(This is the third in my series of Bil’s ideas about ten misconceptions in Christianity today. This post suggests that the institutional church thinks the Bible is inerrant. It’s not!) Over and over, I hear the claim, “God wrote the Bible!” I always have to ask “Which god? The Old Testament (OT) one, the New … Read more
Someone recently asked why I think so differently about Christianity than other pastors. I responded that “I attended a progressive Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, California, whose basic teaching philosophy was religious literacy.” “What do you mean by religious literacy?” Let’s start with the word literal. It can be confusing. A literal person is someone who … Read more
I recently read Damascus Gate, a novel by Robert Stone that talks about Israel’s four-thousand-years-long quest for a Messiah. At one point, a character says, “I am my own Messiah.” Interesting! For as long as I can remember, the church has told me that I can’t save myself. Is that because I’m not smart enough … Read more
This old nursery rhyme plays in my head whenever I read about the women who were at the cross when Jesus died, most of whom were named Mary (Matthew 27:55–56, Mark 15:40, and John 19:25). To me, the most important one, and the only one named in all three accounts, was Mary Magdalene from the … Read more