Tag Archive
What Do Christians Believe? A Response
If we limit ourselves to widely-held stereotypes, the answer seems filled with cognitive dissonance. On the other hand, if we allow his response to help us brush away all the detritus of easy caricatures and selfish political agendas, we can then answer honestly. When we do, we can preserve a voice that is… »
Avatar is not Anti-Christian
The artistry of Avatar is not a threat to Christian belief, but it is a threat to arrogant assumptions about our own exclusive claims to truth, power, and wealth. Dig deeply enough and it becomes clear that it is in fact these desires which many people actually worship (after layering a veneer of Christianity… »
Easter Wishes
On this day Christians celebrate the triumph of compassion, love, ans self-sacrifice over venality, ignorance, and death. For those of my tradition: “Χριστός ανέστη εκ νεκρών, θανάτω θάνατον πατήσας!” For those of other traditions, I wish you joy as well in those things that give life meaning. Whatever awaits us beyond the grave, we will… »
Christmas Wishes
Nativity SceneI wish all those who observe this holiday a peaceful and joyous Noel. For those for whom this season brings sadness or reminders of grief, I wish you the comfort of those who love you. For those who find themselves in places of violence, hunger, or fear I pray you find the shelter of… »
Being Theologically Conservative
I am theologically conservative because I believe that, to be a “Christian” means to neither add to nor subtract from the common beliefs of those who died to give the word its meaning. This has nothing to do with issues of social morality, the Church’s perspective on which has changed from generation to… »
Politics Should Stay Out of the Pulpit
Endorsing a candidate from the pulpit demeans Christian… »
Who Really Explains Away the Bible?
Fundamentalists ignore far more of the “plain reading” of Scripture than they would like to admit. The more mature approach is simply to let the biblical writings be what their authors intended for them to… »
Are We Really Saving People from Hell?
Is the function of the gospel really to save people from… »
No One Literally Believes Genesis
No one, not even (or especially?) fundamentalists reads Genesis… »
On Homosexuality
If the applicability of these biblical texts to the current situation is unclear, and if ultimately relationship with God through Jesus is more important than precision on exactly what is and is not a sin, then – faced with no clear answer either way – should we chose to separate people who love each other… »