For years and years we have been fed with the story that orthodox Christianity and other conservative and demanding religions were primarily, though not exclusively, the domain of the less educated, and that the highly educated were inclined toward more […]
Religion
Living Like a Liberal
In this article Matt Labash explains how being liberal, or progressive, is becoming more than a political belief but a way of life – I would almost say a spirituality of sorts. The text, he says, is Justin Krebs” work […]
I Take on Christopher Hitchens
A few months ago Vanity Fair magazine published an essay by famed atheist Christopher Hitchens criticizing the Ten Commandments and proposing a new set for today. There are plenty of errors and misunderstandings in his critique, but I will address […]
Why I Could Never Be a Good Catholic
I think most anti-Catholicism is either based on rather outdated stereotypes or is the “anti-Semitism of the respectable” as has often been said. Nevertheless, there are several reasons why I would find it difficult to be a good Catholic [it […]
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
Sometimes there are advantages to my advanced age. The World magazine article here from a few years ago was part of a major rumpus concerning something called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism that most of our adolescents, including many in evangelical churches, […]
Representing our Jesus to Their Jesus, A Book Notice
Todd D. Hunter, Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others . 2009: IVP Press. Author’s website: 3isenough.org. At first I think I had Todd Hunter mixed up with Joel Hunter of Florida, but Todd Hunter is a […]
Jesus’ Theology of Earthquakes
It has been more than a week since the Easter Sunday Mexicali earthquake, but better late than never. Many of us have thought, or, frankly, even hoped, that natural calamities would mainly fall on sinners. A famous verse came out […]
Political Partnership and the Prophet Jonah
In the course of my “annual” reading of the Bible I happened to come across the book of Jonah. This book has been spoiled for us by arguments about “did it really historically happen?” I take the position that it […]
And We Expect Libertarian Politics From…
And we expect libertarian politics from Arizona? What would Barry Goldwater do? Related: “Church Fights Back After Arizona Town Bans Home Bible Study” from FoxNews.com
A Theology of Earthquakes and Culture
After the Haiti earthquake, Pat Robertson declared that the earthquake was punishment for Haiti’s voodoo culture. How does he know? And is it any of his business? Pronouncements of this sort, I believe, fall into the category of “taking the […]