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2024-06-19T16:37:20-08:00

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.

Picking and Choosing: Why Selective Bible Reading is Okay

Last updated on: June 19, 2024 at 4:37 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Paul and the other apostles practiced selective Bible reading, just like Jesus. Here’s how you can learn to pick and choose verses like them. In my last article, “Be Like Jesus—Pick and Choose Your Scriptures!” I discussed a conversation with a friend, in which he accused me of picking and choosing scriptures to fit my personal beliefs. I pointed out that Jesus did exactly that and expects us to do the same. Check out that article, then continue with this... Read more

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Picking and choosing scriptures

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2024-06-19T10:22:49-08:00

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.

Be Like Jesus—Pick and Choose Your Scriptures!

Last updated on: June 19, 2024 at 10:22 am By Gregory T. Smith

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When conservatives say, “You can’t pick and choose which parts of the Bible support your beliefs, and ignore the rest,” How do you respond? Recently, a friend gave me this conservative line about selectively reading and interpreting scriptures. I pointed out that almost nobody follows the whole Bible. There’s a reason why Christians don’t sell our daughters for a bride price, or marry them off to someone who rapes them. As it should be, you never hear about Jesus’s... Read more

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2024-06-19T10:06:42-08:00

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 You Can Embrace the Mysterious Virtue of Jesus & Lao Tzu

Last updated on: June 19, 2024 at 10:06 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Everyone has darkness in their soul. Instead of trying to drive out darkness, Jesus and Lao say there’s a mysterious virtue in nurturing it. There’s a mysterious virtue hidden in the Tao Te Ching. This Chinese word for “virtue” is more than simple goodness. Instead, Te means a way of being that is full of harmony and authenticity. This verse explores how to live with such a virtue. Jesus and Lao Tzu agree that to nurture this virtue, you must... Read more

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2024-06-20T09:04:02-08:00

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.

Christian & Pagan Holidays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Last updated on: June 20, 2024 at 9:04 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a magical romp through an ancient fairyland. How can it help you celebrate the summer solstice? It’s halfway to Christmas. And time for a little magic. Shakespeare depicts midsummer as a mystical time when fairies play tricks on people and love is in the air. The holiday has a long tradition in northern Europe. Neopagans call the summer solstice Litha, while Christians observe it as the Nativity of John the Baptist. Why... Read more

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2024-06-09T20:13:12-08:00

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.

Call Trans Folks by Their New Names and Pronouns Today!

Last updated on: June 9, 2024 at 8:13 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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All people change. Some change more than others. And that’s okay. Here’s why you should call trans folks by their new names and pronouns. In my article, “What’s In a Name? Deadnaming, Misgendering & Other Rudeness,” I discuss the importance of calling people by their new names and pronouns. I got some pushback from that article, so I’d like to double down. The Bible offers many examples of people who changed their names, and identities. Christians have no issues referring... Read more

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Bible characters who changed names

2024-06-14T22:12:48-08:00

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.

From Anxiety to Joy: Inside Out 2 and the Skylight App

Last updated on: June 14, 2024 at 10:12 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Don’t miss Disney’s Inside Out 2. The new film highlights both mental health and spiritual wellness. And there’s an app for that! Adults often give Disney films a pass, expecting little more than heroes, magic, and princesses who save the day. But Disney’s June 2024 release isn’t just for kids. Sure, children will love the show—the one sitting next to us laughed all the way to the end. But if you’re looking for a smart and spiritual look at... Read more

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2024-06-13T18:57:54-08:00

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.

Racism’s Day of Reckoning: From Compromise to Conviction

Last updated on: June 13, 2024 at 6:57 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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In “Racism in the Pews: A Pastor’s Confession of Compromise,” I bared my shame. Here’s how compromise can lead to conviction and action. Do you remember the longstanding tradition of “testimony night” in Evangelical churches? In the absence of a sermon, church members would get up and tell their own stories of God’s goodness. At testimony night, we heard tales of miracles, of broken relationships restored, and of blessings. But the ones that always moved us the most were the... Read more

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2024-06-13T18:58:48-08:00

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.

Racism in the Pews: A Pastor’s Confession of Compromise

Last updated on: June 13, 2024 at 6:58 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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“So, the Black church invited you to guest preach?” my deacon asked. “Do you think that’s wise?” Yes, this was a 21st-century conversation. One of the wonderful things about having been either a youth pastor or senior pastor at six churches is that when I talk about them, nobody knows which church it was. So, there will be no names—but this really happened. This is the tragedy of a congregation and community in the rural South, where such things still... Read more

General Christian

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The Color of Compromise

2024-06-16T12:53:14-08:00

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.

Jesus & Lao Tzu Agree That Empty is Better Than Full

Last updated on: June 16, 2024 at 12:53 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Ever carry a cup filled to the brim? Some of it always ends up on your shoes. Jesus and Lao Tzu agree that empty is better than full. Through the examples of an empty cup and a dull knife, Lao Tzu shows the pathway to heaven. Jesus agrees—empty and dull things are better than full and sharp. In verse eight of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu says: Tao Te Ching, Verse 9. McDonald Translation: It is easier... Read more

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2024-05-26T09:36:40-08:00

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 “Getting them Saved and Baptized” is Killing the Church

Last updated on: May 26, 2024 at 9:36 am By Gregory T. Smith

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I’ll always regret baptizing 10% of our kids in Vacation Bible School that year. Yes, that’s right—keep reading to find out why. That sizzling summer stands out to me in sharp relief. It represents the height of this evangelical (at the time) pastor’s missionary fervor. It was my second summer at the church. I’d been there long enough to visit most of the families, endear myself to the children, and begin to have influence in their lives. Ours was a... Read more

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