In Storytelling, Portraying Universal Human Experience is Superior to Emphasizing Identity Particulars My first novel featured a female protagonist. Being that my then writing group consisted mainly of females, the critiques came down pretty hard — “A woman wouldn’t think like that!” they said, or “A woman wouldn’t act like that!” It was an eye-opening [...]
The growing divide between Christians who advocate LGBTQ affirmation and inclusion and those who hold to traditional biblical sexual ethics is tragic but necessary. Jesus was talking about Hell when He said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” (Mk. 3:24 NIV). Apparently, the Dark Lord runs a tight ship. He [...]
Our failure to interrogate scientists, academics, researchers, and journalists is creating a class of (perceived) infallible elites.
In 2010 Audrey Assad released a worship album entitled “The House You’re Building.” At the time, she was a gospel singer gaining in popularity among evangelical audiences. I purchased the album and very much enjoyed it. One of my favorite songs on the disc is “Restless.” “I know You’re more than my salvation,” Assad sings, [...]
Two local ministers met for coffee. One pastored a small, struggling church while the other pastored a large, thriving church. “Why is your church growing?” the first pastor asked. “Because I preach the Gospel!” the successful pastor answered. “And you?” he asked. “Why is your church not growing?” The first pastor shrugged and said, “Because [...]
“The Holy Bible contains some of the oldest UFO sightings on record.” Or so says the Aetherius Society. Perhaps the most famous, they suggest, is the Star of Bethlehem. What evidence is there for such a conclusion? Well, basically, not much. It is staggering to think that for centuries it was believed that a star [...]
(The links in this post are not necessarily an endorsement of the positions or opinions held by their authors.) The denunciation of conspiracy theorists is currently in high gear. Especially as it relates to Christians. The average Google search for “Christians & Conspiracy Theories” will yield an abundance of links: Christians and Conspiracy Theories: A [...]
An excerpt from my latest article, appearing at Lorehaven: *** We often use the term “Christian ghetto” in a way intended to sound derogative. This phrase refers to an artistic subculture riddled with kitsch, propaganda, and second-rate content. Labels like “Christian fiction,” “Christian music,” and “Christian films” describe the lowlands of this ideological backwater.However, the [...]
The afterlife — and even the “before life!” — play a crucial role in Pixar’s latest release, “Soul.” But unlike the traditional Heaven & Hell paradigm of Judeo-Christian / Western tradition, “Soul’s” hereafter is a gauzy mish-mash of religious concepts and abstractions. The film is marketed as a kid’s movie, but the topics it broaches [...]
I posted some pictures of several ceramic skulls in my office, and a fun conversation ensued on Facebook. Later that evening, I received a short letter from a friend: “Hey, I’m curious! You create art with skulls and enjoy having them as part of your decor. How do you reconcile that with skulls being the [...]
