A Trumpian Form of Terrorism

September 22, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

Donald Trump and the extreme right wing of the Republican Party adhere to arbitrariness. It’s immoral, unethical, harmful, and dangerous to Americans. It is contrary to both the rule of law and biblical concepts. The Psalmist declares, “The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.” Equity, justice, and righteousness require fair, coherent, understandable, uniform rules, judgment, and consequences. Trump’s idiosyncratic, intensely personal, ad hoc propensities are a form of... Read more

Blame Or Bless Baptists For The Wall

September 15, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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Evangelicals must blame or thank the Baptists. I’m referring to the “wall of separation between church and state.” After all, those free-church dissenters are why the phrase was concocted. It’s ironic that the spiritual ancestors of today’s religious conservatives are responsible for what most vexes my co-religionists. When I was a Washington, DC, religious right activist in the 1990s and early 2000s, we called that metaphorical wall “the Supreme Court’s atheistic brick wall.” Plenty of us banged our heads against... Read more

Is the Government Hostile to Christianity?

September 7, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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Contrary to a popular evangelical myth, the U.S. federal government is not hostile to the Christian faith. In fact, not only is it friendly to religion, but it employs more Christian ministers than many denominations. Various agencies grant these chaplains broad freedoms, including preaching content, personal communications, worship, prayer, and even evangelistic activities. When conflicts over the religious prerogatives of federal chaplains and their charges arise, adequate internal mechanisms exist for resolution. (Also see https://icece-endorsers.com/) The Myth And Its Origins... Read more

My Unwitting Nazi Bible College Education

August 31, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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My evangelical Bible college trained me to consult a Nazi propagandist. Worse, that propagandist used the New Testament to promote racist, anti-Semitic, White supremacy. I just hope my teachers didn’t know what they were doing. Nazism Was Part Of My Childhood By the time I was in college, Nazism wasn’t strange to me–it had been part of my childhood. Don’t jump to any conclusions, though. My home was anything but anti-Semitic. My Jewish namesake, an uncle I never knew, Captain... Read more

How Money Poisons Faith

August 25, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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Toxic Treasures For decades, I watched it happen. Worse, I participated in it by using harmful fundraising techniques to fill the coffers of the organizations I ran. Pursuing money can quickly overtake all the good that religious organizations do. Thousands of otherwise content people–who loved their kids, had a ball with their grandkids, wept with joy at the sight of their first grandchild, were polite to their neighbors, gracious to their friends, and warm to their fellow church members–suddenly turned... Read more

Is Bonhoeffer Too Flawed To Bring Us Together?

August 18, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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This post is unusual, so a little introduction is in order: Below is the manuscript version of a talk I gave recently at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. I was one of four panelists focusing on important figures who are known for bringing others together under spiritual banners. Hosted by the delightful Ibrahim Anli of the Rumi Forum, my co-presenters and I each selected a religious figure. Here’s the list: Pope Francis: Fr. Don Rooney of St. Bernadette’s... Read more

Does Dr. Dobson Owe Christians An Apology For Trump?

August 10, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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An Evangelical Indulgence Dobson owes Christians an apology. Dr. James Dobson has been a luminary among American evangelicals for the last half-century. In 2016, the trusted psychologist, author, and radio superstar claimed New York real estate mogul, reality TV star, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. If that ever happened, it sure didn’t stick. If Dobson’s assertion were true, it meant to millions of evangelicals that Trump was not only “one... Read more

Should God (Or Anyone) Save the Supreme Court?

August 3, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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These days, if you’re not reading about indictments against former U.S. President Donald Trump, you might be reading about Supreme Court corruption and undue influence. It begs the question of whether anything can be done about this pervasive, ethical erosion in our national institutions. Could a prayer be the solution? The Prayer Of The Supreme Court Every time the justices of the United States Supreme Court enter their grand and ornate courtroom to conduct their business, the Marshal of the... Read more

Friendships Can Save Us

July 27, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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This Sunday, July 30, is the United Nations’ International Day of Friendship. I think it’s a worthy theme during a particularly unfriendly time in my home country of the United States and in many other places worldwide. Friends should be important to Christians, as they should be for everyone. Friendship is Part of Discipleship For evangelicals like me, making and preserving friendships is a matter of discipleship. Being a disciple means disciplining oneself after a master. Jesus had friends, and... Read more

Confessing Our Evangelical Sins

July 19, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

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The most difficult sins to name are our own. Pointing the finger at someone else and calling out their spiritual, moral, and other personal failings is easy. Comparing ourselves to others makes us feel better and maybe superior to those whose behavior we perceive to be worse than ours. The much harder path is to stay focused on our own deficiencies and how we can improve ourselves. Hardest Sins To Confess Are Our Own Complimenting myself by condemning others isn’t... Read more