Am I going to hell because I’m bisexual?

March 2, 2024 By John Shore

(The following is excerpted from the book Ask John: John Shore’s advice column from the Asheville Citizen-Times, 2016-2019.) Question: I was baptized a fundamentalist Christian. I’m beginning to think that I might be bisexual. John, will I go to hell if I am? Answer: Finding an answer to this question will inevitably mean answering it for yourself. Ultimately there’s just no other way. People have always contemplated, pontificated and bloviated on the afterlife. But no person, no matter what... Read more

Call me when it’s National Grab Some Nuts Day

August 4, 2022 By John Shore

Yesterday all Patheos bloggers received an email from Patheos suggesting “trending topics relating to your faith” that we might care to write about. The first writing prompt had to do with the fact that August 1 was International Childfree Day (which “celebrates people who voluntarily choose not to have children”). We were given four questions on that topic to choose from. I haven’t posted anything new on this blog in (in Internet years) four centuries. So I figured I’d just... Read more

My novel won Best New Fiction by American Fiction Awards

August 26, 2020 By John Shore

Hi, friends. Wanted to share with you the good news that my debut novel, Everywhere She’s Not has won the 2020 American Fiction Award for Best New Fiction. Earlier this year it was also named a finalist for both the Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize and the First Novel Prize at the Indie Book Awards. I blogged here on Patheos for years, and I know how many people who came to know me from this site embraced and supported the novel. So... Read more

Christians shouldn’t get depressed? What BS.

July 8, 2020 By John Shore

"Any person who makes a point of telling you how God feels about you wouldn't know God from hollow gourd. Feel free to shake off such people like the proverbial dust from your shoes. Makes going forward a lot easier." Read more

Can this born-again gay Christian woman find happiness?

July 3, 2020 By John Shore

I want to share with you a letter written to me by a lesbian Christian. Here it is: (more…) Read more

Why don’t more Christians act like Christ?

June 30, 2020 By John Shore

Dear John, Why do you think it is that so many people who say they’re Christian are okay with acting in ways that are the opposite of what Christ stood for? (more…) Read more

I’m in an open marriage. Can I still call myself a Christian?

June 25, 2020 By John Shore

Dear John, I am an unfundamentalist reader with a question for you about faith and sexual choices. (more…) Read more

Where and how Trump is taking us all

June 16, 2020 By John Shore

I haven’t seen where anyone else has said what I’m about to (although I have to assume many have: there’s only so much news one can take in), so I won’t feel like I did my job during this phase of our collective lives if I don’t say it at least once. (more…) Read more

You Will See That I Have Left

February 4, 2020 By John Shore

You Will See That I Have Left a short story (in letter form) by John Shore Dear Ronny, I know that you were right when you were admonishing me before you went to the deacon’s meeting about how no good as a wife I’ve been to you since last week when daddy died. I know it has not been easy for you to have me always so lost to myself since that happened. I know you need all my love... Read more

The Very Best New Year’s Resolution

December 31, 2019 By John Shore

On the day of New Year's Eve, a guy overhears his dad talking smack about his wife. Read more