If a pastor tries to listen to Jesus and a church member complains ‘Where did you get those liberal talking points?’ - then we know US "Christianity" has problems.
Christians could have better repute in the world if only
they were "more like your Christ," as Gandhi recommended.
Jesus nailed the problem: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?"
Micah made true priorities very clear: "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.”
they were "more like your Christ," as Gandhi recommended.
Jesus nailed the problem: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?"
Micah made true priorities very clear: "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.”
Most Recent
8 SHORT Books of Value to Me. You Might Appreciate Them Too.
Short books. Sometimes “short and sweet” is most excellent in a book - though sometimes we do without the “sweet” part.
6 Anti-Gay Clobber Passages – Biblical Authority (Mis)Used Against People. Ouch!
Evangelicals and others use a few “clobber passages” against gays - but those passages are quite few, quite brief, and much less clear than it seems at first glance.
The Kingdom of God. We Would Like It – Let’s Get It. (4 Aspects Jesus Emphasized)
The Kingdom of God (or the Kingdom of Heaven) was Jesus' primary emphasis. Can you believe that?!
What Do You Think? Please Share Some Thoughts. (12 Questions – Pick 1 or 2)
What do you think? We're all in this together, you know.
The Trump Cult: You Must Surrender – And Stop Researching. 3 Lists of Cult Behaviors.
The Trump Cult - really? Depends on who you ask, obviously. People IN a cult never believe they are in a cult.
Our Sometimes Silly Beliefs Don’t Matter Much to God. 3 Attitudes of God to Our Beliefs.
Your beliefs don't matter. WHY WOULD your beliefs matter to God? We hear all the time, or feel, that they surely do matter - but why? How?
Jesus Named Wicked Ways (9 Examples) – We Can’t Hide
When Jesus named wicked ways ... explicitly. That is, Jesus of Nazareth himself, 1000 years after Solomon, 2000 years before us.
2 Chronicles 7:14 – Is This Good News For Us? Great Blessing Offered
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 - a frightening yet hopeful word from the God of these people. We’d do well to get the actual points.
Try Mainstream Churches – You Might Be More Comfortable and Healthy Here With The Rest of Us!
[Mainstream churches - often called mailine - might be good for you. This is from a reader back in 2005. More true today. My 2023 notes are in brackets like this sentence.]
Guns and Mental Illness: 6 Evil Practices by Which We Are Killing Our Kids
Guns and mental illness – we hear repeatedly that the problem is not guns, it is mental illness. “Guns don’t kill people – people kill people”. That’s a cop-out. Of course people kill people, always...
5 Awesome Books for a Desert Island (My Current List. What’s Yours?)
Years ago someone at LibraryThing.com asked which five books I'd like to have with me - 5 books for a desert island.
Christofascism – It’s Real, It’s Deadly, And It Intends to Dominate Us All
The book, "Confronting Christofascism," makes this starkly clear: “We are dealing with something far beyond the contents of the Christian Gospels.” (p4)
Tyranny – We’re in Danger but Have Options – 20 Short Lessons.
Very short book, and very valuable! “The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not...
Fear Can Be Agonizing. 30+ Posts That May Help With That
Fear is real. But it's not in the least all that there is.
Micah 6:8 – He Turns Us Toward a Beautiful Life After His Anger
Justice – Mercy – Humility, all "required" by the Prophet Micah. No excuses apply, of theology, creed, Bible interpretation, politics, economics, race, class, whatever.
Mary Pipher: Can We Flourish as We Age? “Women Rowing North”.
This book of Mary Pipher’s has the strong asset of valuable epigraphs at the head of each chapter. I’m just going to list the sections, chapter titles, and epigraphs from each chapter in Women...
Isaiah 58 Gives us Much-Coveted Hopes – After Accusations. It’s Beautiful.
Please read the outline. Isaiah 58 is ancient, and VERY contemporary. And it's brief!
Earth – I Woke Up on The 3rd Rock Today.
Sitting on my little porch (on Earth, as it turns out), overlooking some lawn space and a bike trail, I suddenly realized -
Book Reviews: Another 10 Excellent Ones I’ve RE-Read Recently. (List 2)
Here are brief book reviews of ones I’ve chosen to RE-read in the last two or three years. That means they’re worth a lot to me, because there’s a bunch of others I still need to read for the first...
Recent Reader Favorites
Theocracy (Religion Runs the Government) – We’d Regret this Nightmare for Democracy.
I am a church person, a person of faith, but opposed to theocracy. I don't think we need a government that rules as if it were the voice of God.
The Dangers of the Right’s Dominion Theology
[I do not know the author of this. See note at the bottom.] Dominion theology is not new but I recently became interested in it when I read an internet article by Sara Diamond that discusses its...
Nurse – Philosopher Makes Case for COMPASSION, CARING as a Primary Value
I’ve been over at that nursing blog again (see “Fear and Courage in the Ambulance”). Here are some quotes about a Norwegian philosopher-nurse justifying compassion as a basic value...
Hitler Pretended to Respect “My Lord and Savior” Jesus
It is not pleasant to study the face of evil, but it seems good that some of us be aware of its common habits, intentions, and techniques, and spread our findings around a bit. I've been browsing...
“It Will Happen Here.” Solidarity is the Only Possible Response, or Good People Will Suffer and Die.
When so many groups are under attack, solidarity - a decentralized collective response - is the only response. They're attacking all of us to make us feel atomized and fearful.
Jesus Emphasized Issues that Churches Avoid
John Howard Yoder vigorously believes that the teaching of Jesus was very practical and very this-worldly.
Book Reviews: I’ve RE-read 10 Excellent Ones Recently (List 1)
President Harry Truman’s Integrity Prayer
Was Jesus Violent When He Harassed the Temple Money-Changers?
Speak Up! “Lift your voice; declare to my people their sins.” – Isaiah 58
Declaration of Independence – Kids’ Version. Pretty good.
If You Do Not Love Your Neighbor Whom You CAN See – Can You Love God?
Economic Judgment Coming, or Repentance – or Both? °
Fascism Appearing In America (says “The American Conservative” Magazine)
Spiritual Tune-up. YOUR “HABIT and Cherished Thought.” (Gen J L Chamberlain)
Follow Micah; Be Christian Activists When Possible. Call Out Evil Doers, Who Hurt Us Because They Can.
Evangelicalism is Broken. Do They Know? Do They Care? (review of Labberton’s “Still Evangelical?”)
Crucial Concerns of This Site
Jesus Emphasized Issues that Churches Avoid
John Howard Yoder vigorously believes that the teaching of Jesus was very practical and very this-worldly.
Evangelicalism is Broken. Do They Know? Do They Care? (review of Labberton’s “Still Evangelical?”)
Many “Evangelicals” see no crisis, judging from 5 of the 12 articles in Mark Labbertons’s recent valuable book Still Evangelical? (pub’d Jan 2018). If you only read three or four of...
Letter from Birmingham Jail: 14 Often Disturbing Quotes from Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is one of many treasures often ignored in American liberal democracy and in bringing Christian moral theology to public life.
Christians Love Lies About Gandhi. But He Loved Jesus More Than Most Of Them.
Why so many lies about Gandhi? What if deep, genuine love and respect for Jesus - like Gandhi practiced - is actually more holy, more saving, than what most American Christians think and do when they...
Jesus and Racism – Samaritan Lives Matter – Black Lives Matter
Young Climate Prophets, Wise and Blunt Against Earth Abuse
“It Will Happen Here.” Solidarity is the Only Possible Response, or Good People Will Suffer and Die.
Veterans ask: Support the Troops? “Ma’am, We ARE the Troops.” Put your money where your mouth is.
Are Matters of Economics Moral Issues – Spiritual Issues? Isaiah Pushes It!
Speak Up! “Lift your voice; declare to my people their sins.” – Isaiah 58
Right-Wing Violence: Pope Francis’ Early Experience
About PublicChristian
Follow Micah; Be Christian Activists When Possible. Call Out Evil Doers, Who Hurt Us Because They Can.
Hitler Pretended to Respect “My Lord and Savior” Jesus
The Trump Problem: Naomi Klein Finds Hope – In “Killing the Trump Within”
Was Jesus Violent When He Harassed the Temple Money-Changers?
Gandhi Said Freedom Is Connected to Equality, and is Crucial to Humane Life
