A Spiritually Uplifting Way To Show Solidarity With Suffering Immigrants, Refugees, and Their Advocates Many people of faith are asking, How can I respond to the government’s cruel treatment of immigrants, refugees, and others who are viewed as not American enough? The horrible thing is that so many who claim to be Christians are justifying this cruelty toward the stranger, even in the name of God, with Bible quotes taken out of context! This Holy Week, we invite you to... Read more
What We Do With Jesus Determines Everything This installment in my What’s Gone Wrong with American Evangelicalism? resumes my discussion of our peculiar hermeneutic or interpretive device for understanding and applying Biblical content and generally accepted Christian moral and spiritual instruction. It may seem an arcane subject, especially to non-evangelicals. Still, it goes a long way toward explaining the extreme politicization and apparent hypocrisy of so many in my religious tribe. Most people know that mistreating desperate, marginalized, and reviled... Read more
What’s Gone Wrong with Evangelicals? A Series. Please note: I offer this series as a loving critique of my evangelical tribe. I remain an evangelical–albeit one in distress. There is a lot of good to say about my religious movement’s history as an early force for abolition, care for the indigent, children’s and women’s rights, conscientious objection to war, and social reforms. Today, evangelicals remain among the most generous donors to humanitarian causes. But over the last half-century, something terrible... Read more
Is Christianity a Religion of Hate? (4-minute read.) Note: This post is the first in a series examining what’s gone wrong with my fellow evangelicals. A Really Good and Necessary Question–but So Sad That It Is! Many thanks to my atheist Jewish friend “K” for sharing TikTok creator Jess Craven’s video seeking help with her kids’ question: “Was Christianity always a religion of hate?” I understand why they’re asking when so many so-called “Christians” spew hate and do hurtful things–including... Read more
America’s Coming Oligarchic Criminal Kleptocracy Necessitates a Turn Away From Government-Only Solutions The Wake-Up Call The American political landscape is undergoing a transformation that will soon result in a federal government that is far less supportive and potentially more antagonistic toward its citizens. Based on what incoming administration officials have said, specific segments of the executive branch might do more harm to certain population sectors and whole people groups, even beyond US borders. This shifting dynamic emphasizes why voters who... Read more
Why Did Kamala Harris Tell Hecklers They Were at the Wrong Rally? Anti-abortion protestors tried to shout over Kamala Harris as she spoke to an audience in Wisconsin recently, screaming, “Abortion is a sacrament to Satan.” As the hecklers were led out of the hall, they continued shouting, “Christ is King” and “Jesus is Lord.” Several video clips of the incident indicate that Harris likely could not hear them over the boos and clamor that immediately erupted. Close-up recordings make... Read more
For the majority of American evangelicals, voting for any candidate but Donald Trump or being a Democrat as opposed to a Republican is the equivalent of leaving the faith. When I announced my support for Vice President Kamala Harris for U.S. President, many of my ministry colleagues, former supporters, and even old friends questioned my fidelity to the God of the Bible. Some asked what happened to me and how I lost my way. I see my support for Kamala... Read more
This article is a near-verbatim transcript of a sermon I delivered on June 23, 2024, at the Commonwealth Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. It’s the first installment in a two-part testimonial of my pilgrimage into and out of the heresy of Christian nationalism. The text was modified only slightly for easier reading Understanding Christian Nationalism I want to start by sharing my understanding of “Christian Nationalism.” To do this, I’ll refer to a friend and colleague who is an expert... Read more
Buzzing the Bible The country is abuzz with Bible talk. That’s the best I can say about Donald Trump’s new product endorsement, the God Bless the USA Bible, selling for $59.99 before shipping. A family member who routinely buys Bibles in bulk suspects the wholesale cost of Trump’s large-print, faux leather book is $4-$5 per unit. That’s a handsome return. From information on the Bible’s webpage, Trump has a deal with the promoters that compensates him for his praise of... Read more
The implications of the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling on the legal child status of frozen embryos are not only anti-child, anti-family, and anti-science, but they may also constitute a form of legalistic Christian heresy, not to mention antidisestablishmentarianism. (I’ve always wanted to use that word in this column!) In a concurring opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker relies on a Christian Nationalist dominionist theology to imperil many Alabamians’ only path to parenthood. My History With Alabama’s Parker Court Back in 2005, I said... Read more
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