I n every Charismatic or Pentecostal congregation I’ve attended, worship was thunderous, prophecy flowed freely, and spiritual experiences were the proof of a “vibrant faith.” These practices were presented as evidence of the ultimate truth. But for some believers, the same practices became fertile ground for religious psychosis—more accurately, psychosis with religious content—where hallucinations and delusions were shaped by faith itself. Psychosis is a medical condition involving a break from reality: hallucinations (such as voices), delusions (fixed false beliefs), and loss of insight. Religion doesn’t directly cause psychosis, but emotionally charged preaching and environments that encourage believers to hear God’s voice or fight unseen demons can worsen vulnerability and delay treatment ( Lloyd, Reid & Kotera, 2021 ). Psychosis with religious themes is not rare. Studies across cultures and diagnoses show that anywhere from 20-60% of deluded patients report religious content ...

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...