Any discussion of Catholic and Protestant relations usually ends up focusing on a short list of issues: the Pope, Mary, justification, and, of course, purgatory.… [Read more…] about Why would Catholics and Protestants argue over this?
I'm Christian, gay, and too angry to even read the Bible anymore
Got this letter in. My answer follows it:… [Read more…] about I'm Christian, gay, and too angry to even read the Bible anymore
When Jesus and Satan shared a name
Halloween is gone till next year.
Speaking of the devil, did you ever wonder why he’s named Lucifer? There are two competing theories about that:
Theory #1: Lucifer is not the name of the devil.
Isaiah 14:12 describes the fall of a Babylonian king (How you have fallen from heaven, / morning star, son of the dawn! / You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!) The original Hebrew word used for “morning star” there is הֵילֵל (helel). When, in 400 A.D., Jerome translated the Bible into his masterful Latin-language Vulgate edition, he translated helel into lucifer, a Latin word meaning “the morning-star; the planet Venus.” Later, early English translations, such as the King James Version, kept the word lucifer right where Jerome had it—only this time they capitalized it, transforming it into a proper name. So then we got, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! …
Here’s where it gets interesting. In the Vulgate, the word lucifer appears again. This time it’s in 2 Peter 1:19, where it is clearly denotes Jesus. Well, the KJV translators didn’t want to do there with that word what they had done with it back in Isaiah—they didn’t want to call Jesus Lucifer. So for they reverted back to the original translation of the word, and in 2 Peter 1:19 the world was given “… until the day dawns and the morning star… [Read more…] about When Jesus and Satan shared a name
Five reasons why "God works out all things for those who love him" is awful advice
I recently received this letter:
John,
I am a follower of your blog as well as a huge fan of Unfundamentalist Christians.
I was raised in an Evangelical home and was schooled at an Evangelical Christian school for most of my life. I have slowly begun to discover my own faith, as opposed to just simply believing what I had been told all my life.… [Read more…] about Five reasons why "God works out all things for those who love him" is awful advice
Christians: Would you hang in your house this pro-Islam painting by Muhammad Ali?
In the desert town of Lancaster, California, I once attended a charity’s silent auction, where I was so struck by the fairly large (28 x 24 inches) painting above that I took what for me then was quite a leap, and bid $80.00 on it. Weirdly enough (to me anyway), I was the only bidder. Victory! While paying for it I learned the painting had been done the boxer Muhammad Ali, who had also autographed it. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)… [Read more…] about Christians: Would you hang in your house this pro-Islam painting by Muhammad Ali?
Pastor: "He should have killed you. At least you'd have died a virgin."
I got this letter in:
Hi, John.
I became acquainted with your writing a couple of months ago and love it. I so wish I could travel back in time and hear your voice in my head while I was growing up, instead of the hard-core fundy “you’re going to hell” soundtrack of my early life.… [Read more…] about Pastor: "He should have killed you. At least you'd have died a virgin."
A Bible-based "hotline" that's no help at all.
The meme above crossed my Internet path today. I was going to print it out and hang it on my refrigerator next to my plumber’s name and number—except then I realized that while my plumber can actually help me, this list of Bible verses is more likely to hurt rather than to help me or anyone else.
Let’s take a look at the actual Biblical text behind these “hotlines”:
Worry Hotline ….. 1 Peter 5:7
1 Peter 5:7 reads:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
This is fine for what it is. But it does nothing to address any real issue in anyone’s life. “Stressed about your job, your spouse, your money, your kids, your health? No worries: God cares for you!” Comfort fail.
Fear Hotline ….. Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 41:10 reads:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
This Old Testament verse certainly sounds good. And I do think that God can provide such encouragement to us. But that’s not the message being delivered here. This is written to the nation of Israel, not to individual Christians. Appropriating God’s words to Israel as a personal antidote against fear is Biblically dishonest. It’s either disingenuous or ignorant to pull a Bible verse entirely out of its context and then use it to convey your own thoughts and feelings.
Temptation Hotline ….. 1 Corinthians 10:13,… [Read more…] about A Bible-based "hotline" that's no help at all.
In landmark move, Methodist bishop defies church law and colleagues to marry gay couple
Bobby Prince and Joe Openshaw (above), of Birmingham, Alabama, are getting married on Saturday, October 26. They are members of the United Methodist Church, the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States after the Southern Baptist Convention. Naturally enough, Bobby and Joe wanted to get married before their friends, family, and church family in their church home, Discovery United Methodist Church of Hoover, AL.… [Read more…] about In landmark move, Methodist bishop defies church law and colleagues to marry gay couple
Seven ways Christians fail to be Christian
Since I’m a Christian, I’m not exactly thrilled about writing this. But it wouldn’t be honest not to admit that we Christians too often blow it in these seven ways:… [Read more…] about Seven ways Christians fail to be Christian
Are not the Bible's "laws" on homosexuality unbiblical?
As proof that God condemns homosexuality, anti-gay Christians commonly point to the laws prohibiting homosexuality found in Leviticus.
“But,” comes the counter-argument, “Christians today blithely ignore all the other Levitical laws, such as ‘Don’t eat shellfish,’ ‘Don’t wear mixed fabrics,’ ‘Kill adulterers,’ and so on. And the whole point of Jesus was to establish a new order; that’s why it’s called The New Testament. Paul himself was very clear about saying that following Jesus meant no longer following the Laws of Moses. Therefore it is specious to use Leviticus to condemn gay people.”
“Jesus was willing to let go of things like eating shellfish and wearing mixed fabrics,” rejoin the anti-gay Christians, “because those are ceremonial laws. But Old Testament laws such as the Ten Commandments are moral laws, which Jesus insisted on upholding. And since the Old Testament prohibitions against homosexuality fall into the category of moral law, they are fully supported by Jesus.” To buttress this point, Matthew 5:17-19 is typically utilized:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
So let’s think about this.
The first thing to note is that nowhere in the Bible are moral laws distinguished from ceremonial laws. Those are man-made designations. It is up to Christians, in other words, to decide which Biblical injunctions are moral rules that need to be upheld, and… [Read more…] about Are not the Bible's "laws" on homosexuality unbiblical?