Disturbing thoughts about christians and politics
May 22nd, 2017
Have you ever wondered how christians, who believe more or less the same things about Jesus and God, believe widely divergent things about politics and public morality? Specifically, if you are more conservative politically, do you wonder how more liberal christians can possibly think and vote as they do? And if you are more liberal […]
Knowing the Way – scripture, experience, learning, tradition and the Holy Spirit
May 9th, 2017
In the discussion on my previous post, Nate has questioned my approach to authority and christian belief. I do not believe the Bible is inerrant, and I said that most christians accept other sources of knowledge also: “reason and evidence, church teaching and tradition, and the Holy Spirit”. And so he asked: “Why does the […]
"The light given" – does it make sense?
May 7th, 2017
My (internet) friend Nate has a blog, Finding Truth which I regularly read. We disagree profoundly because Nate is an atheist and former christian, while I still follow Jesus. So we cross swords occasionally, often disagreeing (amicably) with the approach the other takes to questions, evidence and arguments. He is gracious enough to welcome my […]
The way …. and the way forward?
April 27th, 2017
The church in first world countries, as a whole, is losing ground, neither making converts nor making an impact. There are many ideas, many books, talks and blog posts, outlining the problems and the way forward, as someone sees it. But I recently came across a brief overview that I think provides a better understanding […]
Loss and grief and rejection pulverize a heart
April 16th, 2017
Truth and love are both basic virtues for christians. The Bible tells us God is love, and Jesus is the truth (1 John 4:8, John 14:6). But sometimes truth and love seem to get in each other’s way. Or maybe it is what we think is the truth and what we think is loving. But […]
Respect!
April 8th, 2017
I wrote last week of the grief I and many others had felt at the death of champion cyclist Mike Hall and the termination of the inaugural India Pacific Wheel Race. In the week that has followed, I have been enormously impressed by the dignity, sensitivity and camaraderie of the cycling fraternity. I think we […]
Today I am grieving
April 1st, 2017
Mike Hall, 1981-2017 Death is ugly, especially when it is someone you love, or someone who died too young, or when it all seems so random and senseless. I never met Mike Hall, and two weeks ago I didn’t even know his name or who he was. But he died yesterday, and I am grieving, […]
Joshua & the conquest of Canaan: what's history, what's legend, what's unknown?
March 31st, 2017
I don’t know about you, but when I read the Old Testament accounts of Joshua and the Israelites invading Canaan, I don’t have any picture of the geography or where the cities were located. The matter is complicated by the fact that many people feel a lot is at stake. Believers generally want to find […]
Does archaeology show the Bible is true? Seven facts
March 16th, 2017
I’m sure you will have read, and heard it said, that archaeology confirms the accuracy of the Bible. But you may also have heard from sceptics that the Bible isn’t historically accurate. So which is true? This is a complex matter with a wide variety of conclusions among the experts. I have tried to investigate […]
The Death Penalty on Trial
March 4th, 2017
Guest post by Shane Claiborne (taken from his Facebook page – see note below) Last month, I was arrested, along with 17 other people, as we held a banner on the steps of the Supreme Court that said: “STOP EXECUTIONS.” We were not blocking doors or disturbing the peace. We were not unruly or disruptive. […]
A list of all blog posts, in reverse chronological order, is on the Blog archive page.