Tyranny of the “Gospel of Freedom” – ending our civil religion, Part II

What does it mean to worship? The root of the word “worship” is “worth,” so the most basic meaning of worship is to ascribe worth to something. We all think some ideal, some person, or some thing has a kind of ultimate worth, and in a variety of different ways we demonstrate our opinions regarding […]

Death to the idea of “Christian America” – ending our civil religion, Part I

There is a thing in all cultures known as a civil religion, and this does not refer to Christianity or any particular “organized” religion. It is the collective beliefs that a particular culture disseminates, and it typically borrows heavily from organized religions. Defining what, exactly, the breadth of American civil religious belief covers is a […]

The wrong side of history?

Why do we find society’s narrative of morality, meaning, and human identity compelling? I think there are two primary reasons. The first is that it encourages one of our basest temptations – selfishness, which speaks to us in a deep way. If you doubt this is the core of the narrative, think of what so […]

Christianity in brief, Part III

How does the cross make one a Christian? Just as the Jewish priests had to use the blood of sacrificed animals in order to be ritually pure, one has to use the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Submitting to Christ means following His teaching and His commands, and that requires the participation of an […]

Christianity in brief, Part II

The concept of sacrifice – as taboo as it is – seems to be at the heart of human experience. Having children, for almost all animals, involves a high level of sacrifice – of time, energy, resources, and emotion. From a survival standpoint, raising offspring doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as they are […]

Christianity in brief, Part I

Christianity is easily and frequently misunderstood (especially by Christians). I hope to quickly demonstrate that being a Christian does not necessitate being naive, irrational, or ignorant of history. From that foundation I want to paint a portrait of what human identity can look like and show that said portrait can be accepted regardless of your belief system. But it will […]

Why in the world am I a Christian?

It’s weird that people choose to be Christian, isn’t it? To follow the teachings of a guy who lived 2,000 years ago among a marginalized, minority cultural group. To associate with a religion that has several sects that are synonymous with modern-day American zealotry. Why would anyone, myself included, drink that Kool Aid? I was […]