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“Christian cruelty in the face of Covid!” 5 ways to detect how the media messes with the truth
We are so used to fake news we usually simply sigh and move on. But every once in a while, the “news” is so egregious and the manipulation of the truth so blatant, that it’s worth sharpening our critical thinking to see exactly how logic and reason are being flayed and boiled in oil. Atlantic Monthly writers offer in-depth reporting that I often appreciate. But they jumped the shark when they published a piece by former evangelical Jonathan Merritt: Some of the Most Visible Christians in America Are Failing the Coronavirus Test: In place of love, they’re offering stark self-righteous judgment (April 23, 2020). Here is a simple summary of…
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If God doesn’t condemn me, then why all the regret? Why the feeling that I just don’t measure up or have what it takes?
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” What a relief. God never labels me a Loser. He never dismisses me. Writes me off. Withdraws from relationship. But it is one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs to convict us all of sin. And we’ve all felt his sharp elbows in our guilty little ribs. So what is the difference here? How can we live the difference between conviction that brings a proper response to the grave reality of our sin without getting sucked out to sea in an undertow of self-condemnation and regret? 1. Understand the difference between condemnation and conviction. What is…
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“Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!” An Autobiography
Journal excerpt 2012: “Do I look like a Christian? If I’m a follower of Christ, then why is my life so compromised? Why is there so much sin, so much fear, so little faith? Dare I stand up and identify myself with Christ? Will I not shame Him and shame myself?” I was beginning to doubt my own salvation. Everywhere I turned I saw flashing lights and warning signals. “Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you – unless, indeed, you fail the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). I’m not…
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The Transformation of a (Bible) Church Lady
The nut of any story of transformation is “I used to…but now…” Evolving in Monkey Town is Rachel Held Evans' story of transformation. Daughter of a Dallas Theological Seminary grad, Rachel used to be a Bible Church going, Christian Character Award winning, youth group leading, Bryan College attending young woman quite certain of the answers to the hard questions about God. Christianity meant having the right opinions about God and being able to defend them at all costs. Her self-worth and sense of purpose were all wrapped up in “getting God right.” But now she describes herself as “moving through doubt to belief.” Belief held with open hands and a…
