Category: Uncategorized

There’s a very simple bit of theology that Christians don’t seem to have caught onto yet: According to the Bible, we can do whatever we want to do (1 Corinthians 6:12). Does the Bible really tell us we’re free to sin? Yes, technically it does. We can do pretty much anything and we’re still covered… Continue reading All things are permitted

On the third day of creation, God made a mistake so extreme that the world still hasn’t fully recovered. I know, it’s hard to believe, but after two days of creating a whole universe you’d have trouble maintaining perfection too. The physics involved in creating gravity alone would be enough to drive a mere mortal… Continue reading God’s terrible mistake

If the Mosaic law was created to get people to sin more rather than less, as Romans chapter 5 tells us it was, then it seems to me that the people who want the 10 Commandments posted in or around court houses and schools are actually encouraging sin rather than discouraging it. Which isn’t the end of… Continue reading Why we should keep the law out of the courtroom

If you’ve read many of my posts, you know by now that one of the most consistent traits of Christians is that they’re not very consistent in their theological thinking. This is possibly no more obvious than in their views on the subject of abortion. Most evangelicals I know of, for instance, are extremely anti-abortion,… Continue reading The evangelical abortion inconsistency

Someone I know recently said that if Universalism is true then we don’t need Jesus and, since I’ve heard this statement too many times from too many traditionalists, I felt a need to give a short response to it here. As a Universalist, I like to respond to assertions like this one with a parable… Continue reading Do Universalists need Jesus?

Believe it or not, I find that there is a little bit in Calvinism to agree with, particularly the fact that they believe everyone whose sins Christ died for will be saved. There are some points where we disagree, however, because Calvinists don’t understand that Christ died for everyone’s sins, so I thought I’d give a biblical alternative to… Continue reading TULIP for Universalists

It doesn’t matter what your theological views are, nor does it matter what denomination your church is; no matter who you are, you are considered a heretic by some other group of Christians out there. But, of course, your views and denomination are right and everybody else’s is wrong so it doesn’t matter what they… Continue reading You are already a heretic

I was recently reminded of a great old (possibly apocryphal) story about the 19th-century Universalist, Hosea Ballou: Ballou was riding the circuit in the New Hampshire hills with a Baptist minister one day, arguing theology as they traveled. At one point, the Baptist looked over and said, “Brother Ballou, if I were a Universalist and… Continue reading If you were a Universalist

Always remember, just because something is labelled “orthodox” doesn’t mean it’s true. Heresy is often just the rejection of commonly accepted error. This is the essence of my life philosophy, along with, “Question everything… even this.” As most people do, I began life accepting that most of the standard “orthodox” beliefs were true, be they… Continue reading Just because it’s “orthodox” doesn’t mean it’s true

Throughout history, various heretics (not to mention infidels, apostates, and other non-believers in particular doctrines and dogmas) have been ostracized, persecuted, tortured, raped, and even killed for their particular beliefs (or lack thereof). Apparently we are often considered to be such a threat to the well being of society that if we are not eliminated… Continue reading Are heretics really a threat?