In my last column, I wrote that we (the United States) are becoming less religious. It prompted a good deal of discussion and most of it was civil. That is one of the goals I have for this column: civil discussion about important issues. I’m following up that article with this one which will address the question of “Why.” Why are people leaving their religious faith and traditions behind? It is less researched than the phenomenon of de-churching, which is... Read more
“Elmer Gantry never knew who sent him thirty dimes, wrapped in a tract about holiness, nor why. But he found the sentiments in the tract useful in his sermon, and the thirty dimes he spent for lovely photographs of burlesque ladies.” ― Sinclair Lewis, Elmer Gantry Have you purchased your “God Bless the U.S.A. Bible” yet? Donald Trump wants you to know that: “All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many.... Read more
How Many Americans Identify As “Christian Nationalist?” Answer these five questions for yourself. Use a scale from “agree” to “mostly agree” to “mostly disagree” or “disagree.” God has called all Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society: 21% agree or mostly agree The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation: 27% agree or mostly agree Being a Christian is an important part of being truly American: 30% agree or mostly agree If the United States moves away... Read more
The first question I got when declaring “I am no longer a Christian” is the predictable question “Well, do you still believe in God?” This of course came up in the wake of my last two articles, “I am No Longer a Christian” and “Not a Christian Pt. II”. After I explained in those posts why a set of theological beliefs is not important or necessary for me to pursue spirituality and to leave religion behind, people seem to still... Read more
My daughter sent me this article from NPR: “Religious ‘Nones’ are now the largest single group in the U.S.” As of 2024, the Nones make up 28% of the American population. I have identified as a None for a long time now. I am generally averse to labels, but the word “none” is probably the least offensive or stereotypical label I could adopt. This article has motivated me to make a public declaration that I no longer consider myself to be... Read more
Matthew Doud is getting vocal and loud about the threat of White Christian Nationalism these days. I heard him just the other night on Joy Reid’s show and he said the following: “The thing that’s happened with the Republican Party is there is no division between the people that are pushing religion and the people that are pushing politics. For the Republican Party, it has become one. And it’s this White Christian nationalism that has completely occupied the Republican... Read more
Conservative & Progressive Christians Don’t Exist Once a person defines themself as a “Conservative Christian” or a “Progressive Christian” you know something is awry in their priorities. It is a deceptive use of language which mostly fools the person using the label. There is no such thing as a conservative Christian or a progressive one. The phrase defies the meaning of what being a Christian is. I can be a Christian who happens to be a conservative politically or I... Read more
It shouldn’t be this hard. Funding the government is a fundamental operation of the House of Representatives. Yet, here we are after the Republicans finally chose a Speaker, and with a slim majority of seats, they still are not able to pass a funding bill on anything. Not even the routine defense funding bill. That one is usually a slam dunk because it has large bipartisan support. It has passed every year since 1961 in a bipartisan fashion without much... Read more
No Religious Test for Office Let me be clear! I do not criticize the new House Speaker Mike Johnson because he is a Christian. I don’t care what he believes about gay rights. I don’t care what he believes about evolution. I don’t care that Speaker Johnson is a “born-again” Christian. And I don’t care what church he attends or that he prays and reads the Bible. Many politicians claim the same religious beliefs and practices. Speaker Pelosi claimed that... Read more
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV) Spreading the Gospel & the Doctrine of Discovery This utterance by Jesus has been the motivating force behind many worldwide efforts by Christians to “spread the gospel.” Evangelism is the driving force of Evangelicalism. But the definition of what exactly that gospel... Read more
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