I n his article " There's No Such Thing As An Ex-Christian ," Pastor Ed Collins of the North Christian Church in  North Dighton, Massachusetts,  asserts that individuals who claim to have left the Christian faith were never truly Christians to begin with. He mocks those who claim to be ex-christian, apparently basing his opinion on the doctrine of eternal security, which suggests that once someone is genuinely "born again," they remain a child of God forever, no matter what. Therefore, according to Collins, anyone who departs from the faith was never "authentically" saved. While his perspective may align with some theological interpretations, the "You were never truly a Christian™" message fails to recognize that the broader Christian tradition encompasses a wide diversity of views on salvation, apostasy, and the nature of faith.  The concept of eternal security, usually associated with Reformed Theolog y (ex: Reformed Baptists,   Luthe...

By Webmdave ~ I n this "Enlightened Age" of grandiose megachurches, faith healers, flat earthers, laughing revivalists and campaigners for creationism, one paradox remains as alive as ever: folks who are absolutely convinced they possess a direct line to the Divine still manage to consider everyone else’s beliefs as wacky fanfiction. Yet, while demanding unflinching reverence for their own God—who coincidentally shares their political views, national identity, and taste in flags—they dismiss others' deities as silly, quaint or downright dangerous. It’s not just ethnocentrism—it’s a full-blown tribal loyalty test, where the entry fee is suspension of disbelief (for your own ancient myths) and gleeful derision (for everyone else's). “The oddity of other people’s religion is always more apparent than that of one’s own.” This quote, attributed to Anthropologist Pascal Boyer , can be found in summaries and paraphrased interpretations of his book Religion Explained...

T he Resurrection of Jesus stands as the linchpin of Christian theology. Without it, the religion’s salvific framework falls apart. As Paul famously writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14 ,  “If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith is in vain.”  For believers, this is a miraculous and literal event; for many scholars, however, it is better understood as a mythological narrative — one that follows well-worn patterns from the ancient world. Resurrection and the Pattern of Dying-Rising Gods The Resurrection story did not emerge in a vacuum. As Jonathan Z. Smith , a historian of religion at the University of Chicago, points out in Drudgery Divine (1990), the ancient Mediterranean world was replete with stories of dying and rising gods. While Smith was critical of oversimplified comparisons, he acknowledged that early Christians developed their theology in dialogue with prevailing mythic motifs. “Early Christians didn’t invent the category,...

T he assumption that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure is nearly universal in Western thought. Yet a growing minority of scholars—most notably Dr. Richard Carrier, PhD—argue that this assumption deserves serious scrutiny. Carrier is a historian of antiquity trained at Columbia University and a prominent advocate of the “mythicist” position: the idea that Jesus Christ may have originated not as a real person, but as a mythical, celestial being later historicized by early Christians. In On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt (2014), Carrier applies Bayesian probability theory to historical evidence and concludes that “the probability Jesus existed is low—maybe as low as 1 in 3” (Carrier, 2014, p. 600). He asserts that the earliest Christian documents, particularly the epistles of Paul, describe a supernatural savior who performs salvific acts in a heavenly realm, not on Earth. Paul, writing decades before the Gospels, shows no knowledge of a recen...

S o, let’s get this straight. Jesus is God, but He also prayed to God. Which means… He was talking to Himself? And people still think the Trinity makes sense? Alright, let’s dive into this theological brain teaser with a bit of humor and a whole lot of skepticism. Jesus: The Divine Yet Prayerful Figure The claim that Jesus is God is one of Christianity’s biggest selling points. He’s not just a prophet, not just a teacher—He’s the Big Guy Himself in human form. But here’s where things get weird: Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is constantly praying to God. You know, like in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He sweats drops of blood and asks God to take the whole crucifixion thing off the table (Luke 22:42). Now, if Jesus is actually God, shouldn’t He already have the final say? It’s like a CEO sending an email to himself asking for a raise. Did He have some kind of divine split personality? Was He role-playing? Or was He just trying to set an example for the rest of us? The Trinit...

T he question of whether Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure or a mythological creation has been debated for centuries. While mainstream scholars generally agree that a historical Jesus likely existed, a growing number of researchers argue that the figure of Jesus was entirely mythical, constructed from earlier religious traditions and political agendas. This "mythicist" position, though often dismissed, has been championed by respected scholars such as Richard Carrier, Robert M. Price, and others. The Lack of Contemporary Evidence One of the strongest arguments against the historical existence of Jesus is the complete absence of contemporary records. No Roman historian, government record, or eyewitness account from the time of Jesus mentions him. The primary sources we have—namely, the Gospels—were written decades after his supposed death, by unknown authors who were not eyewitnesses. Prominent historian Richard Carrier , in his book On the Historicity of Jesus (2...

C hristianity as we know it today is, arguably, more a product of Paul than of Jesus. The core Christian doctrine—that Jesus' death served as a sacrificial atonement for humanity's sins—is nowhere clearly taught by Jesus himself. Instead, this strange and unsettling idea originates largely from Paul, whose letters and theological interpretations reshaped the simple moral teachings of Jesus into a complex and often dark theory of blood sacrifice and divine wrath. In essence, Paul hijacked the message of Jesus and replaced it with a bizarre atonement concept rooted more in Jewish sacrificial traditions and Hellenistic mystery religions than in anything Jesus actually preached. Jesus’ Teachings vs. Paul’s Theology The teachings of Jesus, as presented in the Gospels, emphasize love, forgiveness, and moral integrity. Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, and treat others as they would like to be treated. The Kingdom of God, according to Jesus, wa...

By TheRedneckProfessor ~ T he concept of hell, on its surface, seems pretty straightforward.    Sin, evil, injustice, inequity, and all manner of human depravity are eliminated in one final stroke of god’s divine retribution.    It appeals to our own sense of morality; because there is some part of humanity that earnestly believes in, seeks out, and, indeed,  needs , justice, fairness, and equality.    Hell seems to provide that.    Even when no justice is ever served on earth, in this life.    Hell provides the suffering for those who made us suffer.    We want the Hitlers and the Dahmers of the world to be punished; yet, at the same time, hell provides the incentive for kindness when mercy, compassion, and humanity fail.    Simple, straightforward retribution for the crimes and atrocities of the worst of us.   Yet, as a christian concept, hell is extremely difficult to defend, when viewed in relation to...

By Webmdave ~ A short discussion with a Christian believer Question: What do you mean when you say “free will.” Christian Believer Answer: Free will is the ability to make choices without external constraints. Q: Does God possess free will? CBA: God has the capacity to make choices, does not answer to any authority, is not limited by any external constraints, and cannot be coerced. God is unconstrained by all natural laws; He in fact established those laws and is sovereign over them. God most certainly possesses free will. Q: Then, In the same way, is God also unconstrained by moral laws? Since he established those laws, then he must hold sovereignty over them as well, right? CBA: There are certain things that God is incapable of doing because His perfect and holy nature disallows it. For instance, Titus 1:2 says that God “cannot lie.” God’s perfection prevents Him from lying and identifies an intrinsic property of God’s own character. God cannot be unfaithful to Himself; H...

We're running Modern Applications on a Caveman Operating System By James Aames ~ I n order to understand why humans have a seemingly instinctual inclination toward religious answers, you have to believe in evolution. If you don’t believe in evolution, stop reading now. You won’t agree with anything I’m about to say. Here’s a statement that we don’t often consider; we evolved to do four things.   Stay alive  Attract a mate  Procreate  Raise children to the age where they can procreate That’s all evolution was good for and nothing more. Those are the only things you needed to do to replicate your egotistical DNA. Our brains did not evolve to show us what is true or to help us be our own person. If you meet someone who believes in fairy tales, or simply follows the tribe, they are not less evolved than you. Rather, they are the template of humanity. People who reject mystical answers have rebelled against many instincts that humans evolved to survive. Cavema...

By James Aames ~  I t’s considered bad form to condemn all versions of Christianity, so most leading voices in religious journalism will only speak negatively of “high-control” religions or simply “cults.” However, the subtle implication of those terms is that “low-control religions” or “non-cults” are not harmful. This has always caused me to stop in my tracks. It’s wrong. Even though Christianity is a continuum of beliefs, all versions of Christianity are indeed harmful. For the purpose of this article, I need to define the word “Christian”? Any version of “Christianity” that does not believe in the redemption from original sin through the crucifixion of Christ is probably misnamed. Based on this definition, every Christian, in spite of all the good things they might do, are still partly responsible for America’s toppling into the chasm of a police state. They are all responsible for making parishioners chronically insecure and susceptible to strong-man leadership. They are al...

The following is a short interview with Bill Burkland, the author of a soon to be released book entitled " The Misconceived Conception of a Baby Named Jesus ." The book is available for preorder now. W hy did you write The Misconceived Conception of a Baby Named Jesus? I began the book because I wanted to make people laugh, and finished the book because I wanted to make them think. Sometimes humor is the best way to approach controversial or sensitive subjects. What sort of controversial subjects do you touch on in the book? Well, the book essentially challenges the entire Christian origin story. It challenges everything from the prophecies (and prophets) hundreds of years prior to the birth; it challenges the notion of a virgin birth, the role of the Wise Men and shepherds, the absurdity of miracles, and it challenges how Gospel writers like Luke, stitched together their stories. It challenges these stories through parody and satire. Why did you reach out to exChr...

By Webmdave ~ P eople with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) display a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, a lack of empathy, a heightened sense of self-importance, believe they are unique or “special,” and demonstrate an inability to take responsibility for their actions. I have experienced – up close – the abusive behavior these individuals are capable of inflicting on those around them. The biblical God is the ultimate example of these unhealthy traits. He believes the universe exists solely to worship him, and his vision of heaven revolves around constant adoration. Revelation 4:11 : “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” Narcissists tend to devalue or attack those who threaten their self-image. The God of the Bible displays this tendency by punishing all who stray from His worship and condemning all unbelievers to eternal damnation. Romans 1:18...

By Webmdave ~ Animals often strike us as passionate machines -- Eric Hoffer, Reflections on the Human Condition A s scientific advancements unveil the mysteries of the universe, it becomes increasingly evident that everything appears to operate mechanistically. Atoms, molecules, stars, planets, cells, and biological systems are fundamentally mechanical. If the existence of a supernatural, invisible soul within my body is negated, then it is undeniable that I too am a machine. Complex machines, including self-programming ones, remain machines nonetheless. Some individuals may contend that life forms are fundamentally distinct from inanimate objects, despite both being composed of atoms and molecules. However, a closer examination reveals that this distinction is tenuous.      

From a series of stories in the Provo Daily Herald in July and August 1985 warned of satanism in Utah County. By Wertbag ~  T he Satanic Panic was at its peak during the 1980's, where preachers around the world jumped on the bandwagon to claim that Satanic cults existed and were inflicting sexual and physical abuse on people as part of Satanic rituals, and that almost every form of pop culture was Satanic and hence evil. Some of these claims developed into anti-elite or anti-government conspiracy theories that exist to this day, including bizarre groups such as Qanon who claim a group of the world's wealthiest people gather to do child sacrifices, sexual abuse and child pornography. It is thought that the start of the Panic was in large part due to the hugely popular movies The Exorcist (1973), Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Omen (1976). When people who claimed to be victims of such cults were tested, the images they commonly referred to were scenes from the movies,...