I suppose the people I am most concerned about in this world are those who we could call the morally indifferent. It may seem strange that I am not too concerned over the immoral people of the world. Yet, I know what kind of responses to expect from such people. The morally indifferent are those who believe themselves to be moral because they do not see themselves as immoral. And there lies the problem. It is easy to claim one... Read more

Dan Barker was once an evangelical christian who became an atheist years ago. Now instead of attempting to convert people to faith in Jesus he is attempting to convert people to atheism. While Barker is not one of “the four horsemen” (Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and the late Christopher Hitchens) he fits into the category of the “new atheists.” Atheism, non-theism, agnosticism, and humanism are doctrines that are claimed by people who are among the “nones” – the... Read more

“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” St. Matthew positions these words from Jesus after he gives the eight (some say nine) beatitudes. They are also positioned before discussions about matters of the law are given. Sometimes the law is misquoted with a corrective. Other times the quotes are direct with a rebuttal from Jesus. “You have heard it was said…but I say to you.” We should ask why... Read more

I have noticed over the years that one of the worst temptations Christians fall into is the one that calls for over-matching your opponent with a number of verses from the scriptures. It h as often been noted that Arius – the great heretic who claimed the eternal Word was a created being – had more verses of scripture in his arsenal than any who later were recognized as orthodox. Someone once said to me that no doctrine could be... Read more

Where does your moral compass point? It is a good question you may have never considered. If you think it points to general goodness then you have not thought enough about where your moral drive goes or the compass is broken. Personally, my moral compass points toward justice. Other people may have their goal to be equality, freedom, prosperity, or any other good goal. My studies and experience demonstrate that different people have a different moral goals in life. Teaching... Read more

First, let me say this. I take my medicine every day. I sat through a clergy meeting one time where the topic of discussion was “how to improve preaching.” I leaned over to one of my colleagues and said, “I know one way. Go on antidepressants.” I was surprised when my friend turned to me and said, “Amen to that.” He was taking them too. I wonder what the statistics on active members of the clergy in all faith taking... Read more

The book of Genesis tells the story where God appears to Abraham as three strangers who arrive to tell him of the impending birth of his son Isaac. When he sees the strangers walking by his tent he invites them to stay with him for a while and take some refreshment. The writer of Hebrews probably had this story in mind saying “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing... Read more

The Holy Bible may be the most banned book in the history of the world. That is to say, banned by Christians. I remember my fundamentalist education on “church history” it was often pointed out how the Bible was “placed on the Index” of books deemed forbidden to be read by Christians. The Reformation, we were told, restored the Scriptures to the ordinary lay Christian. Of course like all historical generalizations, there was more to the story. The Bible was... Read more

Recently I discovered two things. While poking around in one of the buildings of my new charge I found a modern biography of St. Francis. I grabbed it and another book about an incident in Francis’ life. The second discovery is one i made during my reading. I was beginning to use my spiritual reading time only for readings that appealed to me. Yes, it is more likely a task will be completed if we are truly interested and engaged... Read more

Human beings often get it wrong because we insist that there is only one way to view things. Christians often insist that this is the only way to view the world because of Jesus’ claim “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6b) There is further emphasis given in the last part of the verse where the claim continues, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” So Jesus claims to be the only way to... Read more