Facing Hard Questions – Making Sure I Truly Believe What I Believe
In my youth, I took the teachings of church culture as gospel, even if they didn't sit right. Now, I openly face the hard questions that challenge my faith. [...]
Christian Living
The Bible on Swearing
I thought the idea strange —one series of sounds from someone's mouth forms an unacceptable word while another series of sounds makes an acceptable word. Sounds are sounds, right? But like a "good" Christian noob, I obeyed first and asked questions later. [...]
It’s What You Make of It – Halloween
In both Easter and Christmas, we’ve seen Christians attempt to redeem the festivals and holy days of pagan religions by freeing the harmless customs from the ungodly [...]
Christian Jewishness
Many months ago, I asked Freya to consider sharing some insights from her family’s heritage, expecting a fascinating look into a culture that has so much to do with our [...]
Preach Hell like Jesus: Parables and other Teachings
Did Jesus participate in hellfire preaching on the street corner? Let's take a look at what He said, where He said it, and to whom He said it. [...]
Preach Hell Like Jesus: Hadēs
How (not what) did Jesus teach on hell? Today we look at Hades in Jesus' teachings to see if his example supports hellfire preaching. [...]
My Joseph Journey – The Filth
When I was a child, my parents took me to a local race track with a communal urinal full of yellowed ice and the fetid bugs that had fallen from the fluorescent frivolity [...]
My Joseph Journey – The Lesson
The lesson I learned from prison involved justice, but it wasn't what I expected. [...]
My Joseph Journey – The Jobs and the Hustles
In prison, everyone has a job. But it's your hustle on the side that is where the "real money" gets made by the aspiring entrepreneur. [...]
Christianity and Anti-semitism
In recent years, I've come to see anti-semitism as what it is: a malignant undercurrent that occasionally manifests in horrible ways but never really goes away. [...]
My Joseph Journey – The Prison Routine
In my Joseph Journey, I learned that a prison routine was an inmate's best friend, but that's not always a good thing for believers. [...]
Defense against Offense – Scripture on Offending Others
For years, I was taught offending other people is sinful, citing verses like Romans 14:21 and 2 Corinthians 6:3. I learned Christians are supposed to be each others' morality police; if the herd says we should or shouldn't do something because they like it or don't, we should obey so we do not sin by offending their sensibilities. [...]
My Experience with Hellfire Preachers
Recently, Clara and I enjoyed a long-overdue vacation. Part of our trip included some classic tourist trappings, and we found ourselves milling about in large crosswalk [...]
Challenging Our Own Bias
Last week, a reader sent a post from a Dallas-area mom and author who had a shift in perspective about her daughter wearing bikinis. You should go read it. Seriously, [...]
My Joseph Journey – The Isolation
Was it lonely in prison? You're never alone, but being alone is not a prerequisite for being lonely. Thankfully God was with me. [...]
Misogyny and Malarkey – Silence
“When you put on your Christian garb, you become an heir, on the same level as all the other heirs. Men and women are equal as children of God.” This is basically [...]
To Drink or Not to Drink
We’ve covered all sorts of topics here, from the general site motif of sexuality to the entertainment value of foam weaponry. Christian life is far from boring, and [...]
The Bible on Cursing
Well, finding broad commands to not curse was surprisingly more difficult than finding the same for not swearing. Whereas swearing was forbidden directly and clearly, cursing seemed to be handled more circumspectly. [...]
Evangelical Malaise – When Christian Culture Doesn’t Sit Right
When I truly dug into the Bible and the life of Jesus for myself, what I found often didn't align with what I'd been taught by Evangelical culture. [...]
Gifts of Gratitude – What Thanksgiving Really Means
We've turned the giving of thanks into a courtesy. We rarely give thanks anymore. We say "thank you" as readily as we say "please". But this isn't giving thanks; it's just saying thanks. [...]