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Several years ago, I had the opportunity to teach Sunday school to a group of teenagers. I was delighted to do so because my heart was with those disillusioned with the Christian culture, and the Millennials were one of the groups that were most likely to exit Christianity after being raised in Christian homes. Additionally,…
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Several years ago, Denise and I were in the process of joining a new church, having just moved to the city and attended it for a while. The process of becoming a church member required two meetings with the pastor, which was a reasonable requirement. At the last meeting, the pastor presented us with a…
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As I define religion, I must acknowledge that my use of the term is different from the norm and likely different from they way the reader uses it. When I write about religion I am not making accusations about your personal life of faith, that you may call “religion.” Observe how I frame religion and…
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Two years ago, on this blog, I wrote, “I hate religion, but love philosophy.” I thought I had taken great care to define and explain what I meant. But in the end, that statement cost me my best friend. He heard, “I hate God,” and my love of philosophy put me in the same category…
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Before I move into what love isn’t, I do want to mention a couple more things about what love is. Love is a Choice Agape love is a choice. In John 13:34, Jesus commanded his followers to love others (agape) as he loved them. This would not have been a command if it were just…
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Here is the love chapter in I Corinthians that everyone is familiar with. While it makes for great poetry, this is one place in the Bible that is meant to be taken literally. The Greek word for love in this passage, of course, is Agape. As you read it, meditate on what this means for…
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I love smashing things to see what’s inside. I love deconstructing ideas to get to the truth. Love is one of the most abused words in the English language. I started to think about love as I was finishing my last series. I am not superstitious, but it was remarkable that my pastor preached on…
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I must first apologize for my last post. When I reread some of my posts, with a different mood or frame of reference, they appear to me as whiny and negative. Story Time When I was in college, I had a good friend named Owen. He was a terrific guy. He was tall, with long…
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Let’s start at the very beginning as we try to make sense of things. There are two primary positions that someone can have, and these are 1) our universe is a fluke, came into existence without meaning, and 2) the universe was purposefully created. If we are humble and honest about it, both answers have…
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One of the top reasons people leave Christianity for good is when they must make sense of tragedy, either when it visits them personally or just theoretical considerations of suffering in the world. That’s why I want to discuss it honestly. My heart and intent is for those who are leaving. After a brief discussion…
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J. Michael Jones 