For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, there is a school of thought among Christians that is often referred to as the "grace only" Christian. Basically the theology of this group is based on the idea that because we are saved by grace, through faith, nothing more need be done by a believer to get into heaven. Sounds nice, eh? Sound like a group you'd like to be part of? Not really, because, see, this "grace" is only extended to their own little clique. They've made a work out o...
It doesn't seem like that long ago, but it was half a lifetime. I was at one of the lowest points in my life and was overcome with the guilt of all of the mistakes I had made. I surrendered my life to Christ and committed myself to a new life. Over the years, I've been in a number of different churches, some of them good, some of them bad, but all Bible believing churches. I've married and raised my children true to my Christian faith. Having been raised in the LDS church, as a new Christi...
So, Marvin Cooley's evil twin is back in full force, in one breath decrying cults and in the other trying to form a cult himself by proclaiming that only HIS word stands as the word of God, and that everyone else, even Christ Himself, is suspect in their teaching. He believes that Christians do not need to lead a good life. That they can do whatever they want and treat other people like garbage, and that they will get to heaven, and God will smile and say it's all good. But the phrase "Christ...
On another thread, I was accused of holding Christians to a higher standard. And, in fact, I do. I think "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" is a cop out. I think that Christians who "settle" for being nasty, spiteful, vindictive individuals on the hope that a prayer they said at 12 at a church camp will save them are in for a HUGE disappointment. See, the Christian life isn't about going to church on Sunday. It's not about dropping money in the collection plate, spouting Bible v...
On another thread, I was accused of being "anti-church". And while I am a devout Christian, I can't say I'm wholly opposed to the label. The legacy of all too many churches is one of hurt, pain and destruction, not of hope and happiness. As I've taken a look at what has me so disappointed, I am finding it is not my faith that is lacking, but my dogma. See, I no longer care about "majoring in the minors" on faith. I no longer care about this group and that group and whether they have all the j...
Note: Christians will understand this. NonChristians may not. The last three years in the TX Panhandle have been tough. Not because of work. Oh, no, we've been doing fairly well. And I've been involved in a lot of side projects. I've taken on tasks here I might not have had the boldness to take on somewhere else. What's been tough has been the lack of fellowship. I guess for my first 15 years as a Christian, I was blessed. No matter where I went, I always found great churches, great Chr...
When I came on to JU, oddly enough, my original intent was to blog on religion. It was the single most important topic in my life, and I wanted to discuss it, to debate it, and to share some thoughts. As time went by though, my blog became more political. And in my daily life, I wish there was more I could do to grow and fellowship as a Christian. But over time I have learned an astounding fact. Despite what they tell you when they lead you to Christ, despite what they say from the pulpits...
Over the years, I've come to believe that one of the greatest failings the church has is in bearing up one another's burdens. I firmly believe that if the church were operating properly, there would be no need for government welfare, and less need for psychiatric hospital (yes, before you say it, I am aware that many mental disorders are organic in nature and are best treated with medication. But many more are not, and many people's burdens could be lifted simply by the presence of a good, true ...
A week ago last Sunday, for the first time in months, we went to church. And in doing so, in many ways, we closed one chapter of our lives and opened another. See, ever since I first became a Christian many years ago, I have wanted nothing more than a family. The mythological family that many churches profess and that was modeled in the early church, but which remains nothing more than a pleasant urban legend to most of us. I walked in church after church, looking for that family. In s...
The discussion of living together before marriage was broached on another thread. I didn't want to jump in there because, well, it's already gotten sticky. But it did bring up a relevant moment in my past that is worth mentioning. (Firing up the "way back" machine). I'll admit it. My wife and I lived together before we were married. I'll readily admit it was a less than perfect solution to issues at the time, but honestly, our options were rather limited. Her home life was NOT an ideal sit...
As a Christian, I have often heard people that are turned off to Christianity tell me that Buddhism is the kind of faith that attracts them. The idea of peace, and of being in harmony with the universe appeals to them, and Buddhism, to them, embodies that sort of ideal. The problem is, in many years of encounters with people of all faiths, I have yet to meet many Buddhists who live the kind of faith that Buddhism preaches. I could say similar things about Islam. Despite all of its protesta...
The signs, of course, are everywhere. Jesus perched in a manger delightfully free of rats, ticks, and other vermin, while cattle stand ruminantly nearby and three wise men oversee a remarkably Caucasian Mary and Joseph fawning over a newborn babe, while shepherds with robes acquired from a store whose name is the nearest Aramaic equivalent of "the Gap" adore their new shepherd. It's a beautiful scene, and one as fictional as that of the ever controversial Mr. Claus (who, scholars now believe,...
(Note: what follows are essentially working notes of a work in progress. I've numbered this article as there should be hopefully more to follow). Something is drastically wrong with the church today. As attendance drops to a historic (for our nation) low, as pastors and church leaders are caught up in scandal after scandal, and as leaders pursue a secular agenda, it is important for us as Christians to ask WHAT precisely is the matter. I believe the answer is quite simple. Something is ...
Good...now that I have your attention... In the wake of our latest struggles against the good townsfolk in this community who are dedicated to removing us from their municipality, I have had to think about the labels I've long self applied. To a person, the individuals dedicated to ridding the town of our nuisance claim to be Christian. Because my understanding of what a Christian is and their understanding are so radically different, it cannot logically follow that we are both Christians....
While I will readily concede that extremes of virtually all points of view can be damaging in certain contexts, I must take issue with the current fad of drawing a moral equivalency between an extremist Christian church in America and an extremist Muslim mosque in the middle east. In America, we have the luxury of living where the vast majority of Muslims you will encounter are as peace loving and amiable as practioners of any faith, and of those who practice no faith whatsoever. On the whole...