Rayford's challenge to "skeptics" here is not directed to the congregation of Rapture-believers he's addressing at New Hope Village Church. It's directed, instead, to any non-RTC readers of the Left Behind series. It's intended to prove that the authors cannot be dismissed as charlatans because their fictional portrayal of the fulfillment of "Bible prophecy" constitutes proof of what they're saying. Read more
Marc Mauer of the Marshall Project offers an excellent summary of what we need to remember, and to learn from, about the 1994 crime law. The good news is that both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders seem to have learned those lessons. Also: Recovering from the trauma of apocalyptic religion; "porn addiction" and depression; and more reactions to North Carolina's bigot bill. Read more
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers." Read more
What's striking here -- and all the more striking because the authors themselves seem not to notice it -- is how color-less Barnes' life as a sinner was. It would be wrong even to say he had lived the life of a sinner -- he hadn't lived life at all. Read more
Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill establishing "the Bible" as their official state book. But they didn't bother saying which Bible, so I don't know if, say, Tobit counts as part of Tennessee's official book. Also: Cotton Mather discusses lycanthropy; and why Jim Bakker shouldn't worry about The Gubmint putting people in jail for "teaching the Bible." Read more
Merle Haggard wrote and sang some terrific songs, and he collaborated and hung out with some of my favorite artists in the world of country music, but I had a hard time getting past his angry right-wing tribalism (whether he meant any of that, or if he was just selling records, isn't clear, but also doesn't really matter). Read more
A 50-year-old letter from a great theologian in response to evangelical gatekeepers provides a general life lesson we all need to learn. "They should not expect me to take the trouble to give them the satisfaction of offering explanations which they will simply use to confirm the judgment they have already passed on me." Read more
The Babylon Bee is a rare thing -- an evangelical humor site that's actually funny. Sadly, that's not enough to recommend the site to an evangelical audience. They can't just be told it's funny, they also need to know if it's "edifying" -- that they have permission to laugh. Read more
Which is it? Because it can't be both. Either we need to buy their books and attend their conferences, in which case the literal meaning of the text isn't as clear and obvious as they say. Or else the text is that simple and obvious, in which case no one needs to read -- or to write -- 200-page books decoding the hidden meanings of this 20-page Bible passage. Read more
Jay Sekulow and Pat Robertson are among the many prominent anti-abortion Christians in the "pro-life movement" who never got the memo about the Standard Answer. They agree with Donald Trump's first answer -- women should be punished. Also: Another manufactured-home community buys their land; the Bible has a trajectory; religious liberty for racist landlords; and What Would Fred Rogers Do? Read more
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