Someone sent me a cartoon showing a little boy asking his teacher in Sunday school, “Why did God have to send himself down to earth to become his own son to sacrifice himself to himself just to convince himself to forgive us?” This is my exact feeling about the theology of the church. It just … Read more

My personal deconstructing process has spanned sixty-five years. For much of that time, the journey wasn’t necessarily a conscious thing but instead happened through a series of smaller events. Here are some examples: Because of my motorcycle accident, I had to wear a full leg cast for a year and stay close to my orthopedist … Read more

I started my deconstructing process in September 1957 on my first day in seminary when the professors started eradicating my Sunday school thinking, which went something like this: God was like Santa Claus, except a little meaner. He and his Son were perfect and lived in heaven. God was a Master Puppeteer who made everything … Read more

I have banned the Bible from our home. It is full of lies. The violence is horrendous. The contradictions are unacceptable. The racism is inexcusable. The sex is filthy. Many claim God wrote the Bible. That’s a total lie. It was written by lots of different men over a 2,500-plus-year timespan. At times, people are … Read more

In my ninety-one years, I have never seen someone running to be the dictator of our country. I thought we were a democracy. This dictator, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, promised to destroy leftism and “leave woke ideology in the dustbin of history.” That would include me, most of the folks in our church, and … Read more

Are pro-lifers actually pro-life? My short answer: no, and for several reasons: If the pro-lifers truly cared about the life of fetuses and newborns, they would be advocating daily for the best maternity and childcare system in the world. In reality, the United States has one of the worst records for prenatal care and childcare … Read more

Our new neighbor is very friendly, but she has a bumper sticker that reads “Jesus died for our sins.” She has Jesus stuff all over. Why does the phrase “died for our sins” irritate me so much? The idea that a young first-century charismatic Jewish itinerant preacher from the tiny town of Nazareth could be … Read more

Walking down the street one day, I noticed three women in dresses standing behind a clothing rack. As suspected, they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their sign read “Armageddon.” I asked, “What is Armageddon?” Immediately, my mind flashed back to 9/11. Annie and I were on the island of Corsica, off southern France, when we learned about … Read more

I have no idea where I learned the axiom that one can’t legislate behavior, but I have known it for years, and I truly believe it. Let me share an example. Six months ago, the Supreme Court of the United States made a decision that the issue of abortion is a state issue and not … Read more