“Sometimes one story is the beginning of all the others,” the narrator proposes in the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming film, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, as a forest green furniture cover falls from the dark brown wardrobe. “Are you ready?” Polly…
Trump likes big butts and he cannot lie
“By the way, I looked at one hell of a beautiful ass before,” President Donald Trump said as his supporters watched with anticipation. Then he pointed and declared, “Nicki Minaj!” Cheers from the MAGA faithful erupted. “That’s hard to miss!”…
Megan Basham is wrong about who is a Christian
People who identify as Christians but give money to Mainline churches and organizations aren’t actually Christians because they’re giving money to organizations that support LGBTQ people and abortion. So says the conservative commentator Megan Basham, who calls herself a “Christian…
Are white evangelicals really that ignorant?
Perhaps the oddest defense of white evangelicalism in recent weeks has been to acknowledge much of the harm they’ve caused while claiming it’s not due to their theology, but due to their ignorance. During this second Trump administration, patriarchal Christianity…
As midterms approach, Fox News is focused on heaven and hell
One of the biggest ironies among conservatives today is that they complain so much about “fake news” while watching Fox News. As Donald Trump lashes out against the media, white evangelicals claim the mainstream media is attempting to indoctrinate Americans….
What the SBC’s new survey on worship leaders says and doesn’t say
The Southern Baptist Convention released a large-scale study on worship leaders in SBC churches last week, and while the results may be alarming, they should not be surprising. Anyone who’s been paying attention for the last four decades should recognize…
How much privacy should you expect at church?
Imagine a world where high-control pastors could monitor the movements of every staff member, church member or visitor using the power of artificial intelligence. This is the sacralized dystopia being created at Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. Of course, the…
What’s so upsetting to evangelicals about Kristin Du Mez?
“Do you know where we are?” I asked my 16-year-old son as we turned onto the main road that goes near my parents’ house. “No,” he replied. “My awareness of the city is like disconnected bubbles. Gramma’s neighborhood is one…
Reflections on Death of the Pastor’s Wife
The morning after receiving word that his wife, Mica, had died by a gunshot wound to the head, pastor John-Paul Miller declared with excitement to his congregation, “I wrote a new parody for you all today!” Cheers erupted as Miller…
Christian Crusaders create chaos in Minneapolis
Two vehicles of Christian crusaders led by January 6 insurrectionist Jake Lang swerved “unexpectedly and abruptly” through police barriers onto the sidewalk outside Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday, according to Minnesota Police Chief Bill Peterson. “Both vehicles drove onto the…
In Dearborn, the latest evidence of the new Crusades
Police in tactical gear pushed their way through the crowd of Christian Crusaders in Dearborn, Mich., Tuesday as January 6 insurrectionist Jake Lang and pastor Lorenzo Sewell led the flag-waving, shofar-blowing worship warriors into battle against their Muslim neighbors. Dressed…
Would Jesus zap children with shock gloves?
We now have reached the stage in MAGA’s descent into depravity where they respond to criticism of ICE vigilantes shooting people by opting for the more humane practice of electric shock. On Aug. 11, the Associated Press reported that Immigration and Customs…