As we enter October, the holiday season is coming up quickly. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Most of these holidays entail some sort of celebration that involves food. Even if you are not celebrating a specific holiday, this is the time of…
The importance of making virginity a personal choice within Christianity
John Chrysostom in his Major Treatises on Virginity argued that the first human beings were “adorned by virginity,” as they lived in a perfect and non-sexual state before the fall of humankind. Once the first sin occurred, this adornment ended,…
Sing a song unto the Lord of anger and confusion
Do you think God must hate you? You’re not alone. Anger toward God can occur for a multitude of reasons and is usually experienced after suffering a setback a person perceives is unfair, most often when that suffering is very…
The cause of a scene: Why gay Christians are afraid to come out to their pastors
In his song “Cause of a Scene,” Jake Wesley Rogers laments the struggle between wanting to come out to his community and fearing the social consequences of being publicly gay. He sings: “I wish I could be like a baby…
Iranian women are demanding religious freedom following the death of Mahsa Amini
After being arrested in Tehran, the capital of Iran, by the Islamic Republic’s morality police, Mahsa Amini died in police custody after allegedly suffering multiple blows to the head. Amini had been arrested for wearing her hijab improperly. Wearing a…
Christians could be a distinct minority in America by 2070
If current trends continue, Christians will become a distinct minority in America and the “nones” will make up more than half the population by 2070. “Nones” are those people who when asked their religious affiliation reply, “none,” although most are…
These Christians are leaving behind the church, but not their faith
In their 2015 book Church Refugees, Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope discuss a demographic of people they call the “dechurched” or the “dones.” This group of Christians consists of people of faith who want to maintain their spiritual lives but…
Why Bathsheba is not an adulteress
Growing up in the church, I have heard the 2 Samuel narrative of Bathsheba and David many times. Often, I have heard this narrative retold by preachers who believe Bathsheba is a dangerous woman and who utilize this narrative as…
Queer Christian artist Semler wants to attend the Dove Awards as somebody’s plus-one
With their album The Preacher’s Kid, Semler was the first openly queer Christian artist to climb to No. 1 album on the Christian music charts just last year. Within the same year, Semler released a second No. 1 album titled…