How many wars, conflicts, and confrontations could be avoided if we truly lived according to Jesus’ insistence that violence and vengeance are not God’s ways at any level (individual, communal, national, and international)? When will we ever learn that it is blasphemy to call upon God to do violence for us or to bless our violence against others even in the cause of patriotism? Continue reading
We’ve all seen the bumper sticker which reads, “The Bible says it; I believe it; and that settles it!” And many of us have been “blessed” by Christians who constantly remind us, “The Bible says. . .” This article addresses both claims. A more truthful and humble way of rewording… Continue reading
There is no reference in the Bible to any everlasting place of punishment and torture beyond death. That belief is based on horrible translations of Hebrew and Greek words. Continue reading
I lament both the lack of knowledge about the Bible in our culture and the various ways in which it is misused within so many churches and in secular society. On one side, we have fundamentalist Christians who insist on the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. On the opposite… Continue reading
All her life she had heard that homosexuals could not be saved and were destined for hell unless they repented and allowed God to change them. She had heard such a message from preachers, tv evangelists, friends, and other Christians. And it broke her heart to think that the grandson she so loved was burning in hell because he was gay. Continue reading
(21 minutes) LITERALISM: With the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment which occurred in Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries, humans (at least, some of them) began to emphasize reason and science in their interpretation of the world. Superstition gave way to a more objective pursuit of knowledge… Continue reading
Two useful words when considering the role of Scripture in formulating our individual and corporate theologies in our unique time and place are exegesis and hermeneutics. Exegesis comes from the Greek word exthegeisthai meaning “to lead out/to explain/to interpret”. Exegesis is a critical investigation of a text within its various… Continue reading
Introduction to the “First Things”: Genesis, Ancient Near Eastern Traditions, and Historical Context The opening chapters of Genesis raise a lot of questions for many people. How do we square the earth being made in 6 days with what we now know about the age and progression of the universe?… Continue reading
Introduction to the “First Things”: Genesis and Science For centuries the opening chapters of Genesis have provided a battleground on which the church and science have viciously fought. There was a time when the church persecuted those who believed that the earth circled the sun. The church, based on teachings… Continue reading
