For Chuck Colson, Truth Was Truth

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

The recently deceased Chuck Colson was among the first heavyweight evangelicals to speak out against the emerging church movement, in this 2006 column in Christianity Today, “Emerging Confusion“: For evangelicalism (let alone emerging churches) to buy into that would undermine the very foundation of our faith. Theologian Donald A. Carson puts his finger precisely on the epistemological problem: Of course, truth is relational, Carson writes. But before it can be relational, it has to be understood as objective. Truth is... Read more

Denver Post Declares Emergent Church UnDead

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

From a Denver Post article on the (not-dead-yet) emergent church: For a rising tide of the righteous young, faith is more about doing right than being right, including being politically “Right.” This growing representation of young Christians — who either formerly or currently identify with aspects of evangelicalism — are drifting away, and sometimes divorcing themselves from the conservative politics handed down to them by their generational predecessors. Frequently discussed in the past decade, but often dismissed as a temporary... Read more

Holding Hands Is a Gateway to Sex in Tennessee

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

The Tennessee Legislature has update their abstinence-only education bill. Public school teachers will now warn students that holding hands and kissing are gateways to sexual activity. MEMPHIS, TN – (WMC-TV) – Tennessee senators approved an update to the state’s abstinence-based sex education law that includes warnings against “gateway sexual activity.” In a new family life instructions bill, holding hands and kissing could be considered gateways to sex. Planned Parenthood said that allowing state government to define local sex education curriculum could... Read more

Rest Easy. Bristol Isn’t Living with her Boyfriend

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

Bristol Palin blogs here at Patheos. You knew that, right? So, she and I are, like, colleagues. I cannot wait to see Bristol and Scot McKnight yucking it up at the office Christmas party. This week, she took to the blog to put some rumors to rest: In fact, you may have even recently heard rumors I’m living with my boyfriend. As that gossip spread a couple of weeks ago, people all over America were applauding me for –finally! –... Read more

Study: Millennials Leaving Faith

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

You’ve heard it, and now it’s been confirmed by a major survey from Georgetown University and the Public Religion Research Institute: the Millennial Generation is leaving church, faith, and orthodox belief. Everyone who reads this blog should read this study: Younger Millennials report significant levels of movement from the religious affiliation of their childhood, mostly toward identifying as religiously unaffiliated. While only 11% of Millennials were religiously unaffiliated in childhood, one-quarter (25%) currently identify as unaffiliated, a 14-point increase. Catholics... Read more

Christianity Might Need Some Color

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

Hindus, celebrating the Holi Festival, have got color in abundance. I’m afraid our religion is pretty bland in comparison. Read more

One More Thought on Blue Like Jazz

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

So, now I’m getting emails from people, asking why I’m so negative toward Blue Like Jazz: The Movie. Let me state unequivocally, I’m not against the movie. I haven’t seen it! (One person has offered to buy me a ticket.) As background, I’m picky about my movies. While I did recently see Hot Tub Time Machine on Netflix, I tend to only watch movies that have scores above 70 on Rotten Tomatoes. I care what critics think. I don’t care... Read more

This May Become the First Truly Flat Church

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

The Christchurch Cathedral in New Zealand was destroyed by an earthquake. Since it will take years to rebuild, there’s a cardboard cathedral going up first. Around 40 people gathered at the cleared demolition site on the fringe of the city’s red zone cordon to hear the official announcement of the city’s $5 million temporary cardboard cathedral. The Anglican Church today revealed plans for the “transitional” cathedral designed by a top Japanese “paper architect”. While debate rages over the decision by... Read more

What Crisis in Christianity?!? Andrew Sullivan Reax

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

The editor of a major newsweekly once told me that if he wanted to double the sales of the magazine for a week, he just had to put Jesus, Mary, or angels on the cover. Newsweek, even after the ousting of its staunchly Episcopalian editor, Jon Meacham, still plays this game more than other newsweeklies. So it was no surprise that the latest acquisition by Newsweek/The Daily Beast, the vaguely Catholic Andrew Sullivan, penned the Holy Week cover story on Jesus and... Read more

Why We Can Ask Mitt Romney about His Mormonism

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Tony Jones

Jeff Weiss responds to the criticism he got last week in his proposed questions to Romney: The reason I felt particularly justified in posing those questions is why the situations of Romney and Obama are not parallel. For a decade, Romney was a member of the clergy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was ward bishop and stake president. … As such he was a recognized authority, expected to understand and agree with official church doctrine and... Read more