Cringe worthy church signs are all too familiar, the person behind this sign probably did not even give it a second look because obviously "Jesus cares". (If you are looking for good church signs try here.) This sign represents a real problem in Christian circles-- sometimes we simply do not know how to communicate. There... Continue Reading →
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.” 1 Corinthians 1:26 The phrase “not many of you were wise” has stuck with me the last few days as I continue to hear... Continue Reading →
I have been brushing up on some elements of Church history for a lecture I am giving Saturday (you can find more info here). I read about the Roman Emperor Constantine who, though "converting" to Christianity in 312, put off his baptism until near his death in 337. I confess I have not been much... Continue Reading →
I live in rural Ohio and 95% of my community is white. Over the last year I have had several conversations with individuals on race and racism. I find that many people have difficulty with the idea of racism because they believe racism must be overt and individual if it exists. What does that mean?... Continue Reading →
This week marks the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001; such an occurrence would have generated significant emotion on its own but with the United States removing troops from Afghanistan and the ensuing chaos such tensions are even higher. I had a post written about this event when I saw an editorial cartoon posted by... Continue Reading →
In advanced matters of theology absolute confidence is possible only for two classes of people, saints and idiots.Origen of Alexandria Origen is not widely regarded in Church circles because some of his beliefs were deemed heresy and understandably many people are reluctant to listen too closely to him. I find I become more guarded when... Continue Reading →
I was talking about the movie Back to the Future III the other night; and since then I have been thinking about one of the major plot devices of the franchise, the notion that a small change in the past can have a large impact on the future. The movies are built around the idea... Continue Reading →
I went into the archives and reread the three articles I wrote about the 2016 election (Using Logic and Morality, An Honest Vote, & Lesser of Two Evils) and I remain proud of the content-- if embarrassed by the typo's. What spurred me to take the drive down memory lane was the revelation that 70%... Continue Reading →
I happened to scroll through a debate happening on a page promoting Young Earth Creationism, it started when a woman made the comment that Genesis 1 & 2 are in complete conflict and cannot both be true. Of course this kind of comment is going to trigger people on the page and the debate will... Continue Reading →
October 1-4, 1529, Marburg Castle, Hesse, Germany you might not be familiar with this setting but it remains a fairly significant event in Church history. During the Marburg Conference Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli met to discuss bringing their reformation movements together. These two men shared many ideas about the Church and were hopeful of... Continue Reading →
Squinting in the Light 