Is social justice unchristian? Is the OT really about wrath & the NT about mercy? What does Jesus say about judgment & hell? My next book is now available for pre-order!
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Wherever you stand on overturning Roe, saying the court is "illegitimate" is no different than Trump saying the election was "rigged." Our response to every loss cannot be to burn the whole system down. Both parties are playing w/fire but it's "We the People" who will get burned.
Despite a prior suicide attempt, threats toward his family, & police confiscating his knives the shooter LEGALLY purchased the weapons used on July 4 in
#HighlandPark
. Those killed were not victims; they were sacrifices offered to America's Baal, the gun.
This may be the most un-American thing I have ever seen. Intentionally slow, relational, & designed for the well-being of society's more vulnerable members? Most American churches don't even do that, nevermind our supermarkets!
A Dutch supermarket chain introduced slow checkouts for people who enjoy chatting, helping many people, especially the elderly, deal with loneliness.
The move has proven so successful that they installed the slow checkouts in 200 stores.
Overturning Roe is good news. But it's only 1 piece of what should be a holistic & compassionate response to abortion. I hope this decision from SCOTUS doesn't make anyone ignore the less hyped, practical needs of women, families, & kids that have proven to reduce abortions.
1/There's a huge difference between the authority of the Bible & the authority of my interpretation of the Bible. Why this distinction is so difficult for some Christians to grasp is a mystery to me. It’s no more controversial than admitting that God is perfect but I am not.
The problem with Culture War Christianity, like all forms of fundamentalism, is its laziness. It opts for the far easier task of branding heretics than the hard work of persuading and winning converts.
I'm tired of hearing Christian Nationalism is a "Trojan horse" used to sneak white supremacy into evangelicalism. There's no horse! No one is sneaking! They're just white supremacists & some evangelicals are eagerly opening the gates for them. Please stop minimizing/excusing it.
I am not the same person today that I was at 17, and no one should be irredeemably condemned for the worst things they did as a minor. However, lying about my past behavior & maligning those I hurt isn’t about the past. It is very much a reflection of my character today.
What will it take for the US to seriously reconsider its gun laws & culture? It's not more dead kids. We've proven that. I fear it will only happen when the violence gets so bad that it drives away businesses, impacts economic growth, & threatens our other sacred idol—money.
Christians participating in politics or influencing society with their values is NOT Christian Nationalism.
Christians believing they have a God-given right to dominate the govt & society by excluding & diminishing the value of non-Christian neighbors IS Christian Nationalism.
...who did not take an oath to uphold the Constitution. I blame the 43 Republican Senators who put their political careers ahead of their oath by refusing to convict & remove him from office after Jan 6th. We are all burdened with the stench of their cowardice.
“They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to false gods.
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.” Psalm 106:36-38
I've discovered how to unite the L & R: Tell them an issue is more complicated than either of their soundbite slogans. They will unite in condemning your attempt at nuance & insist on the absolute simplicity of the issue...before returning to accusing each other of pure evil.
The purpose of an airliner is not to kill someone, but when 19 terrorists flew hijacked airliners into buildings and killed 3,000 Americans, the response was not "thoughts and prayers." It was the implementation of new laws, technologies, & policies...
I've said it many times. Trump is a broken, pathologically unfit man. The Founders foresaw that such a leader could arise & put in place constitutional remedies. Ultimately, I do not blame Trump who shows no capacity for shame or empathy. I do not blame his voters or the media...
On this week's
@HolyPostPodcast
,
@BethMooreLPM
explains that she wasn't shocked by Trump's behavior but by the behavior of evangelical leaders who did not speak up for women & the vulnerable. Don't miss her riveting interview w/
@KaitlynSchiess
.
How can we tell when Christianity becomes Christian Nationalism?
Christianity teaches us to love our enemies.
Christian Nationalism teaches us to love having enemies.
I believe abortion is the ending of a human life & wrong. I believe there is a difference between banning abortion & ending abortion. I believe all available, compassionate options should be engaged to reduce & end abortion. That is the definition of pro-life.
🧵
@SkyeJethani
is pro-choice.
At the 1:36:46 mark of the attached podcast, he says the following:
"All that leads me to this place of: a pregnancy is...so powerful and intimate where two people--mother and child--are intimately interdependent... (1/4)
Went with 3 men from church last night to see Barbie. Sat around a fire with beers after to discuss. (No guitars & no one sang "Push" by Matchbox Twenty.)
As a person of color, I'm SHOCKED to learn my friend
@philvischer
is a racist. & to think I've co-hosted
@HolyPostPodcast
w/him for 10yrs! Thank you,
@JoelWBerry
for explaining both Phil's racism & the Black Church's heresies to us minorities who lack access to good theology.
Last week,
@philvischer
and I had a back-and-forth about abortion, race, and the church, which he reacted to on The Holy Post podcast with
@SkyeJethani
and
@KaitlynSchiess
. In it, he lied and distorted what I said to fit a narrative he was trying to tell. Here's the clip... (🧵)
Like Obamacare a decade ago, Biden's plan to forgive college debt does nothing to fix the real problem: Why does health care & college in America cost so much more than in other countries in the first place? These industries are crushing Am families so the govt steps in to pay.
So, let me get this straight. The PCA has canceled a panel discussion about overcoming political polarization because some members find
@DavidAFrench
too politically polarizing. Got it.
Founder of Fox News, Roger Ailes, famously said, "People don't want to BE informed; they want to FEEL informed." Likewise, today's culture warring evangelicals don't want to BE righteous; they want to FEEL righteous.
BREAKING NEWS: Babylon Bee editor
@JoelWBerry
declares I am "white-passing" and no longer a "person of color." I feel like Pinnochio when he became a real boy! Thank you! "When you wish upon a star..."
Of all the hilarious things that could come from my Twitter spat with Phil, Skye, a half Indian, white-passing dude describing describing himself as a “person of color” is not one I predicted
Today on Twitter I was called "a poop stain." I find this insult intriguing & would like to give it more thought & analysis. This will, of course, require more intellectual fortitude than the insult's original dispenser possesses, but I need a break from my work. Let's begin...
Anyone claiming Alex Jones is a victim is broadcasting their spiritual & moral blindness. Those who continue to follow them are broadcasting their foolishness.
We learned 2 things today: 1) The unprecedented leak means SCOTUS has lost its image as the only branch of the govt still run by responsible adults. 2) Some of the hysteria & hyperbole from progressive media means misrepresenting the facts isn't just a conservative media problem.
Timothy J. Keller, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend, pastor, and scholar died this morning at home. Dad waited until he was alone with Mom. She kissed him on the forehead and he breathed his last breath. We take comfort in some of his last words...
In 2016 I heard many evangelicals say they only voted for Trump bc they "had no other option." Same in 2020 (despite having the option to remove him via impeachment & support Pence instead). Well, in 2024 you have Rep options other than Trump. Will you nominate one?
Why are fewer people attending church, and why do some feel dissatisfied with it?
Perhaps the answer lies in refocusing the church on its true purpose—to be a community that helps us commune with God rather than merely a venue for entertainment or self-help advice.
In the Xmas season it’s worth remembering that God is under no obligation to make sense to you. If we have glimpsed any truth about him it’s because, in his kindness, he has chosen to condescend aspects of himself to our finite minds. Xmas should provoke humility not certainty.
Everyone is worth Christ’s sacrifice. It is not for us to say otherwise. Even the person we may disagree with the most is worthy of His redemptive act of love at the cross.
Re: Trump the GOP has 3 choices:
1. Give him the '24 nomination & lose.
2. Deny him the '24 nomination. Lose anyway when he runs as an independent/spoiler.
3. Hope he's indicted, convicted, & ineligible in '24.
Culture warring says "it's perfectly acceptable to cease acting Christian in order to accomplish Christian goals. So we just want to say this—if it acts like Jesus, it's Christian. & if it doesn't, it's not." -
@mikeerre
on
@HolyPostPodcast
Ep532
This is why I've always resonated w/Eugene Peterson. I wrestled with faith for years as a young person. It wasn't until I realized following Jesus & the American evangelical subculture are not the same thing that it made sense. Peterson's wisdom was part of that process for me.
I’m reading Eugene Peterson’s letters to his son. This critique of evangelicalism stopped me in my tracks. Peterson wrote it after spending the day with pastors in Tyler, TX and visiting a large Christian bookstore.
Buckle up.
...A lot of us are very tired of hearing "thoughts & prayers" from our Christian sisters & brothers & from political leaders after every mass shooting & then seeing no willingness to act. At this point it's not just hypocritical, it's homicidal.
I'm not opposed to the ACA or a better govt student loan repayment system. I'm opposed to politicians who refuse to tackle the real problems we're facing & instead offer band-aids & illusions of relief for political expediency. That is not leadership.
2023 PROBLEM: Teens spend an avg of 7h22m on their phones a day having their values, beliefs, appetites, & habits shaped by social media, porn, & outrage algorithms causing skyrocketing loneliness, depression & anxiety.
1923 RESPONSE: Let's ban library books!
If this chart was about the rise of physical illness in teens rather than mental illness, there would be a full-scale national emergency to fix it. Government, schools, scientists, industry would all be cooperating to reverse the trend.
I've been writing in WITH GOD DAILY about the scale of God's compassion. Then I get on Twitter & see the maliciousness & asininity of our species & I realize I've underestimated the magnitude of God's patience. On this the Calvinists are right—we don't deserve God's mercy.
I'm pleased to announce that the next book in my What If Jesus Was Serious series will be released next Fall by
@BrazosPress
titled: What If Jesus Was Serious About Heaven?
Believe it or not, words have meanings.
Nationalism ≠ Patriotism.
Nationalism’s 200+ yrs of meaning can’t just be ignored by either critics or advocates of Christian Nationalism merely for the sake of a hot take or to “own” an opponent.
Can I complain about Disney in a non-political context? The original genius of Walt Disney was his ability to use animation to tell stories. Disney is killing that legacy with its live-action remakes of classic animated films. Walt understood the animation's power to emote...
Another 9-0 ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of religious liberty & free speech. Explain to me again why evangelicals are convinced religious liberty is on the edge of destruction?
In the coming weeks, churches will be reading this Confession of Evangelical Conviction. I was the lead author of the statement. I'm grateful to the wise women & men who helped me & the hundreds of leaders who've added their names to the statement.
Here's one way to diagnose why different Christian communities focus on such different things. It's rooted in how we understand our identity & God's...
Things I’m learning: Teens today will stand in the freezing weather for 10 mins rather than ring a doorbell & risk having to interact w/an adult & instead frantically text every friend they suspect may be in the house to come open the door instead.
Articles like this make me want to throw my laptop. Over 70% of Tennessee voters want a red flag law! The House Republicans said such measures are “a nonstarter.” My heart breaks for these traumatized families. My blood boils for these asinine politicians.
Any culture that prizes safety & power above all else, as fearvangelicalism does, will inevitably worship guns. They will be held as sacred instruments of blessing, beyond the profane regulation of earthly authorities, & an unimpeachable divine right.
Any presidential candidate who unnecessarily picks a fight with Mickey Mouse and then loses has proven to possess neither the wisdom nor the intelligence to lead the world against the threats posed by Putin and Xi.
According to pop Christian theology, as revealed by common evangelical prayers, demons are no longer cast into herds of pigs but into projectors, laptops, wifi routers, power grids, & other electronic circuitry.
General John Kelly (former Trump chief of staff) about Donald Trump:
“What can I add that has not already been said? A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs...
...to ensure they would not be used that way again. It's worked. We don't regulate something because of its intended use, but because of its potential use. Guns now kill more kids and teens than anything else in America. More than cars or drugs—which are both highly regulated...
To fulfill my end of the agreement w/
@KaitlynSchiess
, I’m watching Turning Red tonight. Apparently there’s some controversy about this Pixar flick. I’m withholding judgment.
“A society is moving toward dangerous ground when loyalty to the truth is seen as disloyalty to some supposedly higher interest. How many times has history taught us this?” -Marilynne Robinson
The reaction I've seen to this article reveals why Trump's Republican Party still has a chance of winning the White House in 2024. There is a vicious puritanical spirit on the far left that looks a lot like religious fundamentalism on the far right.
Why did Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch allow knowingly false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election a platform on his network? “It is not red or blue, it is green,” he said in court filings. Fox has admitted they lie to viewers, telling them what they want to hear, to make $.
2/Perhaps we struggle bc it requires acknowledging that reading, interpreting, & applying the Scriptures is always a human endeavor & therefore open to errors & ambiguities. Admitting this diminishes some of the certainty that provides both a sense of safety & self-righteousness—
Fundamentalist logic:
1. Samaritans affirm heresies
2. Jesus told a story that centered & celebrated a Samaritan
3. Therefore, Jesus gave legitimacy to heresy
Ask yourself, do the voices I follow reveal the fruit of Jesus’ life or the fruit of those who conspired to end it?
...No one is asking them to support Biden or the Democrats, but given their own testimony how can they vote for a man who is a clear & present threat to the country & who has proven to be unwilling/unable to defend the Constitution? I genuinely cannot comprehend this position.
ROMNEY wih one of the few GOP statements that doesn't actually attack DOJ or call it a political prosecution.
Notes DOJ gave Trump many opportunities to avoid this outcome.
I've been off FB for years. Instagram never captured me. TicTok? Fuggetaboutit. Now with the future of Twitter in question, maybe it's time to walk away from social media altogether. Not sure I need the constant reminder of human depravity. Then again, maybe I do.
...in this country because they are potentially deadly, not because they are intended to be deadly. If we are willing to change laws & policies for other lethal problems, shouldn't we be willing to consider the same for guns?...
Gun advocates often cite Chicago as proof that gun laws don't work. I respond to that bad-faith argument in this week's
@HolyPostPodcast
. & stay tuned for tomorrow's French Friday episode where
@DavidAFrench
and I debate gun control...again!
White evangelical protestants are the only religious demographic in the United States in which the majority views immigrants as a "threat" to American values and sees the country's increasing racial diversity as a bad thing, a new survey has found.
Not that you needed another reason to become a supporter of
@HolyPostPodcast
, but I'm excited to announce we're launching a new series this week featuring
@KaitlynSchiess
exclusively for our supporters. (& Coming Soon: Xnty & Capitalism 101) Sign up:
Does Jesus need us to defend him? Does "turn the other cheek" not apply to Christians in politics?
@philvischer
,
@KaitlynSchiess
& I discuss what conservative evangelical political activists have in common with old social gospel activists in
@HolyPostPodcast
524: