Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

Yesterday I posted a story about some groups in Christian circles that deny the deity of Jesus.  It brought about some interesting questions. Ask an Atheist and the book I'm reading by Eric Michael Bryant called Peppermint-filled Pinatas made me think about what truly distinguishes someone as a follower of Jesus.  Also, some of our discussions over the last few weeks about Grace vs. Law have been spinning in my head. As I began thinking about it, I think one word would some ... Read More

[Washington Post]   The Home Run Derby, a made-for-TV contest that precedes Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, is usually a frivolous folly. Players blast home runs, the fans ooh and ahh, and everyone has a good time. But Monday night’s event unexpectedly turned into a showcase of religious beliefs. Christians applauded Josh Hamilton’s first-round feats, while atheists took it on the chin from an ESPN broadcaster. Hamilton, the 27-year-old Texas Rangers outfielder, has seen his life come full circle. In 1999, he was the No. ... Read More

[WBAL & WND] Public schools in Somerset County, MD will no longer allow the Gideons on school grounds to distribute Bibles. For years, The Gideons, an international Christian organization, has been passing out Bibles to interested fifth-graders. But Stephanie Kayhan says when she moved to the county three years ago, she was shocked by the Bible distribution. Kayhan says she is a practicing Christian, but she is against Bibles being passed out on school grounds because it blurs the line between church and state. She ... Read More

President Bush said Saturday that religious charities, partly financed with federal money, have helped reduce homelessness, found jobs for former inmates and helped combat malaria and HIV/AIDS overseas.  Your can read more about that here.  I think it is great to hear that faith based ministries are making a difference in parts of the country. That should be a given.   Last week Cassandra and I were in Uptown Charlotte celebrating our 20th Anniversary.  I was going to get our van after dinner ... Read More

[NY Times]   Bill Keller, an evangelist based in Florida, runs “Liveprayer.com,” an Internet call-in program. Because he receives a government tax exemption, he is prohibited by law from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. But during the Republican primary battle, Mr. Keller proclaimed to his followers and the news media that “a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for Satan.” Now Mr. Keller says he is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service for involvement in partisan politics. He asserts that his denunciations of ... Read More