Do Jews, Christians and Muslims better understand each other since 9/11?
There’s another, more foundational question that begs asking: Do followers of the three Abrahamic faiths really understand their own religions better since 9/11? If not, then I can assure you they are in no position to understand the faiths of other believers. During my frequent sojourns amongst the Dallas-area faithful, I’ve had the opportunity to [...]
Is America a “Christian Nation” and what does that mean?
Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, initiated in 1795 by George Washington and signed by John Adams in 1797, plainly states that “the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” One may also review our Constitution and take note of Article 6, which makes [...]
How do you interpret the Genesis creation story?
The so-called “Priestly” creation myth recorded in the first chapter of Genesis presents a world in which the Creator-deit(ies) formed the Earth and Heavens out of the primordial chaos-ocean, followed by successive layers of creative structure in which all categories of the known Cosmos were produced in a stepwise fashion, with the formation of humankind [...]
What gives rise to end-times predictions?
People like Harold Camping and other apocalyptic prognosticians are faithfully following along with the tradition set forth by Jesus in the Gospels, originally in the form of the “Little Apocalypse” of Mark 13. Reading that very passage, we find Jesus spouting the same fear-and-trembling warnings that are repeated on billboards throughout the world. Indeed, if [...]
Is science leading to a new literalism?
As a scientist, I am often astounded when theologians and other scientific laypeople speak about science as a means of “proof.” Far to the contrary, science is a process of expanding human knowledge through the testing of hypotheses, minimizing of bias, and respecting of statistical boundaries. In no sense does science “prove” anything; proof is [...]
Why are so many losing their religion?
In America, the average person who walks away from religion is leaving Christianity, and the numbers indicate that this person doesn’t entertain affiliation with other competing faiths; rather, he or she is much more likely to become a Secular Humanist or hold some similar worldview. As someone who has personally traveled this path, I can [...]
Is Hell Dead?
The concept of Hell, just as the concept of Heaven, has no real bearing on our lives here on Earth. I find it encouraging that Christians such as Rob Bell are increasingly uncomfortable with a doctrine that describes a place of eternal torment. The problem of Hell is simply the Problem of Evil magnified – [...]