Christians are often broadly painted with the same brush by people as a large homogeneous group. When I was immersed in the.fundamentalist's worldview, the term Christians meant the people who believed as I did that the Bible is inerrant, penal substitution was the heart of the gospel, and all nonbelievers were going to suffer eternal …
Tag: Christianity
Let’s talk about Biblical marriage
Both houses of Congress recently passed the Respect for Marriage Act, with many Republicans joining with Democrats to pass the bill that will protect the right of same-sex couples to marry. Prior to it being voted on in the House of Representatives, conservative Republican congresswoman Vicky Hartzler gave an impassioned speech on the House floor …
For Mastriano theocracy is the point
I live in Lancaster County, PA, a bucolic area known for its landscapes dotted with farms, its large population of Anabaptists - the Amish, Mennonites, and Church of the Brethren - its welcome of refugees, and the small city of Lancaster at the heart of it all. For the aforementioned Anabaptist groups, their Christian faith …
Perverse obscenity
In recent weeks two men with obscene levels of wealth stroked their overly developed egos as they became the first private citizens to fund a trip to "space." It seemingly did not matter to Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos that what they were doing was an utterly pointless vanity project, or that NASA has been …
The Earth needs a Sabbath
Biblical scripture speaks to the beauty of our home planet, the need to take care of it, and I believe command to reverence it as well. The Orthodox Church in America notes that reverence is hard to define, saying that it can be seen in attitudes of wonder, awe, submission or respect, along with veneration, …
This isn’t about me.
I have a favorite spot that I like to go to decompress here in Lancaster, PA where I live called The Fridge. It's a local craft beer and pizza restaurant that has long been my go to place to relax, enjoy some great food, and an amazing selection of craft beers. The staff know me …
What I hear…
Earlier this week, I had an interaction with a former seminary colleague and friend who had been posting some pro-Trump links on her social media page. I simply asked her point blank if she is now a Trump supporter to which she replied, "I now see the Republican platform as the lesser of two evils. …
On Trump’s pandering and using God as a prop
During a recent trip to Ohio, the current occupant of the White House said that if Joe Biden were elected that Biden would, " "Take away your guns, destroy your Second Amendment. No religion, no anything, hurt the Bible, hurt God. "He's against God, he's against guns, he's against energy, our kind of energy."(1) From …
Continue reading On Trump’s pandering and using God as a prop
America or Jesus?
When I was a child and into my high school years, I was made to say the "Pledge of Allegiance." This nationalistic pledge is still said in some schools today despite the fact that it is quite dangerous for anyone to say for a variety of reasons, which I will highlight below. For Christians, it …
Living Buddha, Living Christ
Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss a book that was seminal to my personal faith journey and deconstructing the fundamentalism I'd been a part of for multiple decades. The book is entitled, Living Buddha, Living Christ by Zen master Thich Naht Hanh. Join me and host Michelle Collins as we discuss orthopraxy, certitude, and …
The Tattooed Theologian 