This morning, journalist, novelist, and ex-Evangelical Josiah Hesse published an important article in The Guardian. The original (and, as of 5:06 p.m. Eastern, current) headline of the article is "'Exvangelicals': Why More Religious People are Rejecting the Evangelical Label." Hesse's article focuses primarily on a new wave of Christians dissociating themselves from the term "Evangelical" due to … Continue reading Ex-Evangelical Means Much More than Dropping a Label: A Response to Josiah Hesse
Transgender Employment Non-Discrimination and Contraception Access Rolled Back. The Trump Administration Keeps Giving us Reasons to #EmptyThePews
Yesterday, the news broke that Attorney General Jeff Sessions' (alternative) Justice Department was rescinding Obama era transgender employment non-discrimination protections. And today, in a move that is almost certainly illegal and will be challenged in court, Health and Human Services moved to essentially eliminate the ACA's contraception mandate, allowing educational institutions and even publicly traded … Continue reading Transgender Employment Non-Discrimination and Contraception Access Rolled Back. The Trump Administration Keeps Giving us Reasons to #EmptyThePews
Who’s Afraid of the Rapture? Some Thoughts on Conservative Christian Apocalypticism and its Consequences
Happy Rapture Day? It's that time again. That time of year when the fall semester gets into full swing, the leaves in the Midwest and New England begin to change color (or maybe not this year, thanks Obama climate change), and certain conservative Christians go into a frenzy about the rapture. You know, that glorious event … Continue reading Who’s Afraid of the Rapture? Some Thoughts on Conservative Christian Apocalypticism and its Consequences
Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Satanic Panic Abuse Survivor Nancy Hightower
Dr. Nancy Hightower is a writer and literary scholar with a remarkable story of surviving the worst of Evangelicalism. She offers a valuable perspective on the challenges we currently face at a time in which white Evangelical Christians are the single demographic most supportive of #IllegitimatePresident Trump and most responsible for rising American authoritarianism. The … Continue reading Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Satanic Panic Abuse Survivor Nancy Hightower
Where Do Ex-Evangelicals Come From?
Where do ex-Evangelicals come from? Ahem! Well, erm, you see, children, when two people hate Jesus very, very much, Lilith's pet pterodactyl (his name is Cuthbert) gets a text message alerting him that it's time to take up his stick and bundle and pay another visit to Lucifer's eggplant patch... But seriously, folks. I am often asked, … Continue reading Where Do Ex-Evangelicals Come From?
Stop #CruellaDevos: Once More on the Christian Right’s Education Agenda
Amid all the talk of highly unqualified Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos's defense of unconscionable $9.2 billion cuts to public education and proposed $4 billion investment in so-called "school choice" (moves that have earned DeVos the well-deserved epithet #CruellaDeVos on Twitter), it's worth remembering why the Christian Right supports "school choice" in the first place. … Continue reading Stop #CruellaDevos: Once More on the Christian Right’s Education Agenda
Not Your Mission Field: A New Title for the Blog
When I started this blog, I had yet to think of a proper title. I put "Christopher Stroop" in as a placeholder, and I've been mulling it over ever since. As of today, "Christopher Stroop" has been replaced with "Not Your Mission Field." I also registered http://www.NotYourMissionField.com, which directs to the homepage here. So, why … Continue reading Not Your Mission Field: A New Title for the Blog
“Do Aborted Babies Go to Hell?” The Horrifying Questions that Only Fundamentalists Have to Consider
Note: I use the term "babies" in the title of this post rather than the more accurate "fetuses" because this is how conservative Christians who believe that life begins at conception think of it. Readers of this blog should be well aware that I reject their framework and avoid using the term "unborn babies" myself. For … Continue reading “Do Aborted Babies Go to Hell?” The Horrifying Questions that Only Fundamentalists Have to Consider
Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture
Authority First: The Enclave Strikes Back "I sat in the waiting room wasting my time, and waiting for Judgment Day. I praise liberty, the freedom to obey." - Green Day, "21st Century Breakdown," 21st Century Breakdown (2009) Fundamentalists force an inhumane choice on reflective, empathetic individuals who grow up in their enclave communities: assent that 2 + 2 … Continue reading Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture
Not Your Mission Field 