Reading the Bible Like Conservatives Read the Qur’an

Last updated on: February 28, 2015 at 2:50 pm By Mark Sandlin

There’s an unfortunately popular meme going around conservative social media depicting some horrific doctrines of “radical Islam and ISIS.” In at least one case, from the Conservative Post, the meme’s accompanied by a message suggesting all American Muslims should have to deny the doctrine listed or “leave our country” [my emphasis]. The list includes things like: enslaving for sex, approval of beating slaves, and killing non-Muslims. This is an example of a hermeneutic (which is a fancy way of saying... Read more

New Poll Shows a GOP Desire For a “Christian” Nation and a Disdain For Reality

Last updated on: February 26, 2015 at 8:22 am By Mark Sandlin

Fifty-seven percent of Republicans would be more than happy to see legislation making Christianity America’s national religion, according to a recent poll from Public Policy Polling. Additionally, the poll highlighted something else just as concerning: the majority of Republican respondents either have the inability to comprehend, a disdain for, or a willful ignorance about science and rationality in general. Let me explain why I say that. The same poll told us: 1) Sixty-six percent of Republicans don’t believe in global... Read more

Dear Fellow Christians: We Don’t Own Heaven

Last updated on: February 25, 2015 at 5:24 pm By Mark Sandlin

Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo I know this may come as a shocker to some; and, I can only imagine the number of Bible verses that will be quoted in comments as “proof” to refute this post, but I’m here to tell you something that not only won’t sit well with some, it has a fairly profound implication: Christians don’t own heaven. God does. Now at first you might say, “Duh. Of course,” but there’s something else I need... Read more

How ISIS is Exposing the Hypocrisy of Many Christians

Last updated on: February 23, 2015 at 9:30 am By Mark Sandlin

ISIS is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad rebel group that claims to be associated with Islam but is no more Muslim than the KKK is Christian. ISIS members do absolutely horrific things including human rights abuses, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing. This group’s actions are an abomination. (Now please, let’s not have anyone saying I’m defending ISIS by the end of this post. Inevitably some will, but please know I will simply refer them back to the first... Read more

Why This Minister Hates These “Favorite” Christian Quote Verses, Part 3 – James 1:2-3 & Luke 11:9

Last updated on: February 18, 2015 at 8:08 am By Mark Sandlin

“Jesus Did It. Come And Get It.” That, my friends, is a real bumper sticker I recently saw on a car driving around town. In many ways, it points to the problems I have with the last two verses in my “Why This Minister Hates These ‘Favorite’ Christian Quote Verses” series. (Follow the links to read Part 1 and Part 2). Let’s waste no time and get straight to it. I covered two verses in each of the first two... Read more

Why This Minister Hates These “Favorite” Christian Quote Verses, Part 2 – Prov. 3:5 & John 14:6

Last updated on: February 17, 2015 at 8:56 am By Mark Sandlin

Words shouldn’t hurt. I mean, they’re just words. What’s worse is that some people who know words hurt, like to fling them around like they’re rocks or something. They carefully pick their target, pick the “right” words and let them fly! Sadly, as I pointed out in the first post of this series (where I look at two “favorite” Bible verses I don’t care for), Christians who like to quote scripture frequently quote it as if they hold the One... Read more

Why This Minister Hates These “Favorite” Christian Quote Verses – John 3:16 and Romans 8:28

Last updated on: February 16, 2015 at 8:49 am By Mark Sandlin

I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church (I know! Shocker, right?!). Bible drills seemed like a constant part of the ebb and flow of our Sunday school life. For the most part, drills really just meant memorizing Bible verses the grown-ups told us were important and spitting them back out like parrots. Frankly, I don’t really remember anyone helping us understand the meaning behind the verses. And that means either nothing was taught about the meaning of the verses,... Read more

A Prayer for a Larger Perspective

Last updated on: February 9, 2015 at 11:14 am By Mark Sandlin

Good and Gracious God, Doing “Thy” will is sometimes a more difficult task than we care to admit to ourselves. Our humanity has been hardwired for self-preservation and our sometimes limited view of the world convinces us that self-preservation can only happen through acts of self-centeredness – looking out for numero uno. When that is our world perspective it can be far too difficult to see past our self-imposed self-importance and we find that compassion becomes limited to actions that... Read more

Prudish Christian Sexual Hang-ups and the Real Problem with “50 Shades of Grey”

Last updated on: February 6, 2015 at 9:08 am By Mark Sandlin

Sex. Three little letters that evoke such a wide range of responses from people. For some, the word’s an instant turn on. For others, the word itself is taboo (not to mention what it means). Some people find that it pulls up a wealth of difficult emotions and, for others, it’s a reminder of a nurturing and mutually loving relationship. “Sex” is even more befuddling if you grew up in a Christian church or even in a society whose cultural... Read more

Christianity has it wrong – YOU Are NOT Broken

Last updated on: January 28, 2015 at 7:34 am By Mark Sandlin

Christianity has it wrong. We are not broken. We are not fallen. We are not flawed. We are simply fragile. We are beautifully distractible. We are self-invested because of love, and that love gives us a slight bias toward justice. We are so deeply invested in life that we can, at times, deny the larger good for the experience of the moment. We are not broken. We are human. We are flesh and blood, and we are experiential. Sometimes that... Read more