For some time, there has been significant debate about whether or not the facts in the Bible are true. This debate has been framed in a variety of ways. In the early twentieth century, biblical scholars searched for evidence of the historical Jesus. School boards consider the merits of biblically… Read More »What Good Is Religion if the Facts Aren’t True?
It’s often said that religion and spirituality are fundamentally different. The arguments for this position go something like this. Religion is about dogma, fixed beliefs, and rituals to which people must adhere. Spirituality is individualized, focused on experience, and free flowing. At face value, there’s something to be said for… Read More »Religion and Spirituality: How Different Are They?
It’s not something I had previously said in a sermon or congregational meeting . It’s one of those things that I’ve said to friends and colleagues but when with general church members, I’ve held my tongue. But a few Sunday’s ago, the level of my frustration was rising and the… Read More »Am I a Buddhist?
I saw the MIME for the first time the other day. Since then, it’s been reposted by several friends on Facebook. When I read it, I paused to think about it. I was surprised to realize it stayed with me for a few days. Responding to what some conservatives in… Read More »Keeping Christ in Christians
In our last conversation, you offered to be a guest speaker at my church. When I asked about the topic you’d like to address, you said, “Someone needs to tell them the truth about science and religion.” My response was to simply state that you’d probably be surprised by how… Read More »An Open Letter to My Friend, a Scientist
It was news that had been anticipated and hoped for in the scientific community. On July 4, 2012, it was made official: with 99.99% statistical certainty, the presence of the Higgs boson was identified. The Higgs is a particle whose presence enables other particles to have mass. Mass is an… Read More »The Higgs Boson, God, and Belief
Of the many issues that divide people around the world, one of the most challenging is the relationship between faith and culture. In order to maintain a sense of their culture, the French have instituted laws banning people from wearing particular items of religious clothing in specific public places. Similar… Read More »Faith and Culture
It’s another video on YouTube. But unlike most, it went viral very quickly. Within a week of its posting, it received 12,500,000 hits. Other videos have been made in response, both in favor of and objecting to the spoken word message of the videographer. Several major newspapers have reported on… Read More »Religion vs. Jesus
