From a letter to a pastor I’ve written several letters this year to my state reps, to the local paper, to a local TV station, to our school superintendent, and others. They all featured fairly similar content. Concerns about the politicization of the news and schools. Concerns about partisanship and antagonism and ideological pharisaism. MostlyContinue reading “Ideological pressures in institutions”
Tag Archives: Christianity
Camille Paglia’s advice to Christians
There is quite a growing list of “friendly” atheists that Christians have been finding common ground with in the fight against postmodernism. James Lindsay, Jonathan Haidt, John McWhorter. I think you could also add Bret Weinstein and Heather Haying to that list. And maybe Camille Paglia and Christina Hoff Summers (if you want a feministContinue reading “Camille Paglia’s advice to Christians”
The value and problems with psychological theism
I think the value of Jordan Peterson’s theological outlook is that it let’s you appreciate the Bible from a perspective outside Christianity. His position is essentially is that it is right and good and useful to live as if the Bible were true. That it is metaphorically true, or true in some transcendent sense, someContinue reading “The value and problems with psychological theism”
Jordan Peterson and faith
https://youtu.be/2rAqVmZwqZM I think Joni Erickson Tada might be an interesting person for Jordan to learn about. I’m a bit of a natural skeptic myself. I always have been. And Jordan certainly has faith, the sort of faith that Kierkegaard espoused. It’s a choice to will a life “as if,” while recognizing that there is noContinue reading “Jordan Peterson and faith”
Ravi and scandal
From a conversation about Ravi Zacharias and the revelations of his misdeeds with masseurs. One note I should make first is that it’s very easy to have the right ideas and quite another thing to live by them. As much as I like to talk about the need for courage to face the truth andContinue reading “Ravi and scandal”
A letter to a friend
Dear J, as someone who has struggled through history and philosophy and religion for years, as well as shouldering a significant burden of depression that seems to arise almost inevitably as result of raising one’s awareness to the reality of such things, there is always one place I have found comfort, and I commend itContinue reading “A letter to a friend”
Sacredness
What does it mean that something is sacred? That it has some special importance and significance to someone, that it has a special power or meaning. It is easy to see, then, why sacredness persists as a quality even today. It may inhabit different idols, but sacredness is part of the furniture of human meaning,Continue reading “Sacredness”
Why the Bible uses stories instead of lectures
One challenge the writers of the Bible faced was the fact that there were no books. Written records were rare and took a lot of effort to produce, and there were a lot of different people in different places and situations the message needed to be able to reach. So the question is, how doContinue reading “Why the Bible uses stories instead of lectures”
Problems with atheistic Christianity
If it works, why does it work? Is it because it’s true? If it is true, why is is true? It seems like with these specific stories, people actually thought they were writing history. History as we conceive it, in fact, seems to have emerged out of the kind of unvarnished honesty of presentation thatContinue reading “Problems with atheistic Christianity “
The proper uses of grace
Grace has a powerful but often misunderstood role. It is like a powerful anasthetic that neutralizes negative feelings and severs the connection between the reality of our perceived identity and the reality of our perceived life outcomes. It gives us a free pass, essentially. This makes it both terribly dangerous, when used incorrectly, and aContinue reading “The proper uses of grace”
Glorifying non-conformity
From a reply to a social media post about Christianity being for the outsiders and about accepting the outsiders, that that’s who Jesus liked, not the insiders. To which I said that, yes, it kind of was, but not because of their outsider-ness or insider-ness. That that wasn’t in itself the quality that made themContinue reading “Glorifying non-conformity”
Why should I care about charity during the lockdown?
Let’s be honest, I’m in danger myself, I’m stressed, I’m dealing with employees who are stressed. I’m in need of charity myself right now. I’ve got people to take care of who whose livelihoods are threatened. I had to accept some charity myself recently and figure out how I felt about it. I wasn’t goingContinue reading “Why should I care about charity during the lockdown? “
On Christianity, liberalism, Trump, and Women
It is very sadly the case that in this particular area of moral concern, that of treating women with respect and validating their hurts and fears and injustices against them, that Christians have not been leading the way lately in the public eye, but have generally been observed to be on the defending side, protectingContinue reading “On Christianity, liberalism, Trump, and Women”
On atonement
It’s hard to say what my own position on atonement theory is, and I prefer not to share many specific details of what I think. But I’m going to take a stab at articulating it. I suppose I would be classified as a Christian evangelical. But I’m probably overly influenced by people like C.S. LewisContinue reading “On atonement”
Balancing sin and grace
Buddhism preaches a gospel of the cessation of pain. And its techniques, including meditation, contemplation, and letting go have a lot of value. And there are many other philosophical and psychological systems that are also focused on freeing your mind from the pain and burdens of the world, our guilt and fear and sadness. TheyContinue reading “Balancing sin and grace “
Making Nobody Happy 