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2021-11-08T13:21:38-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Going Green Requires Privilege

Last updated on: November 8, 2021 at 1:21 pm By Matthew Distefano

I love eating organic. I love the idea of everyone having an electric car. I wish I saw solar panels on every home, and front-yard gardens starting to replace water-loving lawns, and chicken coops in the backyards. But here’s the deal: There is a certain level of privilege needed in order to do these things. Have you ever shopped 100% organic? Ever filled a cart (or trolley, if you’re in the UK) at a local co-op? I haven’t, because the... Read more

2021-11-04T09:55:53-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dust Your Feet Off, Homie

Last updated on: November 4, 2021 at 9:55 am By Matthew Distefano

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. ~ Matthew 10:14, NRSV I’m going to use this passage out of context. Not because I generally play fast and loose with Scripture, but because I feel it’s well within my right as a creative person to do so. I’ll be perfectly honest with y’all: Being a content creator can be quite tiring. Not because... Read more

2021-11-03T14:47:00-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How To Perform An Abortion According To The Bible

Last updated on: November 3, 2021 at 2:47 pm By Matthew Distefano

I don’t turn to the Bible in order to determine what is right, moral, good, just, or ethical. But a lot of Christians do. They talk about a biblical worldview this, a Bible-based decision that. Typically, in America, Biblical means right-wing; you stand for “traditional” marriages and against abortions. But what if I told you that the Bible not only condones abortion, it gives a recipe for how to perform one? Would you be surprised? Well, some of you wouldn’t.... Read more

2021-11-01T15:06:21-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Critique of New-Age Prosperity Preaching

Last updated on: November 1, 2021 at 3:06 pm By Matthew Distefano

I am all for thinking positively. It is true that our words and our thoughts have consequences, for good or for ill. Thinking that the worst is always going to happen can induce dread and anxiety, both of which are not good on our bodies. That said, I am growing more and more tired of folks who think that everything comes down to intention. For just about every one of life’s issues, they will associate a thought pattern. Here’s how... Read more

2021-10-27T12:19:29-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why Do Bad Things Happen? Spoiler Alert: I Don’t Know

Last updated on: October 27, 2021 at 12:19 pm By Matthew Distefano

In my last post, I responded to a John Piper article in which he justifies God committing genocide by basically saying, “God is God; he can do whatever he pleases.” Because I have such insightful and curious readers, I was hit with a follow-up question on my Facebook page. It reads: “If I may push back respectfully: How then do we reconcile the Biblical accounts and personal observations of things like childhood cancer and murder? I was hoping to read... Read more

2021-10-25T14:28:16-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What Made It Okay for God to Kill Women and Children In the Old Testament?: A Response

Last updated on: October 25, 2021 at 2:28 pm By Matthew Distefano

Today’s frontpage article at desiringgod.org is a doozy. In it, John Piper, Calvinist darling and author of over 50 books, is posed the question, “Why was it right for God to slaughter women and children in the Old Testament? How can that ever be right?” And the answer he gives, while not surprising, is out-and-out insanity. He states: “It’s right for God to slaughter women and children anytime he pleases. God gives life and he takes life. Everybody who dies,... Read more

2021-10-19T14:31:45-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Whiteness Is Not Real

Last updated on: October 19, 2021 at 2:31 pm By Matthew Distefano

The other day, the Heretic Happy Hour podcast recorded an episode for our upcoming “decolonizing theology” series. Our guest host for the evening was Asian-American activist Sandhya Rani Jha. Without being too gushy, I’ll just say that she was absolutely incredible. I can’t wait for the episode to drop. Among the many brilliant things she talked about on the show, one thing that really hit home for me was something she said toward the end. We were all talking about... Read more

2021-10-18T14:33:52-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Answering a Reader’s Comment About God’s Wrath

Last updated on: October 18, 2021 at 2:33 pm By Matthew Distefano

In my latest article, I asked a whole host of questions to Evangelicals. That’s it. Just questions. Someone was kind enough to put a dissertation in the comments section, and while I didn’t have time to read the entire tome, I did come across one section that I wanted to comment on today. Answering my question, “If hell is a place where you are separated from God, then does that mean God is not omnipresent,” this commenter replied: “I think... Read more

2021-10-15T13:18:48-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Evangelicals, I’ve Got Some Questions For You

Last updated on: October 15, 2021 at 1:18 pm By Matthew Distefano

American Evangelical Christianity is where I come from, but it’s no longer the place I reside. Many of you reading this, however, perhaps still live there. If that’s you, then I have a whole host of questions to ask you about your faith, your theology, and your understanding of the world. I ask the following questions, not to mock or belittle you, but because I really want you to think about the things you believe in. I believe these are... Read more

2021-10-13T14:18:02-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Grotesque Thought Experiment: Hell, Murder, and the Age of Accountability

Last updated on: October 13, 2021 at 2:18 pm By Matthew Distefano

Two staples I was given as an Evangelical: 1) Killing children is bad and 2) there is an age of accountability in which you will be responsible for your actions; mess things up by not accepting Jesus as lord, and you’ll spend eternity in hell. If this is the case, however, if crossing over the age of accountability puts you at risk of burning for all eternity, can we really say that killing children is bad? Of course, I say... Read more

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