The theatrics around the Affordable Care Act seem only to be matched by the public’s ignorance about what it actually is. Case in point: when late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel sent a reporter out on the street to ask people their opinions, they felt markedly better about the nuts and bolts of the Affordable Care Act than they did about Obamacare. Never mind they’re the same thing (sigh). It seems that a handful of lawmakers have seen to it that our... Read more
This is excerpted from the larger weekly Heretic’s Guide to the Bible Study. To read more, CLICK HERE, or on the banners above or below. First Reading Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 Psalm Psalm 149 Second reading Ephesians 1:11-23 Gospel Luke 6:20-31 It is an interesting time in the lectionary to have many of these texts come up. Several of them (aside from the gospel text) seem to focus on the supremacy of the God of Israel over all other earthly and... Read more
I was told to dress up as the scariest character I could imagine, so I’m thinking of going with Mark Driscoll… Read more
Every once in a blue moon, I get asked why so many of my blog posts are in list-form. So I figured I’d answer that question with…a list of course! Lists are Popular – Every month, between seventy and ninety percent of my most read blog posts are list-related. So tell me: what would you do? Exactly. Lists are Efficient – There’s a whole lot of information out there, and sometimes we want to skim something to see if it’s worth... Read more
UPDATE: NPR Executive Producers have pushed the Beer and Hymns story to next Sunday, November 2nd. First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Portland is pleased to announce that National Public Radio’s Religion Correspondent, John Burnett, has produced a story called “God and Beer” which features both FCC’s monthly “Beer and Hymns” event, as well as a Lutheran congregation from Fort Worth, TX, that holds their worship services in a local pub. The story will air on Sunday morning, October... Read more
The following is an excerpt from my weekly Heretic’s Guide to the Bible study. To read more, and to take part in the conversation, CLICK HERE, or on the Heretic’s Guide banners above or below the text. I spend a lot of time talking to people about what it means to be a Christian. Of course, there are the conventional notions of what it means, like asking Jesus into your heart, being baptized and proclaiming him as your personal Lord... Read more
Know what I like best about being a Christian? Never being wrong. About anything. Ever. Pretty serious fringe benefit. Look it up. Read more
Am I the only one who finds it deliciously ironic that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange objects stridently to how he is portrayed in the new movie, The Fifth Estate? The film, which hits theaters in wide release today, turns its attention to the organization best known for publicly sharing otherwise confidential information of various governments, including our own. Assange is clearly a study in eccentricity. From his tow-headed locks to his lock-down work environment, he fascinates as often as he infuriates. To demonstrate... Read more
Not all Christians are a-holes, and not all a-holes are Christians. But lots of folks, Christian or not, could stand to benefit from a little bit of Christ-like wisdom in their lives. Not sure if you’re one of those who could use a little de-a-hole-ification? Take this quick survey to find out! Oh, and if you already identify as a Christian, and you want to make sure you’re not one of “Those Christians,” CLICK HERE to take a quick “Those... Read more
No, this isn’t a test to see if you’re me. And it’s not even a test to see if you’re a Christian, exactly. It’s a way to tell if maybe – just maybe – you’re one of “those Christians” who so many that have walked away from the faith say had something to do with their departure. As Gandhi famously said, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” See, that’s a... Read more
Christian Piatt
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