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. [...]