Homosexuality remains a hot topic both in and outside the church. But discussing it at length comes with two inherent dangers: either we see homosexuality as worse than all other sins, or we act as though it’s no sin at all. Last week, I responded to the first danger by reminding readers that Christians who struggle with homosexual desires are just ordinary sinners with the same extraordinary Savior. This week, I’m tackling danger number two....
I’m usually a step behind most pop-culture phenomenons. So true to form I just finished my reading of The Hunger Games series and watched the first movie. Here is my one-sentence synopsis of the series for those who care to know: The first book sucks you in, and the last book, well… sucks. Despite that fact I can still say that I enjoyed the series and would recommend it. Although they are nowhere near as...
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...
A month ago I went to the Museum of Tolerance. If you haven’t been, you should go. It’s fascinating but sobering. As great as I thought it was, I found it strange that the only mention of abortion in the entire museum is concerning George Tiller. For those of you who don’t remember, George Tiller directed a clinic in Wichita that performed abortions past the 21st week of pregnancy. In 2009, he was murdered while...
Turbo Qualls is a Christian, husband, father, illustrator, musician and works hard at his job. His job is the study of Aesthetics, and his chosen medium for exploring beauty is Eastern Orthodox iconography and tattoo art. Turbo has been tattooing people for fourteen years and has just opened up his own shop in Placentia California near Cal State Fullerton called All-Seeing Eye Art and Design Firm. What Turbo is able to do with color is...
A few months ago, a family member brought a particular newspaper article to my attention. The title “New Testament gets a new look by Jews.” As someone who is very interested in not only the study of the Old Testament, but also the Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament, and the Christian faith, this seemed quiet intriguing. After all, the more I have learned to try to adjust my worldview, experiences, and perceptions of God...
Have you seen Prometheus yet? If you haven’t you may want to stop reading. However, if you’ve decided you don’t want to see Prometheus, then consider this blog post an invitation. I was able to see Prometheus on June 1 since it had an early release in the UK. I’ve been waiting to write about the movie until it screened in the US this past weekend. I had been eager to see the movie for...
The Replacements is on TV when I walk into the living room. I suffer through the last ten minutes, not because I’m particularly interested in character development (if you can call it that), but because of the score. Not the scoreboard—the musical score. It’s the fourth quarter of the game that could send the orange team to the playoffs, but they’re down 17-0. After a scolding from the coach and several tiffs among teammates, a...
Last week I reviewed mewithoutYou’s new album, Ten Stories. As I wrote the review I thought about the idea of “Christian Music.” This is something that I’ve been wrestling with for a while. For some Christians, they only listen to “Christian Music” and deem it a sign of impiety to do otherwise. I imagine this is a minority view among evangelicals, but it’s still prevalent. I want to say much more about whether the nomenclature...
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