5 Things I Wish Conservative Christians Understood About Muslims

June 7, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

Conservative Christians seem to have a lot of opinions about Islam and our Muslim neighbors. Those opinions are often grossly misinformed at best. I’ve met very few conservative Christians who have spent any considerable amount of time in friendships with Muslims; it’s also true that I’ve rarely met an overly anti-Islamic conservative Christian who has studied Islam beyond reading some sketchy articles on Facebook. The net result of this is the perpetuation of stereotype, misunderstanding, and outright bearing false witness against... Read more

Franklin Graham: Forcing People To Get Married Is A Great Idea

June 1, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

Forced Marriages: What Franklin Graham Is Wrong About Today I thought I had seen it all, and then today came. The Fundamentalist Pope, Franklin Graham, is praising Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza for FORCING people to get married. Yes, that’s right– forced marriage. President Nkurunziza is a professing Christian who is serving a questionable third term as president of Burundi, and has now ordered any couple living together to get married by the end of year, or else. We’re not exactly... Read more

The Ultimate Ways We Can Reduce and Prevent Terrorism

May 23, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

We live in a world that is sadly marked by violence and terrorism. It seems like very few days go by, if any at all, without some horrible act of terror or random violence. Even as I write this, news reports are flowing in of yet another terrorist act– this time in England. The lead-up to the most recent presidential election was heavily dominated by the question of what to do about violence and terrorism– and it’s an important question.... Read more

Why Impeaching Trump Could Make Everything Way, Way Worse

May 18, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

Excited about the potential impeachment of Donald Trump? So was I at first, but here’s a few things to consider that might keep you up at night: Pence could be a worse president, because he is just as extreme as Trump but comes across much more “presidential” which would more quickly normalize extreme beliefs. There’s nothing worse than extremist beliefs packaged up presentably to make it all seem palatable or normal. Pence would be able to rally the Republican base,... Read more

No, Christian Pacifists Are Not Cowards (But Christian Gun-Slingers Might Be)

May 17, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

I am a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, which naturally means I am a Christian Pacifist. I refuse to use violence against my enemies or intentionally harm them in any way, even if they harm me. I will love my enemies, I will die for my enemies, but I will never kill my enemies. In fact, since Jesus lived a life of nonviolence (see the inconvenient things we call the Gospel accounts), taught his disciples to live lives of nonviolence... Read more

Why Traveling Can Be A Critical Aspect Of A Healthy Spiritual Life

May 9, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

Can traveling be a critical aspect of a healthy spiritual life? Can traveling be a Christian act of worship? Yes, I think so. In fact, few things have impacted my life and my heart the way traveling has. I got my start traveling when I was just 14 and still a freshman in high school. My father (an archeologist at the time) took me to Central America for ten days that included snorkeling off the coral reefs of Belize, hiking... Read more

For Those Who Say “It’s The Job Of The Church To Care For The Sick, Not The Government’s!”

May 8, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

Okay, my fellow Christians. We should chat. Last week the House of Representatives voted to repeal Obamacare, and a lot of you were actually celebrating this development even though estimates are that at least 24 million people will lose access to healthcare if this bill becomes law. When pressed as to why the people of Jesus– people who are supposedly called to be lovers of mercy and filled with compassion– would support such a thing, the excuse comes down to a... Read more

Silly Liberals: Here’s 5 Reasons TrumpCare Will Make America GREAT Again

May 5, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

Wait, TrumpCare will make America GREAT again? Yes, in many ways it will. I’ve been a life-long pessimist but recently have begun trying to change that. I think optimism can be a choice– we just have to learn how to creatively look at the bright side of any given situation. So, I decided to stop being such a stick-in-the-mud when it comes to TrumpCare. Once I sat myself down and forced myself to be positive and optimistic, I was able to... Read more

No, Franklin Graham, It’s Not A Woman’s Fault For Being Violated (What FG Is Wrong About Today)

May 3, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

In our ongoing series, What Franklin Graham Is Wrong About Today (a series with never-ending fodder), we find ourselves going back to the traditional fundamentalist playbook: Blaming a woman for being violated. A few years ago Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, was sunbathing at private villa in France and she happened to be topless. She was away from the public eye and enjoying her privacy when she was violated. Without her permission a member of the paparazzi took photos of... Read more

Jesus Will Magically Make You Un-Gay? (What Franklin Graham Is Wrong About Today)

May 1, 2017 By Benjamin L. Corey

Is being gay a sin that you can simply repent from by becoming a Christian? Does asking Jesus into your heart make the gay go away? That seems to be the sentiment being expressed by Republican Policy Lobbyist, Franklin Graham, who is on an anti-gay binge on his Facebook right now. (For those unfamiliar, Franklin is the very dissimilar successor to his father, Billy Graham, who has been a life-long democrat deeply skeptical of the marriage between religion and right-wing politics.)... Read more