[This post was prompted by the series focused on "One In Christ: A Week of Mutuality" by Rachael Held Evans.*] There was a time, before the internet, before video games, before cell phones, when people went to amusement parks to do more than ride coasters. There were actually quite a few other attractions there, such… Continue reading»
That title is very familiar to Americans, being part of our Declaration of Independence. And we have added to the list of things that are deemed self-evident, to include the intrinsic equality of all human beings, regardless of race, sex, or creed. A human being, so identified by biology, has intrinsic worth as an autonomous… Continue reading»
The term cognitive dissonance refers to an inability/unwillingness to make sense of two conflicting ideas held at the same time in the same person.* An example would be the WWII Nazi prison camp guards who would torture prisoners by day but be loving family men by night. Another would be the all-too-common habit of many… Continue reading»
There is something I think that needs to be emphasized and reinforced concerning something I wrote at the end of Deconstructing ‘Bondage of the Will’: “Satan binds, but God frees. So whose teachings was Luther spreading?” In my reading I’ve come across some extremely evil things, such as horrific experiments that most people think ended… Continue reading»
In my recent article Benevolent Lording Over I wrote about the issue of degree vs. kind on the topic of male supremacism. But today I’d like to write about it on the topic of pastor supremacism (see also How Not to Critique a Book). A good friend pointed me to a blog post called Self-Depreciating… Continue reading»
As you may know if you’ve read my Disclaimer, I say that my citation of a given article doesn’t mean I support and agree with everything at a site. But on the other hand, it also means I don’t condemn or disagree with everything at a site if I select an article for criticism. A… Continue reading»
Time once again to remind ourselves that there are entire organizations dedicated to keeping women in the place designated for them by men. They say “no, by God” (or, “NO, BY GOD!!”), but that has never been successfully established. And by labeling their opinions and interpretations “Biblical” they hope to stifle all opposition as ungodly… Continue reading»
I write a lot about individual responsibility and discernment, and about not blindly following every claimed authority. But how do we identify someone who is gifted by God to lead believers? How do we go about choosing a qualified teacher of scripture? Though I’ve probably covered the answer in various articles already, I think it… Continue reading»
When the topic of discussion is hierarchy in Christianity, we often hear the argument that since God ordained a hierarchy of priests in the OT, and since such priests had to be men and from a certain tribe, then hierarchy, even when based upon the flesh, is God’s decree. Aside from the obvious fact that… Continue reading»
You know what’s really ironic about the typical arguments used to support male supremacy (MS) in Christianity (I’m talking about the ones that say “All women are this or that, all women lack the other”)? If it’s a matter of a “nature” that is lacking in an ability or quality, then why do MSers need… Continue reading»