Christianity, pluralism and truth
(November 2, 2019)Book review of “Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed cross the road” by Brian McLaren. A challenging book that raises some important issues.
Tag: religion
Evangelical, Liberal and Progressive Christianity – three diverging paths
(June 16, 2019)There’s a lot of new, and sometimes scary, ideas flying around the christian scene these days. What are we to make of them?? Where is Protestant christianity heading? If you have doubts and questions about your form of christian belief, perhaps another form has something to offer. Check out a few ideas here.
When sensitive and thoughtful people begin to doubt
(January 15, 2019)Do you know someone who appeared to be a strong christian, and then began to doubt the truth of the whole thing? I’m guessing they were likely someone in their twenties, brought up as believers but suddenly facing questions they didn’t have answers for and issues they couldn’t easily resolve. And I’m guessing many of […]
Jesus: wise teacher, apocalyptic prophet, son of God?
(January 1, 2019)How much do you and I know about Jesus? How much of it is really the truth about him? The obvious answer is that we know more about him than most ancient figures, because we have quite a few accounts of his life and teachings. But everyone seems to read them differently. In my previous […]
"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:26)
(September 27, 2018)Did Jesus mean it to come to this? It is too easy to put words into Jesus’ mouth and say what he would or wouldn’t approve of. I won’t fall into that trap, but I will ask some pointed questions. If Jesus could have foreseen twenty-first century western christianity, what would he think? For instance, […]
Book review: Beyond the Texts
(August 28, 2018)You can find a lot of different views on the internet about the accuracy of Old Testament history and how archaeology does, or doesn’t, support the Old Testament accounts. Minimalist historians, and internet sceptics, will tell you it’s almost all invented myth, while maximalist historians and christian apologists will tell you that archaeology supports the […]
"Because of her, we can"
(July 18, 2018)Like many countries colonised by European nations, Australia has a sorry two century history of poor treatment of our indigenous peoples, resulting in a significant reduction in their numbers and the quality of their lives. But they have survived, their numbers are building again, and many indigenous leaders are become more forthright in their pleas […]
How many christian denominations? Who cares? And why do they care?
(July 4, 2018)Almost 6 years ago I posted on How many christian denominations worldwide. I had been asked this question by an internet friend (not a christian believer) who was tired of hearing unsupported claims. It has become my most visited and most commented page, accounting for almost half the visitors to this site. I can’t help […]
Doctrine that divides
(May 8, 2018)Did Jesus mean it to come to this? Doctrine. For some people it is a delicious word, their bread and butter. For others it is a word they wish to avoid because they think it is responsible for many an unnecessary argument. I think I’ve changed position on it during my life. So I think […]
Did Jesus mean it to come to this?
(March 14, 2018)More than two billion people in the world today identify as followers of Jesus. This includes a fair percentage of inhabitants of the USA, currently the world’s most powerful nation, its most influential via film, TV, social media and popular music, and home of some of the world’s richest people. My country, Australia, still has […]