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
Call Me Chrissy
Welcome to the Coming Out Post I've Been Putting Off for Years The first Pride celebration I attended was held on June 28, 2015. It was a small and joyous affair in a small town in the autonomous region of Galicia, located on Spain's Atlantic Coast. None of the few pictures I took came out … Continue reading Call Me Chrissy
On the Conservative Movement and Evangelical Spin Doctoring: A Response to A. J. Nolte
The Big Picture: The Power of Denial in the Conservative Movement If there's one consistent thing that many #NeverTrump conservatives have tried to get the American public to believe, it's that the only problem in the conservative movement and the current iteration of the Republican Party is Donald J. Trump. If we could just get … Continue reading On the Conservative Movement and Evangelical Spin Doctoring: A Response to A. J. Nolte
Setting the Record Straight on #ExposeChristianSchools: Why the Media Must not Cede Coverage of Ex-Evangelicals to the Right
On January 18, I launched the hashtag #ExposeChristianSchools on Twitter as a response to Vice President Mike Pence and conservative commentators like David French lambasting liberals over legitimate criticism of Second Lady Karen Pence for choosing to teach art at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, Virginia—a K-8 school that explicitly discriminates against members of the … Continue reading Setting the Record Straight on #ExposeChristianSchools: Why the Media Must not Cede Coverage of Ex-Evangelicals to the Right
What’s Wrong with Karen Pence Teaching at an Anti-LGBTQ Christian School? #ExposeChristianSchools Has Your Answer
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few days, by now you're aware that Second Lady Karen Pence has taken the highly unusual step of working while her husband occupies the office of vice president. One could arguably make the case that a Second Lady taking on a full-time job could be … Continue reading What’s Wrong with Karen Pence Teaching at an Anti-LGBTQ Christian School? #ExposeChristianSchools Has Your Answer
#EvangelicalIntoEnglish, Missionary Edition: Unpacking Ed Stetzer’s Spin on the Death of Radical Missionary John Chau
In my latest for Playboy, "On the Death of John Chau and the Madness of Missionaries," I wrote: That John Chau was a product of the radical apocalyptic evangelical milieu I grew up in, and driven by its approach to missions, thus seems undeniable. Why, then, is the commentary from the most prominent evangelical outlets relatively sparse? … Continue reading #EvangelicalIntoEnglish, Missionary Edition: Unpacking Ed Stetzer’s Spin on the Death of Radical Missionary John Chau
#EvangelicalContributions? I Can Think of a Few
Donald Trump is reportedly hosting a dinner at the White House tonight in which he, as Christian Broadcasting Network David Brody phrased it on Twitter, "will honor contributions Evangelicals are making to american [sic.] life." Some 80% of white evangelicals voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, and, with 75% giving the so-called president … Continue reading #EvangelicalContributions? I Can Think of a Few
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
Authoritarian Christianity, or, what Franklin Graham Really Means when he Equates Progressivism with Godlessness
In a recent New York Times piece by Elizabeth Dias, President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse Franklin Graham is quoted as defining "progressive" as "just another word for godless." This language might strike some readers as mere hyperbole, or as a polemical swipe at political opponents meant perhaps to be … Continue reading Authoritarian Christianity, or, what Franklin Graham Really Means when he Equates Progressivism with Godlessness
Not Your Mission Field 