Robert Jeffress, toxic Christian Zionist, pastor of the 13,000-strong megachurch First Baptist Dallas, and Trump toady extraordinaire, has a solid record when it comes to taking the Bible literally. The prominent Southern Baptist leader has never shied away from such straight-shooting statements as, "We know from the Bible that in fact, we do have a common … Continue reading Epic Christian Fails: Pastor Robert Jeffress and the Greta Thunberg Contingency
Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Christian Abuse Survivor, College Student, and Future Journalist Elizabeth Hunter, Part I
Be warned that today's installment of Ex-Evangelical Conversations is a very disturbing read. Currently a senior at a Christian college, Elizabeth Hunter's path has been a harrowing one of survival involving parental negligence, re-homing, sexual abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, humiliation, and starvation, mostly from the adults in her environment who were supposed to be nurturing and … Continue reading Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Christian Abuse Survivor, College Student, and Future Journalist Elizabeth Hunter, Part I
Happy 4th? On the Complicated Problem of Patriotism in Conditions of Injustice
"We've got the American Jesus Bolstering national faith We've got the American Jesus Overwhelming millions every day." – Bad Religion, "American Jesus," Recipe for Hate (1993) Some Reflections for Independence Day, July 4, 2018 Yesterday, Mandy Nicole, founder and editor-in-chief of Fundamentally Free, a multi-author ex-evangelical blog, published a piece called "Evangelicalism Killed my Patriotism." She notes the presence … Continue reading Happy 4th? On the Complicated Problem of Patriotism in Conditions of Injustice
Let’s Make the Most of the #MercerCulpa
Thanks to a deluge of important commentary about the fate of DACA and Dreamers amid the failure of an immigration deal, news about the horrific Parkland, FL school shooting, and news about special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling and Trump team collusion, Rebekah Mercer's godawful gaslighting op-ed has not generated as much … Continue reading Let’s Make the Most of the #MercerCulpa
Forget the Media Caricature. Allow Me to Caricature Myself
Disclaimer: The following op-ed was penned by guest blogger B. Mercenarius III (well, by his ghost writer, and in accordance with the conclusions of several focus groups regarding the talking points likely to be most effective in eliciting the sympathy of his fellow Americans). Any resemblance to Rebekah Mercer's op-ed in The Wall Street Journal … Continue reading Forget the Media Caricature. Allow Me to Caricature Myself
Why I am Not an Atheist
Reasonabler than Thou? *September 27, 2019 update: I've become more comfortable with being described as an atheist, but the social criticism of the atheist community laid out below stands.* On a formal intellectual level, there are a number of reasons I refuse to embrace atheism. While I don't believe in a micromanaging deity, I find … Continue reading Why I am Not an Atheist
The Rundown on Jay Sekulow, Veteran Christian Right Lawyer Now on Trump’s Legal Team
The news recently broke that Jay Alan Sekulow, chief counsel for the far Right American Center for Law and Justice, is a member of Trump's legal team. This should give us pause for a number of reasons. The ACLJ is one of the most effective Christian Right legal advocacy organizations, and it plays an important … Continue reading The Rundown on Jay Sekulow, Veteran Christian Right Lawyer Now on Trump’s Legal Team
Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Blake Chastain and the Exvangelical Podcast
Welcome to the second installment of the Ex-Evangelical Conversations series here at ChrisStroop.com. I have recommended my friend Blake Chastain's podcast Exvangelical more than once on Twitter, and I know that many of my readers also listen to Blake's show. Whether you have or haven't listened to Exvangelical, if you're here, you'll most likely find value in … Continue reading Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Blake Chastain and the Exvangelical Podcast
White Evangelicals Still Overwhelmingly Approve of Trump – Pew
According to the Pew Research Center's presidential approval tables for April 2017, white Evangelicals apparently remain determined to go down in history as some of the most notorious villains of our time, if history is not forestalled by nuclear destruction thanks to them placing a dangerously demagogic and incompetent man in the office of the … Continue reading White Evangelicals Still Overwhelmingly Approve of Trump – Pew