For roughly 8 years, I’ve been spending one day a week at my best friend’s house, sitting around a firepit, smoking some herb and drinking whiskey (now water since I’ve been alcohol-free for over a year now), and chatting about life. Michael and I have grown a garden together, only to watch it burn to the ground in the Camp Fire. Now, we’ve built it back, bigger and better than before. I’ve watched Michael get diagnosed with colon cancer, and... Read more
J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Catholic, which makes some people convinced he could have never been a Universalist. This is a bit of a misnomer, however, given that Catholic theology is quite diverse. After all, like most Christian sects, Catholicism contains a broad range of beliefs and doctrines, many of which contradict one another. That said, I will admit we have no direct evidence that Tolkien affirmed universal reconciliation (none that I have found, anyway). We can speculate that he... Read more
Radford, VA – Paul Washer, best known for sucking the life out of literally everyone he speaks to, is again in the news. A new study from The New Atheists United, a non-profit group that studies how people become atheists, concludes that the biggest correlative factor in determining whether someone will become an atheist or not is whether they’ve listened to more than three Paul Washer sermons. Here’s researcher Richard Hitchens: We were pretty shocked to discover that one man... Read more
Quoir Publishing, best known for their books that challenge the religious status quo, is again making fools of themselves. In an effort to promote their products, they are selling most of their Kindle books for only 99 cents all throughout the month of April. A link to their promotion page can be found here: https://quoir.com/april-foolishness/ For the record, some of my books are included in this promotion. They include: Read more
My wife and I just finished watching the documentary Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed on Discovery Plus. While disgusted by much of what I watched, I was surprised by none of it. From the coverups to the abuses of power to the assaults and corporate greed, it all seems par for the course for a megachurch like Hillsong. As I’ve reflected on this 3-part docuseries, I have thought about my own interactions with Hillsong. No, I’ve never stepped foot in one... Read more
A charge often leveled against universalists is that there is no room for justice. The so-called bad guys die and then waltz right into heaven. No need for repentance. No need to reconcile with those they’ve harmed. Nothing. Even Hitler, humanity’s persona non grata, gets a pass. Well, not so fast. This is the perpetual strawman infernalists and annihilationists both use to dismiss the universalist position. Now, it may be true that in some corner of the globe there exists... Read more
As a prolific author and podcaster, I am asked a lot of questions. Some are well thought out, others not so much. The ones that pique my curiosity generally receive some sort of answer from me. The ones that are boring and ridiculous are generally ignored (and sometimes met with mockery; forgive me). Today, I am going to reverse roles a little bit. I will be the one asking the questions, and I want you, the Christian, to think about... Read more
I’ve got a new book out now. It’s called Don’t Be A D*ck…And Other Sound Advice: 69 Practical Ways of Making the World a Kinder, More Loving Place. This is not like the other books I’ve written, which are more theological. This one is more practical. It’s self-help, but done in the only way I know how: sarcastic, cheeky, and a bit self-deprecating. Here’s what some colleagues and friends have said about it: “Besides being a delightful and funny read,... Read more
I’ve long since cared what the Bible says. I mean, I enjoy it as much as I enjoy any ancient text; it just doesn’t have any authority over my life. For those who do view it as authoritative, let me just say this: that premise is a logical fallacy. Now, before you get your modest-is-hottest underwear in a bunch, allow me to explain. According to Texas State’s Philosophy Department, begging the question is defined as follows: The fallacy of begging... Read more
The Reformed/Protestant tradition tends to be a dumpster fire, mired down by its own insistence on always having the “correct doctrines.” But it need not be that way. In fact, as I understand things, the reformers believed the church should always be reforming. Oh, how far we’ve come… Not! Now, if they were listening, here’s 10 things I’d tell them to reform right way (as if they care what I think). (Note: This isn’t just a list of reforms for... Read more
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