Many people were raised in conservative religious contexts and as adults grow beyond the confines of their childhood belief systems. Sometimes, a question comes up for them: what if they were actually right all along? This question could reflect unresolved spiritual abuse. In this video, I am discussing how growing… Read More »The Religious Conservative: What If They Are Right?
It’s a ceremony that seemed very strange to me when I first learned about it. It was so different from anything with which I was familiar that it was difficult to understand. Several decades ago, I was told about a tradition among the Plains Indians called the Sun Dance. The… Read More »The God Who Suffers With Us
To be a Christian, a follower of the teachings of Jesus, is difficult. While living out the attitudes and values of Jesus has never been easy, in our era, there are significant challenges. The most obvious challenge is that the Christian Church today is characterized by egregious actions and statements… Read More »The Difficult Challenge of Being a Christian
The Christian Church in the United States is dying. That should come as no surprise to anyone. It happened in Western Europe and Australia after World War II. It happened in Canada and Ireland as well. Now it’s happening here. Attendance at churches of every kind is declining. Yes, even… Read More »The Christian Church is Dying
There are many things in life I just don’t understand. One of them is how people misrepresent the heart of a religion — any religion. Whether it’s Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, or Christianity, some followers of each path are likely to take minor themes from the religion out of context, blow… Read More »The Politics of Christianity
I have several friends who no longer call themselves “Christian.” It’s not that they’ve lost their faith or given up on God or something like that. Instead, they don’t want to be associated with the narrow-minded, judgmental folks who present themselves as the “true Christians” of today. (You know the… Read More »The Christianity of Jesus
“The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it!” That sounds like something from a bumper sticker. It’s a claim I find to be shocking whenever an Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christian makes. it. The statement reflects a belief that the Bible is the Word of God: words spoken by… Read More »The Bible: The Word of God? No.
I am seriously disheartened by the form of Christianity that is most prominent in the United States today. Conservative Evangelical Christianity dominates the public sphere. Evangelical leaders make statements which demonstrate their support the politics of the privileged minority while using their media platforms to raise more money for their… Read More »A Christian Minister Dishearten by Contorted American Christianity