Bad Faith? I recently watched a documentary entitled Bad Faith (2024, Prime Video streaming service, $1.99 rent). It is about Christian Nationalism in America. I didn’t learn anything new. I’ve tracked the movement back to its roots in the so-called Religious Right/Moral Majority movements in the late 1970s through the 1980s and up to now. I know one of the commentators in the documentary, Randall Balmer. He has written some excellent books about American religion and politics. The gist of... Read more

Us for Them: Chapter 8: Wendell Berry Would Like a Word The subtitle of this chapter is An Imaginary but Real Conversation Between an Old, White Farmer and a Young, Progressive Pastor on Trump, Whiteness, Friendship, Exaggeration, Anger, and the Unsettling of America. If you are not reading this book with us, or missed this chapter, you are really missing out on something. Austin is a big fan of Wendell Barry. He ends this chapter with this paragraph: “Thinking, talking,... Read more

Trump and Putin and NATO and Ukraine According to reliable news sources, former president and presidential candidate Donald Trump has told Russia, including its leader Putin, to “do whatever the hell [you] want” to any NATO country that is not spending enough (whatever that means) towards its own defense. It’s one thing to urge NATO allies to spend more on their own defense and not to fall behind in its obligations to the alliance. It’s something else to say “Do... Read more

Overcoming Stereotypes and Caricatures Even as I type the title of this blog essay I realize how impossible it sounds—even to me. I believe one of humanity’s biggest problems is mental stereotypes and caricatures (a caricature is a stereotype taken to the next level) of “other people.” We all have them in our heads. They come from the media (broadly defined to include books and other printed material), from popular culture other than media, and from our own fears and... Read more

Us For Them: Chapter 7: Conservative and Progressive In this chapter author Austin Fischer delivers a powerful punch to Christians locked into ideological mindsets, unwilling to listen to others. I think he gives good descriptions of conservative and progressive mindsets and urges people with them to open up and learn from the others. Both mindsets have real values and virtues, unless they become rigid mindsets. Both have real problems, especially when they become rigid mindsets. I love Austin’s personal stories... Read more

Should Christians Have Buddha Images in Their Homes? My wife and I watch a British (UK) television show about people seeking houses in villages and rural areas to escape city life. That way we see a lot of the UK (mostly Great Britain, rarely Northern Ireland). One thing that strikes us is how many British homes have Buddha images, pictures or statues, on display. Fewer, but some, American homes have these. When I was a kid growing up in conservative... Read more

Can “The Universe” Have Intentions? Recently I have heard or read an almost avalanche of references to “the universe” (or “fate”) as if it were God. If you watch American television, movies, read (or listen to) novels, short stories, etc. You should know what I mean. “The universe brought us together.” “The universe is punishing me.” “The universe planned this.” “The universe is telling me.” Substitute “fate” for “the universe” and the same kinds of statements can be heard and... Read more

Us For Them: Chapter 6: Righteousness Porn The author, Austin Fischer, told me that a major Christian publisher rejected the manuscript of this book because “People don’t want to be told to shut the hell up.” They sure don’t! But, o, how often I have wanted to say that! I’m sure you have also. One thing I like about this book is that Austin takes risks most authors of book with a Christian audience wouldn’t take. It’s refreshing. I had... Read more

Should Christians Celebrate War? The simple and obvious answer is no. Christian should not celebrate war. Jesus was a man of peace. The Bible tells us, his followers, to live at peace. Ancient Christians (2nd-4th centuries) almost universally condemned war and forbade Christians to participate in war. And yet, many American (and others) Christians celebrate war. They shouldn’t. They should celebrate peace. My thought turned to this subject not for the first time this year (2024) as many local churches... Read more

A Dark Day in America Today, July 3, 2024, the news is just beginning really to sink in. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) recently declared that a president of the US (POTUS) is immune from prosecution for acts done in the carrying out of his constitutional duties. This undeniably sets the stage for a dictatorship. Whether that will come about is open to the future. Only time will tell. Someone will say that dictatorship is not in... Read more