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When We Worship The God of Fear (the idolatry of gun culture)

Our culture which has for generations been so radically pro-gun that it has opposed any sort of reasonable, middle ground approach on the issue, is now experiencing what Jesus meant when he said: “if you live by the sword you will die by the sword”. We are literally shooting each other on a daily basis to the point that it’s not even shocking anymore. We’ve created a culture that cultivates fear, worships individual rights, and justifies an endless cycle of violence– and now we’re experiencing the consequences of our own sick idolatry.

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If Gay Christians Go To Hell, So Are The Ones Who Don’t Recycle

The fact that God would be so angry at people who live in a way that is destructive to the environment, makes sense in light of Genesis. In what we often refer to as the “original mandate” we see that God’s original plan (job/role) for humanity was to be a caretaker of creation (the environment). The opposite of God’s plan, would be for humanity to become a force that is destructive towards the environment.

Which, is exactly what we’ve become in so many ways.
So, want to draw hard lines on the issue of sexuality and say that, no matter what, all the people who are X, Y, or Z are out, and that there’s no room for God to judge the individual heart?

Fine.

But, you also need to do the same thing with people who don’t recycle.

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“I Don’t Love This Religion Anymore”: A Conversation With Zach Phelps-Roper

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Zach Phelps-Roper who recently left Westboro Baptist Church, who tells the story of realizing that “life” was no longer for him:

“So, in the heat of the moment I told my father that I was leaving. A couple of minutes later he approached me and said ‘Zach, are you just upset because of this matter here?’ I said ‘let me just make this easy for you. The thing is, I don’t love this religion anymore.’ This was more than a family matter that could be resolved, it was the belief system.”

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Yes, Gay Christians Exist (A Sincere Plea To My Conservative Friends)

Like it or not, gay Christians exist– and this “discussion” on the entire issue isn’t going away anytime soon. Unfortunately, most of the time, the discussion doesn’t result in that many net positives. Simply throwing Bible verses back and forth without recognizing the real, actual people involved– people we’re commanded above all else to love– doesn’t move the conversation further. Instead, real people just become an “issue” or a “discussion” that many have at a comfortable distance- safely away from the messiness and uncomfortableness of real relationships and acknowledging real people.

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5 Reasons Why Christians Can Be So Mean To Each Other

“In fairness, I think people in general have a propensity to be mean to each other. But Christians? We’re the ones who are supposed to be known by our love. Yet, visit the comment section of almost any Christian blog post- mine or otherwise- and it is quick to see that we often become people not known by love, but by our ability to eat our own young.” {Excerpt from Article}

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Why Al Mohler Might As Well Call Jesus’ Teachings “Moral Insanity”

But Jesus cannot be explained away. Liberals can’t do it and conservatives can’t do it. Liberals are guilty of it, and today, we see again that conservatives are too.

Jesus offers a different way. A way that is neither liberal or conservative– it’s a third way. It’s an “other-world” kinda way.

In fact, that’s how Jesus described it: “My Kingdom is not of this world”.

It still isn’t of this world. The way of Jesus won’t support the death of the unborn any more than it will the most vile criminal. It is still, after all this time, other worldly.

You can follow the Liberal Kingdom that marginalizes Jesus, you can follow the Conservative Kingdom that marginalizes Jesus, or– you can take the third option, and just follow Jesus into something completely different.

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Shot For Asking A Question: What We Can Learn From The Jars of Clay Fallout

What can we learn from this? I think it’s clear: unwavering opposition to both civil and religious same sex marriage is now a hallmark of being Evangelical. No reasonable, middle ground (separation of church and state in the matter) will be allowed– and they are willing to fight a civil war to make this issue the foundation of American Evangelicalism.

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American & Christian Culture
Benjamin L. Corey

How To Completely Misuse The Bible In 5 Easy Steps

Yes, the Bible can be a complex set of documents to understand, and is easily misused. However, I think if we’ll be conscious of these 5 ways we too often unintentionally misuse and misread the scriptures, we’ll find ourselves on a trajectory that might be more exciting than anything we had previously anticipated.

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It's not the end of the world, but it's pretty #@&% close. Trump's America & Franklin Graham's Christianity must be resisted.

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Benjamin L. Corey

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is an author, speaker, scholar, and global traveler, who holds graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and received his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller. He is the author of Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus, and Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith.

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BLC

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is a cultural anthropologist, public theologian, writer, speaker, global traveler, and tattoo collector. He is a two-time graduate of Gordon-Conwell with graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies, and went on to receive his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller. He is the author of Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, and Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus. In addition to his blog, Formerly Fundie, his work has been regularly featured by a wide array of media outlets such as TIME magazine and CNN, among others.

BLC

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is a cultural anthropologist, public theologian, writer, speaker, global traveler, and tattoo collector. He is a two-time graduate of Gordon-Conwell with graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies, and went on to receive his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller. He is the author of Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, and Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus. In addition to his blog, Formerly Fundie, his work has been regularly featured by a wide array of media outlets such as TIME magazine and CNN, among others.

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