Rob Bell in Jesus Wants to Save Christians (via) Most of the Bible is a history told by people living in lands occupied by conquering superpowers. It is a book written from the underside of power. It’s an oppression narrative. The majority of the Bible was written by a minority people living under the rule and reign of massive, mighty empires, from the Egyptian Empire to the Babylonian Empire to the Persian Empire to the Assyrian Empire to the Roman... Read more
Christian Piatt quotes from another of the recent statements purportedly from Billy Graham, a fundraising letter that included this paragraph: Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and... Read more
Steve Knight does not believe that recent statements allegedly from evangelist Billy Graham are really statements from Billy Graham: Let me tell you about Billy Graham, just as he is, because based on what I experienced working for the man for six years, two statements issued under his name last week (and one earlier this year) significantly collide with the well-established values of this great humble faith leader. … I sincerely fear that Billy has become a puppet for the... Read more
Yesterday, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin: At least seven people, including a gunman, have died in a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in the US. The attacker “ambushed” a policeman at the scene, shooting him multiple times, before a second officer returned fire, killing the gunman, said authorities. The shot officer was among three men critically injured in the attack in Oak Creek, suburban Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel has been providing excellent local coverage. Start here: “Victims... Read more
Please stop pretending that the orgy of hate last week at Chick-fil-A had anything to do with free speech. It obviously did not. I know it. You know it. Everyone knows it. Fred Phelps. That’s why if you say you went to Chick-fil-A “Appreciation Day” because of “freedom of speech,” everyone knows you’re just play-acting. Fred Phelps, buddy. Fred freakin’ Phelps. Fred “God Hates Fags” Phelps of the infamously nasty Westboro Baptist Church. Fred Phelps proves you’re just playing games.... Read more
Hebrews 13:11-14 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Read more
A couple of stray notes formed a chord for me. First was a remark by Ben Myers: So the Spirit has spoken to you, quietly, cogently, confirming you in a conviction? Eliphaz thought so too (Job 4). Eliphaz was one of Job’s friends in that profoundly strange and strangely profound story. Here’s all you need to know about Eliphaz: He was wrong. Extremely wrong. Spectacularly wrong. He starts out by contradicting the omniscient narrator of the story, which is never... Read more
I knew of Jana Riess through her Religion News Service blog, Flunking Sainthood, and through John Fea’s enthusiastic praise of her as the editor of his award-winning book Was American Founded as a Christian Nation? So this bit of in-house news here at Patheos makes me happy: “Jana Riess will be joining Patheos as the Director of Publishing, Patheos Press.” Cool. Also extremely cool: Permission to Live is now here at Patheos, joining an increasingly impressive roster of atheist blogs... Read more
David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network is upset that his beloved “teavangelicals” were recently described as “far-right.” That’s liberal speak for saying that these folks are crazy and off the reservation. The Tea Party calls these “far-right” folks “constitutional conservatives.” That’s the difference. The-latte sipping crowd in the NY-DC media corridor sees it one way and writes accordingly. The heartland of this country in flyover country sees a much different reality. So let’s take another look at Brody’s tea-part/evangelical... Read more
Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist, pp. 33-37 Jerry Jenkins’ crimes against continuity frustrate the reader’s every attempt to make sense of them. He’ll establish that the post-Rapture world is an anarchic, crime-ridden jungle of violent sinners-gone-wild, and then send Buck and Chloe off for a late-night stroll down quiet streets. Or he’ll drop a perhaps-nuclear bomb on Chicago, then spend a full page negotiating the return of a rental car to the smoldering crater at the center of the blast... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In