Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian

Dear John

Select a Category Christian Issues Christian Spirituality Dear John En Espanol Everywhere She's Not Humor Look See Pastor Bob's Corner Personal Portuguese Relationships Russian Short-short story Smith Family Chronicles Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2024 August 2022 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 June 2019 December 2018 May 2018 May 2017 January 2017 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

July 2014

July 15, 2014

Help: I’m a lesbian whose Christian girlfriend thinks it’s wrong to be gay

Got in the letter below. I answer following it. Dear John, I am currently in...

July 10, 2014

Is suicide a sin?

A young woman with reason to wonder asks if committing suicide is a sin.

July 07, 2014

Dear gayophobic Christian parents of America

"Prayer warriors needed to help me fight Satan for the soul of my daughter!" she...

June 2014

June 09, 2014

My elderly parents have chosen a church that rejects me

What do you do when your parents choose a church that they know condemns you?

May 2014

May 29, 2014

Southern Baptist pastor accepts his gay son, changes his church.

UPDATE: Pastor Danny and his son Drew were invited to the White House on June...

May 27, 2014

Dancing cheek to cheek to cheek?

Dear John, As I read through your interview with a polyamorous woman (1 Man, 2...

May 02, 2014

My mom died late last night; I fear she is now in hell

This just came into my inbox. I know I don't have to say this, but...

May 01, 2014

To be young, gay, Christian, and afraid

That people want the Bible to say that being gay is a sin tells you...

April 2014

April 27, 2014

A gay ex-Christian stumbles over God Talk

Why should you let what others have done to Jesus ruin what Jesus has done...

March 2014

March 19, 2014

A “biblical” man attracted to transgender women

He's afraid of what might be true about him.

March 04, 2014

Forget “teaching.” Learn.

Is God asking you to teach someone, or to learn from them?

February 2014

February 28, 2014

Having a gay son got them booted from their church. But look at them now!

Her gay teen son, once so happy, had become depressed, self-cutting, suicidal. And then she...

February 17, 2014

Woman having affair with her pastor’s wife: “I ended it.” Chalk up 3 more lives decimated by anti-gay “Christianity.”

How wonderful to be straight, and by that fact alone deserve God's favor! Meanwhile, year...

February 14, 2014

To a Christian lesbian rejecting her love

To reject love is to reject God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the very...

February 12, 2014

She’s having an affair with her pastor’s wife

A woman writes to ask advice on the affair she's having with her pastor's husband.

February 10, 2014

A fundamentalist closeted lesbian worried about her porn addiction

A closeted lesbian in a Christian fundamentalist church worries about her porn addiction and the...

January 2014

January 21, 2014

When bad Christians happen to good women

Why is it that converting to Christianity turns so many people into dinks?

January 17, 2014

Drinking, random sex, and crying on Sunday nights

She parties too much, harms herself, and spends Sunday nights crying. But don't count her...

December 2013

December 02, 2013

For the doubting Christian

A young Christian woman isn't feeling God with the conviction she'd like to. So she...

November 2013

November 07, 2013

I’m Christian, gay, and too angry to even read the Bible anymore.

Got this in. My answer follows it: Dear John, I love your blog. I've been...

October 2013

October 29, 2013

Pastors who re-victimize survivors of abuse

Got this letter in. If you're a Christian pastor who ever counsels women who have...

August 2013

August 23, 2013

Is she a Christian yet?

Dear John, I came across your website a while ago and have been impressed and...

August 21, 2013

Sinfulness, fear, and the toxicity of faux-Christianity

Dear John: I was wondering how you deal with the concept of original sin. I...

July 2013

July 29, 2013

She’s caring for their mother–and they’re angry about it

Got this in: Hello John, I don't know how I found your page, but I...

July 03, 2013

When you’re the rebound guy

Hey John, I recently read your article What Does a Woman Mean When She Says,...

June 2013

June 25, 2013

Dear John: Will she be scared straight?

Yesterday I received from a young woman this letter: Dear John, My girlfriend and I...

June 18, 2013

It’s his choice: His mother or his fiancee

Got this in yesterday: Hi John, May I first of all just say how much...

June 06, 2013

Christians of a feather

Dear John, I have read your blog for ages. I was involved in charismatic and...

May 2013

May 29, 2013

Christians in love with non-Christians (and their Christian “friends” who object)

I recently got in this letter: Hey John, I am a Christian young woman engaged...

May 26, 2013

Dealing with anti-Christianity in the LGBT community

I recently got in an email with the subject line, "Dealing with anti-Christianity in the...