The Official Blog of Benjamin L. Corey
What's 30 pieces of silver worth in today's money? We can look to conservative evangelical leaders to find our answer. Read more
What's 30 pieces of silver worth in today's money? We can look to conservative evangelical leaders to find our answer. Read more
It’s a common claim accepted as truth: God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because gays had overrun the place. This past week, Franklin Graham repeated this biblically illiterate and twisted claim as if the LGBTQ community should be on notice that wearing shirts that say, “So gay, so what?” might result in God sending fire from the sky like the good ole days. Like blindly spouting, “God helps those who help themselves” is in the Bible without double checking, the claim... Read more
It’s easy to look back on the injustices in history, while shaking your fist and saying, “Well I woulda…!” This is especially true when we reflect on the WWII era and the rise of Nazi rule that ultimately ushered in the Holocaust and the death of millions. Whether imagining yourself as an American at the time or someone living in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich, most people I know seem to claim they would have been among... Read more
In the Era of Trump’s America, I must admit that I hardly recognize the very people who raised me. I was brought up by the Religious Right, and went on to become a faithful foot soldier for the cause of conservative Christianity and right-wing politics until my mid 30’s. However, long gone is their commitment to the values they tried to instill in me, and so much else that once consistently encompassed their collective identity. Sadly, my old tribe seems... Read more
Over the years I’ve been fond of saying, “if the Gospel isn’t good news for everyone, it isn’t good news for anyone.” When I’ve said it, I believed it and said it with sincerity. I can also recognize that I said it in part to push-back against the faith of my youth which essentially proclaimed a gospel that is bad, bad, news for the majority of human beings who have ever lived. Pushing back on things that are wrong is... Read more
Christians can be found of all political and theological colors, but regardless of where one lands on the trajectory of Christianity, there’s one thing we should all be able to easily agree on: Donald Trump’s most recent dehumanizing language is actually an assault against the Christian foundation. While shocking or offensive language from Trump is no surprise, I would urge Christians of all shapes and sizes to not downplay or dismiss the seriousness of his most recent words. When... Read more
The other day I was sitting in my dad’s kitchen back on the family farm, and we found ourselves talking about life. We seem to do that more these days. This past year I was navigating a rather painful life chapter, and the latter months of the year included discovering that he–at just 60 years old– has stage 4 prostate cancer. All of that invites a season of reflection and contemplation for those who dare to journey where such thoughts... Read more
The cause of fighting human trafficking has been a hot topic for a few years now, and rightfully so. I’m one who has been so passionate about the issue that I did four years of doctoral work on the topic, from the brothels of India to all the major geographic regions of the United States– ultimately earning Fuller Theological Seminary’s 2016 Missiology Award for what was deemed unique and noteworthy contributions to the field and study of human trafficking. There’s... Read more
The most sweeping social changes often are sparked by those who are silenced by society. In fact, true change only seems to come when these voices stand defiantly taller than anyone imagined they could. It has been nearly 20 years since Columbine, and America’s powerful have done exactly nothing to make that an anomaly of the past. In fact, mass shootings are so common these days that we have grown dangerously desensitized to the reality our country faces. As outraged... Read more
“Jesus never told Caesar what to do” is the confusing new battle cry of some leaders among the Religious Right. While there’s plenty of things my former tribe have said and done over the years that have left me scratching my head, nothing is more confusing to me than their use of this claim: Saying “Jesus never told Caesar what to do” is a way of stating the correct claim that Jesus never told the formal government how to operate.... Read more
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