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Theological Wrestling: Addressing Definitions and Presuppositions

February 12, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

I’m a Universalist and I affirm hell. I’m a Universalist and I affirm justice. I’m a Universalist and I affirm the wrath of God. I’m a Universalist and I affirm . . . well, you get the picture. If what I just said makes perfect sense to you, then the following will be nothing new. If, however, it doesn’t make any sense to you—how can one believe both clauses in each sentence?—then the following is for you. Hopefully by the… Read more

Biblical Inerrantists, What Do You Do About the Following?

February 6, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

60 Comments

I used to believe that the Bible was the inerrant Word of God. I believed this because I was told to believe it, and to question such things was to question God. And if I questioned God too much, or too often, then perhaps he was going to someday get tired of me and throw me into a lake of fire. The Bible was clear. Well, that may have been what I was told, but that doesn’t mean it’s true…. Read more

Christianity and Cannabis: One User’s Opinion

February 2, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

8 Comments

The topic of cannabis can be a contentious one for Christians. Unlike alcohol, caffeine, and other mind-altering substances, cannabis indeed carries with it a special kind of stigma, both morally and socially. For folks such as myself, this is especially unfortunate, given how much of a positive impact this herb has had on my life. Allow me to explain. A number of years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare form of Celiac disease called Refractory Celiac Sprue. What happens… Read more

Saved From God? Alternatives to Penal Substitution Atonement Theory

January 31, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

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*Note, this is part II of my series on atonement. Part I can be found here. Please take a few minutes to read that first. Also, some of the content will be included in my forthcoming book entitled Heretic! An LGBTQ-Affirming, Divine-Violence Denying Christian Universalist’s Replies to Some of Evangelical Christianity’s Most Pressing Concerns. If atonement theology is not best understood in penal substitutionary ways—as I contend it’s not—then what are some healthier, more orthodox ways of understanding the… Read more

Saved From God? 5 Problems With Penal Substitution Atonement Theory

January 29, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

31 Comments

*Note: this is part I of a two-part series I am doing on atonement theology. Some of the content will be included in my forthcoming book entitled Heretic! An LGBTQ-Affirming, Divine-Violence Denying Christian Universalist’s Replies to Some of Evangelical Christianity’s Most Pressing Concerns. “We are saved from God! And more precisely, we are sparred [sic] the wrath of God . . . Without your trusting in Christ, the wrath of God that was placed on Jesus will then be… Read more

Quoting the Old Testament: An Unmistakable Pattern in Jesus and Paul

January 25, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

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“Both Jesus and Paul quote the Old Testament, therefore they affirm all of it,” or so says a whole host of Christians. But is this true? Not likely. Sure, both men had a high view of Scripture, were adept students of it, and, on numerous occasions, taught directly from it. Indeed, much of what they had to say came from the Jewish Scriptures. But, that doesn’t mean that every theological claim made in the Old Testament is something either affirmed…. Read more

4 Reasons Why Prayer is Ineffective, Harmful, and Makes a Good God Look Really Bad

January 23, 2018 By Guest Contributor

26 Comments

*Note, this is a guest piece by Mark Karris. He is an ordained pastor, licensed marriage and family therapist, speaker, musician, adjunct professor, and all around biophilic. He is the author of Season of Heartbreak: Healing for the Heart, Brain, and Soul (Kregel, 2017). He and his family live in San Diego, California. Visit him at ConspiringPrayer.com. Many of you won’t know me, so let me introduce myself. I am a therapist, ordained pastor, husband, father, adjunct professor, and the… Read more

A Biblical Case for the Rapture

January 19, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

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I would like to take a moment to present a biblical case for the doctrine of the Rapture. Here it is, in full: Read more

Is Christian Universalism a Slippery Slope?

January 18, 2018 By Guest Contributor

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*Note, this is a guest piece by Charles Watson, author of Hell in a Nutshell, available now from Wipf & Stock Publishers. You can read my review of this book here. Christians are usually caught off-guard when they are first introduced to the doctrine of Universal Reconciliation (UR). Since it challenges their understanding of the Atonement, many have become defensive of their model of Christianity. Since Scripture states that the wages of sin is death and that the second death… Read more

The Two Became One: Patriarchy, Misogyny, and Closing the Gender Divide

January 16, 2018 By Guest Contributor

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*Note: This is a guest post by Amanda Iosa. Amanda is an artist and writer who is passionate about proclaiming humanity’s true identity as the image and likeness of God. Her background is in cultural anthropology, and she brings that awareness and expertise into her writing and worldview. Her first published work will be released in 2018—a powerful children’s story about our divine origins and truth worth—which she co-authored and is illustrating. You can find more of her work at… Read more