It’s worse than you think. Much worse. Before we begin, however, I want to apologize for the inflammatory nature of this article’s title. I’m not, typically, an alarmist or prone to hyperbole. I’d charitably describe my disposition as “cautious optimism.” Many may dismiss the central idea in this article as “irresponsible,” “needlessly inflammatory,” and “implausible.”…
Continue reading ➞ 3 Ways the Church Can Help Prevent a Second American Civil War
A long time ago, I believed that most of the world’s problems could be solved if more people became Christians. If only more people prayed, read their Bibles, sang worship songs, and accepted Jesus into their hearts, then all our nation’s anger, strife, immorality, violence, and racial division would subside or (at the very least)…
Continue reading ➞ The Inevitable Tragedy of Christian Nationalism
Growing up in the Bible Belt in the 1990s, abortion was one of the most frequently cited symptoms of America’s “moral decline” from the pulpit. Sometimes likened to child sacrifices made to the pagan deity Moloch (and the Holocaust), abortion was depicted not only as the epitome of America’s wickedness but also proof of demonic…
Back in May, I released an article about Christians and Conspiracy Theories. It quickly became one of my most-read articles and, as of today, it’s amassed more than 750,000 views. And, with all of that exposure (and a topic as inflammatory as conspiracy theories), comes an inbox packed with deranged and CAPS LOCK-challenged emails. However,…
Continue reading ➞ How Conspiracy Theorists Hijacked the Crusade to End Human Trafficking
During his Saturday night re-election rally in Tulsa, President Donald Trump — ever our Uniter-in-Chief in times of crisis — turned his attention to Confederate statues and monuments. In his two-hour address to an enthusiastic (but smaller than expected) crowd, President Trump decried “the unhinged left-wing mob” that “desecrated our monuments” and was “tearing down…
Continue reading ➞ The Moral Insanity of Defending Confederate Statues
Another day, another reason to be outraged. No matter your position on the political spectrum, you're more than likely mad at somebody. Being angry, frustrated, or stressed out are our country's new favorite pastimes. Nothing brings people closer together quite like a shared enemy. But what if we're wrong? What if the problem isn't top-down,…
The first time I heard about Christian nonviolence, I thought it was ridiculous. My struggle with Christian nonviolence was a result of the multitude of questions the stance generates. I gradually came to learn that these questions were normal. It's what happens when you're entire paradigm shifts on such a comprehensive issue. I grew up…
Continue reading ➞ Christians and Violence: Seven Tough Questions and Responses
Was Jesus a conservative? A liberal? If he could, would he have voted Democrat or Republican? Would Jesus have even voted? Would he have had anything to do with modern politics, at all? Or is there more going on in the Gospels? Are we even asking the right questions? I think the answers to these…
Continue reading ➞ The Flag and the Cross: The Religious Seduction of Politics and Power
During Super Bowl XLVII, the Coca-Cola Company set the internet on fire. The one-minute ad titled "It's Beautiful" aired during the pregame commercial break, and by the end of the night, public response to the ad quickly outpaced interest in the game itself (a 43 - 8 blowout win for the Seattle Seahawks against the…
Continue reading ➞ Scandalous Grace in an Era of Moral Outrage and White Supremacists
During the 12th Century, crusaders often hired mercenaries to fight in their stead during the Crusades. Because the Crusades were viewed as a religious undertaking, the mercenaries had to be baptized before being deployed to the Holy Land.
Instrument of Mercy 