Bil Aulenbach

I have a confession to make: as far back as I can remember, I’ve always had a mean streak. Deep down, I want vengeance and payback. I don’t know where this desire originates, and I don’t like it, but it keeps showing up. I had a childhood friend named Alvin, who had a vivid imagination … Read more

Joshua Mhlakela is forty-three years old, lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, and claims to be a pastor, but he does not have a church. He’s a good-looking young man, but I am unsure about his mental health. He says he had a visit from Jesus, who told him, “I’m coming soon.” From that dream, he … Read more

I found an article that listed the following bolded statements as being “misunderstandings” about Christianity and went on to refute them. I, however, think these “misunderstandings” are actually closer to the truth. “Christians disagree about everything.” Even within my own denomination, I disagree with most bishops and ultraconservative clergy. They believe their God lives in … Read more

The more I travel and hear about life in other countries, the more I believe that, thanks to our Constitution, I live in the best country in the world. I know it’s not perfect, and I recognize we have major issues (guns, mass shootings, power-based policing, the wealth gap, and Project 2025, to name a … Read more

I know I am not a pacifist. I believe World War II was necessary to stop fascism. People try to make Jesus a pacifist but ignore the stories about his overturning the tables of the moneylenders and the pigeon sellers in the temple (Matt. 21:12) or his statement “I have not come to bring peace … Read more

My wife and I had a Danish friend in France, a beautiful woman, who spoke twelve languages and had two doctorates. Every time we got together, she reminded us that the Constitution of the United States of America is one of the finest documents ever written. I concur. Humpty Dumpty—both our country and our Constitution—is … Read more