I am very excited to announce that the third installment of Ecclesia and Ethics is just around the corner! This year our main theme will be: Human Sexuality. Registration is now officially open; the cost of admission is $10, which goes straight to charity. You can find information for registration here. Be sure to tell people at your church, college, or seminary to come join us! The conference will take place in real-time and online...
I recently faced a Dad-moment that I had been dreading for a while. It’s one of those times where your son faces his first major disappointment in life. So far my oldest son Ethan had led a somewhat charmed existence. He’s the one that: wins the giant Lego set in the church raffle, gets picked out of the crowd to lightsaber fight Darth Vader at Disneyland, wins the principals award for leadership at school, scores...
I’m fortunate enough to be doing my graduate work at a small, liberal arts college in Southern California, where, in the middle of January, I get to walk to and from class in temperatures ranging from sixty-five to eighty degrees. In all honesty, if you’re running late or forget a book, this walk can seem to be, in the moment, an annoyance. That being said, when I’m not sweating, trying to make it to teach...
Let me begin with a bit of full disclosure. I’m black. My wife is white. And we’re going to have our first child this summer. This commercial obviously hits close to home. That being said, the following post about the Cheerios commercial is, surprisingly, not going to be about race or the ensuing “shitstorm” it’s causing online. If you haven’t already heard, the commercial shows a biracial child asking her white mother a question and...
This past weekend I went to my first Rugby match and watched Scotland narrowly defeat Ireland 12-8. This match was the third out of five games that Scotland is meant to play as part of the Six Nations Tournament (which includes England, Wales, France, and Italy as well). Last year Scotland earned the Wooden Spoon: the shameful prize awarded to the team that loses all five matches. Yet this year has been different. Although Scotland...
People wonder if I’m gay. I know because kids in school used to ask me. When I replied with silence, they called me a fag and went on their way. If bullies wondered about my sexuality, then so did family, friends, people at church. They were probably just too afraid (or too nice) to ask. I’ve had years to think about it: if someone asked if I’m gay, how would I answer? Saying “no” risks...
Science says we can’t change our sexual orientation. Most people, from experience, would agree. Why then do we have Christians who call themselves ex-gay? Why do people who once considered themselves homosexual renounce their gay lifestyle, get married, have children, and go on worshiping God? Let’s look at two common answers: 1. Ex-gays are a myth, and those who identify as such are just “playing straight.” Religion guilts them into marrying someone they’re not attracted...
To the world, homosexuality is more than an orientation; it’s an identity. Being gay is like being black or vegan or republican. It’s part of your persona. Something to accept, embrace and celebrate. Coming out means becoming part of a community—complete with flags, parades and flashy bumper stickers. To the person who experiences same-sex attraction, the world says you’re gay. Now assume your identity. Be who you are. Jesus says there’s another way. See, Christianity...
If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all bring their eschatology charts, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? Eschatology is a bizarre thing. I have to confess that I even find some of the discussions to be somewhat kooky, if not totally boorish. And I’m still not sure what sounds more ridiculous to unbelievers, the story of the Gospel or Christian philosophizing on the...
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