Almost 2 years ago, I started a little podcast with two other guys – Jamal Jivanjee and Matthew Distefano – called “The Heretic Happy Hour” podcast. Honestly, at the time, we were just having fun sharing our different views on theology, ekklesiology and Christianity in general. We laughed. We cussed. We mocked conventions. We tipped over sacred cows and we did our best to question everything we knew about God, Jesus, the Bible and everything in between. Along the... Read more
One of the most important theological/Christological statements I’ve ever read comes from Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese-American poet and Maronite Christian: “Once every hundred years Jesus of Nazareth meets Jesus of the Christian in a garden among the hills of Lebanon. And they talk long; and each time Jesus of Nazareth goes away saying to Jesus of the Christian, “My friend, I fear we shall never, never agree.” Taking the above as my inspiration I offer the following: Frequently throughout American... Read more
Jesus says, “This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place” (Mark 13:30) This one specific verse in the Gospels that appears to record an example of a failed prophecy out of the mouth of Jesus. Even the great C.S. Lewis called it “…certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible” and conceded that it was unlikely a scribal error since surely such a mistake would have been corrected early on. Therefore, it’s most certain that... Read more
I am no stranger to disagreements. My friends on Facebook are very used to engaging in very long conversations online about differences in Theology, Doctrine and Philosophy. Even when others become agitated and even hurl personal insults at me in the process of dialog over such issues, I’ve always maintained a measure of grace for them, and often try to disarm the situation with humor and grace, whenever I can. Some people say I have too much grace and patience... Read more
In these turbulent times, it’s difficult – if not impossible – to be proud of America. The President is a racist. The Congress is powerless to accomplish anything other than vote for their own pay increase. Children are being held in cages, separated from their parents. The government turns a blind eye to the horrific murder – and dismemberment – of a journalist because to speak out might endanger billions of dollars in weapons sales to the nation responsible. As... Read more
Let me turn my attention, for a brief moment, to those who most often resonate with my words here on my blog, or in the books that I’ve written, or even on the podcast that I co-host. I understand, and very much appreciate, that you agree with me when I point out the hypocrisy of the Conservative Christian community I once belonged to. I am very grateful for the private messages of encouragement, and the supportive “Amen, brother!” comments on... Read more
One of my heroes in the faith is John Fischer. He’s a songwriter, author and writer on subversive, kingdom issues that I’ve been following for many years now. I first discovered John’s writing when I first subscribed to CCM Magazine about thirty years ago (I’ve long since stopped reading that magazine, btw). John used to write the Last Word column in the back of every issue. I always found it ironic and fascinating that his articles were published in the... Read more
I’ll admit, this is a concept that has taken me a long time to accept; the idea that Christ is in literally everyone – yes, even those who have not accepted Christ as personal Lord and Savior. My objections weren’t anything novel. I pushed back by quoting verses from the Bible that seemed to support the concept that Christ was ONLY in those who were intentionally “Christian,” but then I started to notice that there were also plenty of verses... Read more
Want to test your Bible knowledge? Here’s a quick and handy quiz to help you see how well you understand the Bible. Try it. It’s fun! Test your knowledge of the Bible: What is the Christian’s source of authority? __________ What is the Christian’s source for truth? __________ What is the foundation of the Christian faith? __________ If you answered “The Bible” to any of the above questions, you have failed this test. Please go back and read your Bible... Read more
Yes. I said “Wackadoodle.” But, it’s true. I’m constantly running into Christians who use Romans 13 to justify horrible things, like supporting military conflict regardless of who suffers as a result, or like explaining why immigrant and refugee children need to be taken from their parents and locked in cages and forced to sleep on concrete floors, or like supporting political leaders who enact policies that harm the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. That’s just for starters.... Read more
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