It’s ironic that the same people who call me a “Progressive” and a “Heretic” have no problem with the changes made to the Bible over the centuries to make the Scriptures say what they want. For example, I’ve posted extensively about the fact that the word “Homosexual” never appeared in any English translation of the Scriptures until 1946. Evangelicals who learn this never seem to bat an eye at this and instead argue that the word “Trinity” isn’t in the... Read more
Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theory [PSA] is probably the worst Christian doctrine ever imagined. Not only is it NOT the Gospel, it’s also a twisted concept that reimagines God as the wrathful volcano deity whose wrath cannot be appeased until a virgin child is sacrificed. PSA theory turns John 3:16 upside down into something like: “For God so hated the world that He wanted to torture everyone for eternity so He sent His son to absorb His wrath and now... Read more
A few days ago I realized something pretty astounding about Philippians 2 that I had never seen before. In my younger days, I always read this passage about how Christ “being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…” as if God is “up there”, exalted, high above the world and creation, full of power and might and perhaps even wrath mingled with... Read more
Try this: Close your eyes and imagine the unimaginable. That’s sort of what we’re doing when we try to understand God using Theology. We’re trying to use logic, and language, and scripture and our very limited understanding to imagine something that – by definition – is unimaginable. Recently, in our weekly Square 3 zoom conversation, we tried to wrap our minds around the idea that we are like God. Or even, as some want to say, “We ARE God”, and... Read more
I really don’t make it a habit to focus on specific people when I post here. Usually, I prefer to argue ideas and let readers make up their own minds about the various concepts without calling out anyone by name. That is still my policy, in general. However, I have honestly received so many requests to respond to the videos posted by self-proclaimed “expert” on Progressive Christianity, Alisa Childers, that I felt I had little choice but to address her... Read more
On Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 I will co-host a round table panel to try to answer this question: Where Do We Go From Here? This panel will follow the premiere of a brand-new documentary Produced by Kathi Peters and Directed by David Peters, based on the book by Brian Zahnd, Postcards From Bablyon. You can view the film and stick around to watch the Zoom panel conversation afterwards by registering HERE> The panel not only includes the film’s director and... Read more
I hear this question all the time: “Is there any evidence for Jesus of Nazareth outside the Bible?” Turns out, there is a LOT of evidence for Jesus if you look at sources other than the New Testament. Most of these are “hostile” sources – meaning they are not sympathetic to Christianity and have no reason to fabricate details that might support the notion of an historic Jesus. Here are a few early references to Jesus of Nazareth from history... Read more
[GUEST POST] I was in hiding. My friends had begun to wonder if I was a vampire. I was only going out at night with the dogs. No more morning walks, no more visiting with my neighbors in the yard, no more grocery shopping, or eating out. My doctor had recommended that I apply Fluorouracil, a topical chemotherapy solution, for 21 days to treat the sun damage on my face. My skin was red and tight, flaky and crusty. Like... Read more
It’s always surprising to find something brand new in a verse you’ve read, and re-read, and studied, and re-studied dozens [if not thousands] of times before. But that’s exactly what happened a few days ago when I was looking at the Prodigal Son parable with a few students in my Square 2 course. Here’s what happened: I was reading the parable from the Gospel of Luke and we were talking about how this famous illustration of the Father’s love actually... Read more
Like everyone else, I am gleefully anticipating the end of this year from hell. Lots of bad things happened. That’s a given. For me, the worst thing was losing my Dad unexpectedly after a 10 day battle with pneumonia. But, in spite of all of the bad things we endured this year, I have to say that there were several highlights too. So, even as I pause to count my blessings in 2020, let me remind you [and myself] that... Read more
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