentric as my good friend Keith Giles says, or it could be more pluralistic as my best friend Michael Machuga suggests. Either way, it renders me a heretic in the eyes of many, leaving countless folks confused and asking, “Matt, what if you’re wrong?”... Read more
I’ve been thinking about freedom lately. What does it mean to be free? What, exactly, is free will? What is a free choice? These kinds of questions. In America, freedom is emphasized over pretty much everything. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom of the press. Free to carry a rifle with the unlocked infinite ammo cheat. But what if the kind of freedom most Americans talk about isn’t really what freedom is supposed to be? What if autonomous freedom... Read more
For the first 25 years of my life, I was a Christian who was told that you had to believe certain things about Jesus in order to be saved. In other words, orthodoxy (ironic term for Protestants to use, but whatever) was emphasized over orthopraxy (how one lives out their faith). Now that I don’t even think of the term “Christian,” and at best reside on the edge of the inside (to borrow one of Rohr’s phrases), I’ve flipped the... Read more
Beliefs don’t matter. However, they also do matter. Confusing, right? Well, perhaps only at first glance. It’ll all make sense by the end of this piece. I promise. When I say that beliefs don’t matter, what I mean is, contrary to what we learned in the Protestant tradition, our beliefs about God, or Jesus, or atonement, or the Bible, or so-called “sound doctrine,” aren’t our primary source of salvation. They aren’t our identity. We are more than our beliefs. Some... Read more
In the latest episode of Apostates Anonymous, I chatted with Patheos’ own Hemant Mehta, aka The Friendly Atheist. It was a fascinating conversation, and what really stuck out was that, in spite of the fact that I believe in God and he doesn’t, we have way more in common than one might initially think. Check out the episode and let me know what you think by commenting below and leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Click here to... Read more
For those who don’t know, I am way into hip-hop. In fact, I’ve even got a little album coming out in 2021, entitled “Burn It Down.” For those who want a taste of what’s to come, and who can handle strong language, here’s a lyric video I put together for my first track, “25 Years.” It’s about what I think about the church at large, and no, it won’t be appreciated by everyone. Warning: Lot’s of cuss words. Probably a... Read more
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