There is this idea floating around Christianity that says God is too holy to look upon sin. It is typically espoused by Calvinists, but it goes well beyond that system of thought: indeed, it has infected nearly every corner of Protestantism, and in the process has done great harm, both psychologically and theologically. First off, to say that God the Father is too holy to look upon sin is, to my mind, to say that Jesus Christ is not God.... Read more
No matter where you stand on the Kavanaugh/Ford debate, one thing is clear: the response from some Christians is appalling. From so-called faith leaders like Franklin Graham who have implied that even if Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault Dr. Ford, it’s not relevant as to whether he gets confirmed to the Supreme Court or not, to run-off-the-mill Christians who have suggested that all teenage boys behave like drunken, sexual deviants—thus justifying assault, I guess?—the nonchalance of our “Christian” response to Kavanaugh’s... Read more
The doctrine of eternal hell used to scare the living daylights out of me. Although I have pretty much always been a Christian and have probably “given my heart to the Lord” several times—I can’t recall how many, exactly, but it’s been more than once—I was still tormented by eternal torment. Perhaps I just wasn’t going to stack up, perhaps I committed the “unpardonable sin,” or, perhaps I was going to die on a day when God was in a... Read more
Although I typically don’t get into many theological discussions or arguments on social media these days, I still like to mix it up from time to time. Not that I really feel the need to change people’s minds per se, I just want to get people to think about stuff a little deeper than they currently are. You see, Christians, by and large, aren’t really all that known for thinking outside the box. Instead, they seem to be pretty content... Read more
Last night my friend Carlos and I were chatting over some drinks about how we have become increasingly hostile toward self-identifying as “Christian.” Not because we don’t love Christ, and not because we don’t find value in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, but for the simple reason that Christianity seems to want nothing to do with those who approach the faith different than they do. And sometimes, when one feels as unwelcomed as I currently do, when one is... Read more
*Note: this is a guest piece by my good friend Danielle Kingstrom, and is a follow-up to my most recent post entitled “Vulnerability and Grace: Two Ingredients for a Successful Relationship.” Vulnerability is the buzz word as of late, at least in my circles of influence and social interactions. Yet, vulnerability is not a new word or phrase. It has often been viewed as either an indifferent experience we don’t talk about or it is tied to shame... Read more
Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships, specifically those of the romantic variety. Naturally, this has forced me to consider the relationship I have with my wife Lyndsay, which has led to some great conversations here at the Distefano house. And while I don’t typically discuss these sorts of things on this blog, I wanted to open up with y’all and share some of my most recent thoughts on the matter. The first thing I... Read more
Christians love talking about sin. Sin this, sin that, sin here, sin there, sin just about everywhere. And while it is, in and of itself, not a bad thing to discuss this issue, our focus always seems to be, not about our own shit, but about the shit of others, the so-called sins of “all those worldly people.” It’s the homosexuals who are sinful. It’s the Muslims who are sinful. It’s the atheists who are sinful. It’s the potheads who... Read more
Hey everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to let y’all know why this blog has been relatively inactive these past few weeks. You see, I’ve been dealing with this horrific ear infection that has come and gone for the past year and a half. Recently, it flared back up again to new heights and it was only eradicated a short time ago. On top of that, I’ve been dealing with debilitating depression with a healthy dose of anxiety.... Read more
“Nationalism does nothing but teach you to hate people you have never met and take pride in accomplishments you have no part in.” -Doug Stanhope *Note: this is a guest piece by my good friend Danielle Kingstrom. Nationalism is a loyalty and devotion to a nation. In plain text, nationalism isn’t a scary or offensive word. History has shown us that many great leaders, both famous and infamous, were nationalists; they were leaders who believed their country was exceptionally superior... Read more
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