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For years, I have sat in dialogue rooms across from people whose politics, experiences, and understanding of the place we both call home were very different from mine.…
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Charging into 2013 with the Saints
As we roll into a new year, not only are there fireworks but there is a finale of saints and holy days that are recognized by Christians around the world…
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Women in the Holy Land — Just Like Me
By Lynne HybelsEditor’s Note: This piece by Lynne Hybels is part of the conversation on December’s Theme – Bethlehem: Then & Now During the Balkan war of the early 90s I traveled…
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13 Hopes for 2013
Each year I remix some of my hopes and dreams for the New Year, bringing some from last year and adding a few new ones. Here’s the latest remix: Do…
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Why Worship Without Justice Dishonors God
Isaiah 1:10-20 is a sobering prophetic passage in which God reams out the Israelites for thinking that they can honor Him while mistreating the most vulnerable of His people. We…
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Christianity: Philosophy or Religion?
Short answer: Yes. It’s both. Now, if you’d consider a little more detail… Conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly (AKA “Papa Bear” if you’re Stephen Colbert) really stepped in the rhetorical poop…
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Earn and Fully Live the 'Truth' this New Year
By Morf Morford“Facts are stubborn things.” – John Adams “Or just some human sleep.” – Robert Frost We use words as if we knew what they fully meant. And perhaps we do,…
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The Best of 2012
By RLC EditorAs Red Letter turns the page on 2012 we look back at the best pieces from redletterchristians.org: Most read: Seven Reasons Why Young Adults Quit Church – by: Christian Piatt…
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The Rage of Moloch – An Old Testament god thriving on our children
By Morf MorfordFilth! Ugliness! Ashcans and unobtainable dollars! Children screaming under the stairways! Boys sobbing in armies! Old men weeping in the parks! Moloch the incomprehensible prison! Moloch the crossbone soulless jailhouse…
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Death, Violence and America: Is God the Answer or the Problem?
Whenever there is a tragedy in America you can count on some politically saturated Christian leaders to rush in to make stupid statements. Certainly it has happened again with the…
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The Challenge of the Manger in Bethlehem
From opulent shopping malls in the Unites States to corners of crumbling adobe houses in rural Central America, the nativity scene surrounds us during this time of year. The manger…
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What Would Jesus Say to the NRA?
What does the birth of the baby Jesus 2000 years ago have to offer the violent, troubled world we live in? Or what would Jesus say to the NRA? I…
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Singing Mary's Song
Mary’s song (Luke 1:46-55) is an expression of great faith and humble gratitude. It is the outpouring of a soul that has reflected deeply on the significance of the wondrous…
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Republicans "Own" Every Child Killed by a Gun and their Weeping Parents
Add blind support for 30-round ammunition clips, military assault rifles and ownership of semiautomatic weapons, no-background-check gun shows and “right to carry” laws — including the right to carry in…
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Incarnation – Can Anything Good Come from a Crisis Pregnancy?
By Morf MorfordGod in the flesh, Christ incarnate; we use these words as if we had the slightest clue what they might mean. But even when I look in a mirror, I…
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Goodbye Santa! Hello St. Nick! Or, how many slaves work for you?
By Marty TroyerOn December 18, 1865 slavery was officially abolished with the passing of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to the United States. Hallelujah and Praise God! A decision – though…
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Sandy Hook and the Tearing Asunder of Evangelical Christianity
Is it just me, or is the tragic Sandy Hook school shooting doing more to point out the great rift within evangelicalism than the publication of any Rob Bell book?…
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VIDEO: Shane's Trip to Afghanistan
By RLC EditorShane Claiborne recounts his recent trip to Afghanistan to meet the Afghan Peace Volunteers. Thanks to Shane’s friend Dan for producing this powerful slideshow with pics from the trip and…
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Rev. Richard Land: Greatest Commandment Justifies Deadly Force
I know this sounds strange, but my feelings about guns is pretty similar to how I feel about cigarettes. On the one hand, I can’t stand either one, and I’m…
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What Happens When One Person Cares
Last month, spurred by a post written by my brother Jim, I posted an article called “Does Government Assistance Discourage Private Charity, ” which elicited quite a bit of discussion.…
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Stay In or Stay Out! Is America Suspicious of Outsiders?
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my…
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![James Dobson: "I think He [God] has allowed judgment to fall upon us"](https://redletterchristians.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/james-dobson2.jpg)
James Dobson: "I think He [God] has allowed judgment to fall upon us"
By RLC EditorOn Tuesday, Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, took to the airwaves on his radio program, Family Talk, to discuss the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary…
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FBI Report: Hate Crimes Against Gays Outnumber those Against Religion
This week a popular Christian magazine picked up on the recently released annual hate crime statistics report for 2011 from the FBI, noting that for the first time, hate crimes against…
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Five Children’s Questions About the Sandy Hook Tragedy
I’ve seen plenty of articles responding to the shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Some are angry, some pastoral, still others, prophetic in their call for change in various forms. I…
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The Grammar of Gun Control
By Morf MorfordOne of the truisms of communicating is that how something is said can be more important that what is said. One of the problems with our national conversation about guns…
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Bullshit National Grieving
By Kent AnnanA resounding gong, a clanging cymbal, bullshit: that is what this all-too-familiar national liturgy of grief is when it’s acted out once again without having taken the available steps to…
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Mass Killing is our Idea of Patriotism
The in a small school against OUR six-year-olds perfectly reflects the nature of our violent retributive society. Mass killing is the new American “normal.” In fact it’s our idea of…
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The God who cries when children die
By Kurt Willems“The history of our world is the history of our suffering together. Every act of evil extracts a tear from God, every plunge into anguish extracts a sob from God.…
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I Found Peace in Kabul
Afghanistan is one of the most desperate, beat up places in the world. Forbes magazine has called it the most dangerous nation on earth. Over 30 years of war have…
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THIS JUST IN… Shane cuts his hair and heads to Afghanistan
By RLC EditorFor several months, Shane has been preparing for a possible delegation to Kabul, Afghanistan. There is a spectacular peace movement brewing in Afghanistan, and they invited Shane to visit with…
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The Answer to Our Never Ending Commitment Issues: Are You In or Are You Out?
More and more lately I’m coming to realize the value of this question. And the value of the answer. I think for a long time the question scared me, because…
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Christian Rhetoric in Understanding Racism
Christianity is filled with helpful ways of understanding modern racism. The way in which Christians view the world helps us understand our individual roles within a larger system of racial injustice. Yet the Gospel…
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BREAKING: Mormon Church Introduces Site on "Same Sex Attraction"
By RLC EditorEarlier today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched a new website aimed at fostering a discussion on same-sex attraction. Mormonsandgays.org encourages members of the Mormon church to…
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Wayne Made Flesh…on Wednesdays
I see Wayne pretty much every Wednesday. I know I see him on Wednesdays because four or five times every Wednesday morning he asks me what day it is, and…
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Big Government/Small Government: Is Size a Real Faith Issue?
Is the size of government a faith issue? It is certainly a perennial political issue and the current discussions about the federal budget deficit and the “fiscal cliff” have pushed…
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Why Women are the Key to the Church’s Future
I’ll preface this piece my saying I know I am making some broad generalizations based on gender, and that there are always exceptions to every trend. But despite that, I…
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Bethlehem: Then and Now
“O little town of Bethlehem” is one of the most famous Christmas Hymns. Bethlehem has become almost a mythological place: Children imagine it with a few “huts, ” a few…
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Are We Better Than Them?
By Kerry DixonThe train into London has just been cancelled because someone has thrown themselves under a train from a footbridge just outside the station. Annoyed at having his Saturday plans ruined,…
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Why this Republican Voted for Obama But Is Not (Yet) a Democrat
Full disclosure: I am 60, a white, male, evangelical minister working at a city rescue mission after 30 years in the pastorate, and a lifelong Republican moderate who has often…
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The Dangers of Evangelism
I understand the basis of evangelism. There are lots of scriptural bases for doing it: making disciples of all nations, expanding our territory, and so on. Also, there’s a great…
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Can Israel love its enemies in Gaza and keep its people safe?
Many of my fellow Christians see Jesus’ command to “love our enemies” as an impossible moral standard that we are exempted from fulfilling by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins.…
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Eat the Turkey, not each other: How to survive Thanksgiving dinner
By Marty TroyerThere’s more to look forward to this Thanksgiving than a second slice of pecan pie when you’re [finally] alone in the kitchen. For starters, every road in Texas is offic…
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This is Pure — A Tax Collector and Sinner who shouldn't be Here
News of the rabbi who taught a radical redemption was spreading well beyond the religious community. The common people followed him in hoards, hoping to hear his healing teaching –…
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Murder in Our Hearts
By Morf MorfordIf there is anything Christians should never need a reminder of, it is how much God hates murder – and how close it is to each one of us. We…
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Church of England Decision Day on Women Bishops
By Tony CampoloUPDATE: Church of England Votes Not to Introduce Female Bishops – My Thoughts Below The vote fo WORK FROM NO HOME r women Bishops in the Church of England has…
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Sexual Orientation: It’s Not a Sin
By Kathy VestalNorth Carolina Baptist State Convention, Nov. 2006: Voted to throw out any church that advocated homosexuality in any way, even knowingly having a gay person in membership. Other denominations have…
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A Theology of Capitalism: Entrepreneurs vs. Money-changers
There are two different stories people tell about capitalism. Those who describe capitalism favorably say that it is the story of how the innovation and creativity of entrepreneurs are unleashed…
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Jesus Times Two: "Jesus Beck" or "Jesus the Christ"
By Kathy VestalWe are a culture that loves the name of Jesus. Say the name, and it sells products. Post the name, and it’s shared widely on Facebook. “Praise the name of Jesus,…
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Occupying God's Vision of Jubilee
I’m so excited to see this US example of alternative economics: the Rolling Jubilee! It’s self described as “a bailout of the people by the people” in which the project…
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If I Have Cheated Anyone
By Morf MorfordCould we even imagine what revival and conversion even look like? I attended a small local church prayer meeting recently where, among other things, some of us prayed for revival,…
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Louis C.K. on Our Neighbor’s Bowl and What “Fair” Is
Writing books is a strange process. When you’re in the middle of creating something this big, it tends to consume your every waking moment in some way. I can’t watch…
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Red Letter Christianity vs. The Prosperity Theology
By Tony CampoloThere are those who would preach that if we make Jesus our choice in life, each of us will drive a Rolls Royce. Nothing could be further from the truth.…
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Does Government Assistance Discourage Private Charity?
A couple of months ago my brother, the Reverend Doctor Jim Robinson, posted a blog titled “Hard Work vs. Government Assistance.” It was well-written and thought-provoking, but I thought it…
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A Year of Biblical Womanhood: Playful, Earnest God-Wrestling with Rachel Held Evans
As an evangelical Christian growing up in the deep South, Rachel Held Evans was surrounded by the concept of “Biblical womanhood.” Over the last thirty years of culture wars, this…
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Red Letter's Response to Superstorm Sandy
By RLC EditorIn the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which took over 50 lives and left thousands on the Eastern seaboard without power, many are now wondering what they can do to help.…
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Emergent Christian Cliches to Avoid
Following the creation of my first five articles in this ongoing series about Christian cliches (links below), I was alerted to the fact that my lists were notably absent of…
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How to Lose an Election
By Morf MorfordThe 2012 election will certainly be noted as a monument to miscalculation and fundamental obliviousness. For the sake of our country – and our political system – I hope Republicans…
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10 Things I Learned While in the Middle East
By Jon HuckinsOver the past four years I have had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in the Middle East. I no longer approach the time as a tourist,…
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What Historically White Denominations Can Learn From the Republican Party
The day after election night is like Christmas morning for bloggers and political pundits. Like eager children we come bounding down the stairs ready to rip open and reflect on wins, losses,…
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The Hand is Quicker than the Eye: In Magic and Politics
By Morf Morford“The hand is quicker than the eye” is a traditional proverb and organizing principle of every practicing magician. There is no actual ‘magic’ involved in a magician’s act – it…
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Fear and Loathing in Fundamentalist Land
As a life-long Republican and an evangelical minister, I have been appalled at the attitudes and actions of so many Christian Republicans. There has been the (still alive) birther movement,…
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The Impossibility of Being President and Following Jesus
By Kurt WillemsIt’s impossible to be the president of the United States and to follow Jesus.* This is a radical claim in this heated election season, without a doubt, but is why…
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A Politics of Selflessness
Selflessness is the ethic of God. Every action of Christ demonstrated a commitment to selflessness. It is the opposite of self-centeredness. It is the act of putting others’ needs ahead…
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Jesus for President 2012
It was way back in 2004 that the spark for the Jesus for President campaign was born – by a bunch of post-evangelical Christians trying to figure out how to…
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Driscoll, Piper, Calvin and God’s Gift of… Racism?
“It’s right for God to slaughter women and children anytime he pleases. God gives life and he takes life. Everybody who dies, dies because God wills that they die.” -John…
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Working With the Poor, One Village at a Time
By Graeme EsauAt a certain point in my life, I came to realize that being a Christian was more complicated than showing up to church on Sunday and changing the channel during…
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Franklin Graham's Religion Is Not His Father's
By Kathy VestalFranklin Graham is using the power of his father’s name for his own political agenda. Throughout history there may not have been a more respected Christian leader than the Rev.…
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Committed to Unhappiness: Consumerism is the Enemy of the Church
By Tony CampoloThe American economic system could not continue to exist without keeping us constantly dissatisfied and somewhat unhappy. Consider the fact that if you are happy with your life; if you…
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Interrupting Inequality — from Wall Street to Your Street
Ten years ago, we threw a party on Wall Street. It was one year after 9/11 and nine years before Occupy. Here’s a little video from the original Wall Street…
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The Judgment of Sodom – When Disaster Strikes
By Morf MorfordThe Bible holds two accounts of the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 13, Ezekiel 16). Most commentators choose one and ignore the other, but I think I see a revealing link…
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Kingdom Politics: Sewing the Great Commandment Back Together
In early 21st century American politics, the two sides of our partisan divide can be described as a rupture between the two halves of Jesus’ Great Commandment. One side champions…
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5 God Excuses to Avoid After a Natural Disaster
By Kent AnnanIn a disaster aftermath, whether caused by hurricane or earthquake or tsunami, the right impulse is to rush in with appropriate relief. For people of faith, too often this same…
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21st Century Freedom Ride
Whenever my friend Jim Douglass calls, I listen. Ten years ago, when we stood together in the morning sun outside a hotel in Baghdad, Jim hugged me and Leah, then…
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Now What? How to Help in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
By RLC EditorHurricane Sandy has moved past the Philadelphia area and the work of clean up and recovery is just beginning. While the storm is still a force to be reckoned with…
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How Are We Political? A Dialogue between Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne
TONY CAMPOLO: Shane, I have a question to ask that may make you squirm a little bit. From hearing you talk and reading your books, you often seem to suggest that…
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Daddy’s Top Ten Childbirth Freak-Outs (pt. 2 of 2)
Yesterday I posted part one of this story. Click here to read that first if you haven’t already. These posts came from my first memoir/humor book published called “PregMANcy: A Dad,…
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Daddy’s Top-Ten Childbirth Freak-Outs (Pt. 1 of 2)
Earlier in 2012, I had my first memoir/humor book published called “, ” published by Chalice Press. The book follows my wife second pregnancy with our daughter, Zoe (now 3…
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Presidential Politics, Big Military and Jesus
Early this week the presidential candidates got to debate about foreign policy as each of them claimed to be the biggest tough guy…and the least like Jesus. Sadly, for many…
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What Can We Say? Theology for Murder and for Living
By Kent Annan“Fred, ” I ask in Creole last Friday in Port-au-Prince, “do you mind giving us a quick campus tour before we sit to talk?” I work with a non-profit focused on education…
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4th Anniversary of Dobson's "Letter from 2012 in Obama's America"
Today is the four year anniversary of the Focus on the Family Action’s release of a . This tragic letter was dropped in the media just weeks before the 2008…
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On Rachel Held Evans and Why “Vagina-gate” Matters
Some may be aware of the dust kicked up around ‘ new book, “A Year of Biblical Womanhood, ” but in case you’re unfamiliar with the “vagina-gate” phenomenon, let me catch…
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Religion and Good Intentions: Embarrassed by Jesus
By Kathy VestalEven Mary did not understand Jesus’ ministry. How hurtful it must have been to disappoint her, and how lonely, but he knew his mission and remained focused. Mary knew Jesus…
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What Belongs to Caesar?
By Morf MorfordWhen I was a child I didn’t understand politics. My parents were moderates – in an era when almost everyone was a moderate – and proud of it. Back then,…
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Christian Hypocrisy in Examining the Word of God and the Words of Politicians
First off, before the strident atheists out there start lifting this post up as a “See, even, so and so, says Christians are a bunch of hypocrites!” let me be…
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Possibilities: Is this what got Jesus killed?
The Jesus we encounter in the gospels is fascinating. He’s usually up to more than we catch at first glance. Speaking with the woman at the well; telling the story of the…
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Exterminate them without mercy: The problem of Joshua, genocide, and the character of God
By Kurt WillemsAuthor note: A couple of years ago, I wrote the following blog post about an approach to the most difficult text when it comes to understanding God’s character. Although I…
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Engaging Culture and Growing Faith: Religious Deserts and the Canaanite Woman
A friend of mine forwarded a link to a recent Huffington Post article about the most and least religious cities in the United States. Interestingly – but hardly surprising –…
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The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of The Evangelical Left
By Marty TroyerThe right story told at the right time can make all the difference. Knowing this, great storytellers take as much care in selecting the right story as they do in…
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Church is Fantasy, but that's Okay (as long as we don't think it's reality)
By Mal GreenAbout twenty years ago, in a local, growing church, a group of us began to explore what church might look like if it did not look like what it looks…
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Did Jesus Have a Wife?
By Tony CampoloThere has been an uproar over the discovery of a small piece of a parchment which had Coptic writings in which there was a reference to Jesus, referring to His…
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God Loves Us F**k-Ups
By Derek FloodI recently discovered People of the Second Chance (POTSC), a group that describes its mission as: A scandalous awakening of radical grace in life and leadership. We exist to overthrow…
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What happens when Jesus is not the answer?
By Kerry DixonWhile I was a theological student, a heated debate broke out during one of the Principal’s lectures around the issues of evangelism and suffering. The Principal’s view w as that…
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Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: An Interview with Brian McLaren
By RLC EditorBrian McLaren’s latest book, Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World, released nearly a month ago and has garnered national…
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Letters to My Unborn Children: the Silent Grief of Miscarriage
Our first pregnancy in 2004 ended in a miscarriage right after Easter. Through my wife Kristine’s five subsequent pregnancies—another miscarriage in 2004, healthy girls born in 2005 and 2008, a…
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Is the Future of Church in Fantasy Faith Leagues?
I used to be in a fantasy league, but the fanaticism of the whole thing wore me out. The guys would gather online for an evening-long draft event, debate rules…
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The Faithful Way to Sing to God? Mine.
On more than one occasion I have heard praise music called “7/11 music, ” the same seven words sung eleven times. Because I tend to run in mainline church circles,…
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Once Upon A Christian Nation
By Craig BubeckI love my country . . . I mean, you gotta’, right? Even during its awkward cycles of uninhibited vitriol, come election time (with its debates). In so many regards,…
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Health Care — Then and Now
I don’t know if we had health insurance when I was a child. When I had a sore throat that wouldn’t go away, I went to the doctor, and the…
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My Journey Through a 3 year Marriage and Divorce at 29
By Rachel GobleI’m twenty nine years old. A Westmont College and Fuller Seminary graduate, born and raised in a loving Christian family. My Dad sat on the Elder board of my church…
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A Shout Out to St. Francis from My Dog (and me too)
Editor’s Note: On this feast day, we are reprinting an important reminder of what St. Francis can teach us about love for all of God’s creation. I am a huge…
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A Shout Out to St. Francis from My Dog (and me too)
I am a huge animal lover, human and non human alike. I have a good role model for this love of animals in St. Francis of Assisi, who lived in…