I expect this topic to be controversial. I have observed that at times people confuse a criticism of something done in the name of Christ with a criticism of God himself. But this fails to recognize that we are imperfect, and that we can make mistakes and do the wrong thing even when we are
Category: Theology
How Understanding the Gospel Affects One’s View of Homosexuality
I began to respond to a comment my cousin Jeremy made in response to my recent blog “The Surprising Reason I’m Not Celebrating Homosexual Marriage“. He says: Doug, I really like your approach, but it’s hard to draw a line between what the Bible teaches, and what we think it teaches (i.e. our interpretation). You
A Christian Nation
Christians’ beliefs understandably inform their views on politics. We passionately believe that if everyone were to be more Christ-like, our country would be a better place. We long for people to be treated equally, compassionately, and healed from their ailments. We long for peace, security, and freedom. We long for the end of injustice and
July 4th Sermon
For the forth of July, I want to share a sermon from one of my favorite preachers, Greg Boyd: The Rorschach Test. I think it’s well worth watching or listening to. photo credit: Waving Flag via photopin (license)
Which Came First, God or the Bible?
The title of this article is of course a play on the well known question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” I think virtually any believer would say that God came first. The question I actually want to get to though is, “Do you believe God because of the Bible, or do you
What If There Were No Old Testament?
What might Christianity look like if we hadn’t canonized the Hebrew scriptures? (In other words, how might Christianity be different if the Old Testament existed but weren’t in the Bible?) How much is modern Christianity influenced by an Old Testament verses New Testament perspective? photo credit: ccsdteacher via photopin cc
The Book of Job (Including Summary Outline)
It’s easy to follow God when things are good, but how do you handle life when it is difficult? The book of Job is included among the wisdom books in old testament of the Bible. This had confused me in the past as it seemed to be recounting history. Now upon reflection, I realize that
The Gospel Reinvisioned
What if I told you there is a place where every wrong will eventually be made right, where every hurt is healed? A place where everything broken will be fixed, and where every one is freed from themselves so they can be whom they are supposed to be. Would you be interested? There is a
Do We Assume God’s Role in Evangelism?
A while ago I was reading a book (The Divine Conspiracy I believe) which talked about God being in charge and in control of your life. It caused me to think, “How often do we take charge of something which is God’s responsibility?” This starts in our own lives. How often do we try and
Jesus the (Only) Way?
One point of contention among people is how most religions claim they are exclusively correct. Of course there are many people out there who disagree and hold that there are numerous paths and that all religions are basically the same. And I agree with this—in part. I believe there are many paths to spirituality. (Many