(This is a continuation of The Bible vs. God?) Here’s the great thing: no matter where any of us comes down on the question of hell, we all find ourselves—today, right now—in the exact same place. (more…) Read more
(This is a continuation of The Bible vs. God?) Here’s the great thing: no matter where any of us comes down on the question of hell, we all find ourselves—today, right now—in the exact same place. (more…) Read more
If you’ve been following along (the first post in this mini-series is From Hell to Crazy Town; the second is The Truth isn’t liberal or conservative), then you know that on our quick road trip through Christianity we have stopped in Crazy Town. (more…) Read more
This is a continuation of yesterday’s From Hell to Crazy Town. Before jumping in, though, I thought I’d take a moment to discuss something that invariably arises whenever I initiate the kind of conversation with which we’re now engaged; namely, that I believe whatever I do because I’m a liberal, or “progressive,” Christian. (more…) Read more
I recently gave a talk to this group, who asked me to address the question, “Is hell real?” In all of the world, it’s hard to imagine any question easier to answer. Watch: No one knows. See? Easy-peezy. (more…) Read more
(This is the sermon of Pastor Bob’s that I failed to get up this past Sunday morning. PB told me that he wrote it with you guys, my readers, in mind. I can see that he did. This sermon means a lot to me personally, because in it Bob reflects upon his recent visit with his grandfather, whom he never had the opportunity to get to know too well. When Bob returned home after his visit with his grandpa, he... Read more
I am often criticized by finger-wagging Christians admonishing me not to judge others. So I thought I’d take a quick moment to say that of course I judge others. I have to judge others. I’m stuck judging others. Judging others is a necessary byproduct of having a brain and a conscience. If you can tell right from wrong, you judge. And you can tell right from wrong. So you do judge. All the time. So does everybody. (more…) Read more
(The four pieces below were originally published separately; I thought I’d here collect them into one piece.) My Runaway Mom My father ditched out on his/our happy, middle-class suburban life when I was eight years old. (more…) Read more
[UPDATE: Biola president Barry Corey uses bully pulpit to threaten Biola QueerUnderground.] If you imagine American Christianity as a 1950’s city in the Midwest, Biola University would be its Central High. Gigantic (145 academic programs; 95 acres; more than 1 million square feet of building space in 40 major buildings) and long-established (founded in 1908; . . . well, that’s about it), Biola is one of the big dogs of Christian colleges. And as big dogs go, it is definitely... Read more
A couple of weeks back I got in this email from reader Anna Thorton: Hi, John. I am a graduate student at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, home of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (http://www.clgs.org/). (more…) Read more
Due to what is happening in North Carolina I am today relentlessly listless, free-falling into the cold, bottomless loneliness that always comes when I’m forced to witness evil edging ahead of righteousness. (more…) Read more
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