My Joseph Journey – The Inmates
I have always been a people watcher, but no mall, school, airport, or ComicCon could ever prepare me for the characters I'd get to watch in prison. [...]
Christian Living
Misogyny and Malarkey – Introduction
Millennia of being treated as second-class citizens (often legally designated as such), being forbidden certain rights and privileges afforded to men, and generally being taught that God has made them inferior to men... that's rough. [...]
On the Boundaries of Sin
The nonbeliever often perceives Christianity as being a set of arbitrary rules and regulations to follow in order to meet some equally arbitrary goal that permits some reward called "heaven" after one's death. The mature believer, apart from knowing no obedience to a set of rules (arbitrary or not) is sufficient for heavenly rewards, recognizes the Law of God to be not arbitrary at all. Rather, His rules are for our best interests. [...]
Driven by Vision – Lessons from Chick-fil-A Employee Training
I had the privilege of witnessing Chick-fil-A employee training while I mooched on their wifi and nursed their tea, and I found the process fascinating. [...]
Christian Self-Love
What does this much-vaunted idea of humility entail? Is there room for a Christian self-love or self-esteem? Or are we all depraved and worthless? [...]
Integral Faith – A Foundation of Sand
Years ago, I was fiery evangelical. Today, I'm very much not. Did I backslide? Or did I mature? I've been wrestling with this question a lot lately. [...]
The Bible on Unwholesome Talk
There's a third way explicit language comes under attack, empowered by Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus. "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth..." [...]
It’s What You Make of It – Christmas
Last time I complained about the hypocrisy of Christians rabidly condemning Halloween for its pagan origins while happily celebrating Easter despite its arguably pagan [...]
It’s What You Make of It – Easter
Some Christians even claim that 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 refers to an early Easter celebration, but serious scholars dismiss that out of hand. Still, the celebration of Easter is quite old. [...]
Misogyny and Malarkey – Creation
The common tradition often holds the Creation story in Genesis as a historical, scriptural precedent for the built-in superiority of man over woman. That's misogyny and malarkey. Typically, Genesis 3:16 is the go-to verse for substantiation of this idea that men were created superior. [...]
Misogyny and Malarkey – The Head
Paul's teachings found in Ephesians 5 have long been used to communicate that wives (and therefore women) are positionally beneath their husbands (and therefore men), as God has placed man as the "head of the household". [...]
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. [...]
The Prevarication of Privacy – Part 1
Something inside knows we're being deceived. In this fast-paced world of email, smartphones, and even WebMD, we can accomplish most of our needs without ever seeing another human face. And our spirits grieve something lost. [...]