Alright, let’s put this water baptism baby to rest. Water baptism was a Jewish tradition. Nothing more, nothing less. For some it was a messianic initiation rite they would do to publicly proclaim their allegiance to a messiah, of which…
Our Presence in the Middle East Really IS About Oil
For years I thought our use of military might was about humanitarian concerns, about being the world’s police force. That WAS the topic for debate, after all, wasn’t it? We couldn’t possibly be sacrificing the lives of our youth and…
I Am a Dynamic Figure
I am a dynamic figure, often seen running up stairs and crushing ice. I explain ethnic slurs to Palestinians. I manage time efficiently several times a day. Though sailboats are considered slower than motorboats I have raced them nevertheless. I have…
Jesus Used Fiction to Teach Truth
Any preacher teaching spiritual truths can find within his own popular culture things that the people can relate to. Preachers do this every Sunday when they…use the mythology of [their] day… We never accuse our pastors of being liars for…
Is There Any Relation Between Religion and Terrorism?
The old saw, “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims” simply isn’t true. Given the right political situations, people of any religious, philosophical, or political persuasion will produce terrorists. If you survey world history you will find…
Just Who Has the Itching Ears?
I know the topic of salvation raises concern like no other because it hits at something foundational to our Christian faith and what we believe gives us a right to call ourselves Children of God. Recently someone I only slightly…
Why I Miss the Draft, Anti-War Protests, and Woodstock
I wish we had the draft right now. Not because I really want to send anyone to the Middle East who doesn’t want to be there but because of what our country has been doing to the Middle East since…
4 Things That Show Churches Don’t Really Believe God Leads Individuals
Do Christian churches really believe God leads individuals apart from and possibly in contradiction to their own church? Most say they do, but I’m not so sure they all really believe what they say. The Catholic Church comes right out…
Embrace the Doubt – Follow Jesus
What if we didn’t know which books of the bible should be in the bible? What if we didn’t know whether Paul’s writings in the bible are inspired to the point of being exactly what God wanted him to write?…
The Beginnings of my Post-Evangelical Journey
My exit from the Evangelical faith began about 8 years ago with a simple question in my brain that for some reason would not leave without an answer, and the answer really wasn’t that hard to come by. Others I…
If This Is Your Idea of Fun – Welcome Aboard!
If you are a theology geek, or just want some inspiration in your quest for truth or the meaning of life, or a diversion from gainful employment, this blog will be of interest to you. If there is a theme…
If all the Religious Real Estate Were Sold, What Could We Do With the Money?
What are our priorities as the body of Christ? The following article shows what could be done with just the interest on the value of all church real estate in the US. The numbers are 23 years old but the…
To Congress: Cut Military Budget in Half
Here is my letter to my Congressman asking to cut our military spending in half. Feel free to copy any or all of it (change the names at the top and bottom). You can find your Congressperson here and your 2…
Walter Jones’s War – How the Tarheel Legislator Became His Party’s Conscience
Jones is driven by his own personal feeling of guilt, his remorse for supporting the same war Cheney did, and his desire to make amends—to put things right with God and, to whatever limited extent he can, the men and…
Review of Jay Sekulow’s Rise of ISIS
This book lays out only two options, either negotiate with the enemy or “evil such as this must be met with force. Nothing else will do.” And by force he means try to kill off every extremist Muslim in the…