atheism

Agnosticism: The Perfect Answer That Never Delivers

As a rational response to the question of God, agnosticism is unassailable stance. So then why are there so few agnostics?

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What Non-Christians Want Christians To Hear

Here’s a small sampling of the responses I got when I asked non-Christians about being on the receiving end of the efforts of Christian evangelicals to convert them.

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An Atheist (And Her Atheist Husband) Visit Her Evangelical Family

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Dear John [a woman wrote me yesterday], I’m an atheist who was raised in the Bible Belt. I’ve come out as an atheist to most of my family, but many of them are in denial about it; they think it’s just a phase that I’m going through (even though it started when I was a [...]

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Atheist and Christian: Who’s the Fool?

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(Relative to my recent, “The Cross That Batman Bears.”) I would no sooner suggest that an atheist can’t be moral than I would that a bug can’t be creepy a wino can’t be ambitious Batman can’t suffer jock itch any other stupid thing I might say. Of course atheists can live according to an ethos [...]

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The One Thing I Dreaded Most About Becoming a Christian

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When I very suddenly became a Christian, I was in a supply closet at my job. By the time I was coming out of that closet (har! okay, grow up) — and I mean the exact thought that very strongly came to me as I was turning the doorknob that would lead me back out [...]

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“God Can Love Me; God Can Send Me To Hell. But He Can’t Do Both.”

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While sitting at Starbucks yesterday I’m pretty sure I overheard the following exchange between two men whom I’ll call Chris and Stan: Stan: But that just doesn’t make any sense. Chris: What doesn’t? Stan: That if I don’t believe in the reality of the same God that you just told me loves me, then that [...]

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Posts by Theme

Christian Issues

Evangelicals and Muslims: Both Love Jesus

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Today at lunch I asked Pastor Bob, “If you could say any one thing about Islam or Muslims to American Christians, or to Americans generally, what would it be?” As he started talking, I started taking notes. This is what he said.

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Relationships

When Your Heart Leaves Home

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The reflections of a good man upon the occasion of his daughter leaving home for college.

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Christian Spirituality

What Jesus Left Out of The Great Commandment

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“Why would Jesus leave something important out of the Great Commandment? I believe it was so that we could discover that thing for ourselves.”

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Humor

Why Aren’t Fundamentalists Telepathic Comedians?

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I knew I’d end up in hell! There’s such a dangblangit fine line between “Funny!” and “Meet Snikky and Snarky, the two fanged minions who throughout eternity will be jabbing at you with searing tridents. Have fun, funny boy!”

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Pastor Bob's Corner

A Primer on Islam: The Basics (Lesson 1 of 6)

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Hi. I’m Pastor Bob. This is the first lesson of a multi-week class on Islam I taught for a large gathering of folks from multiple congregations: Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, recovering agnostics, etc.

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Personal

My Five Reasons For Not Having Children

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When young my wife and I decided not to have children. Here’s why.

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