Some prominent Christians are quietly trying to resurrect ex-gay Christianity, and the new incarnation is hipper and perhaps more evolved. Yet beneath the cosmetic tweaks sits the same message that has damaged many lives over many decades: If you’re a Christian with same-sex attractions, change is both possible and necessary.
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I grew up in an evangelical Christian minister’s home during America’s “Just Say No” era, which means I spent most of my life believing that marijuana was just one more sinful tool that the devil used to shred America’s moral fabric. But that was before I developed a mysterious and debilitating chronic pain disorder…
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My struggle with chronic pain began out of the blue. One gray December day, I woke up and couldn’t feel my hands. I wrung my arms, shook them violently. Held them under hot, then cold, water.
No sensation.
I’m a full-time writer whose typing hands pay the rent. Panicked and bewildered, I called my doctor. “Probably carpal tunnel syndrome,” she said.
The symptoms worsened. Prickly tingling crept up my arm and into my shoulders. The numbness became burning, aching, stabbing pain. Even my fingernails seemed to throb…
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Dear Brooklyn,
I will never get over you. How could I?
When I pulled up to that gray building next to a poor excuse for a park, it was one big trust fall for this Southern boy. I wasn’t sure I had the chops to survive here, so I promised everyone I’d stay 8 months and not a day longer.
When Christian author Rachel Held Evans died unexpectedly last week from brain swelling, it set off a wave of lament online. After the announcement of her passing, the hashtag #becauseofRHE trended globally on Twitter as people retold stories of how Evans and her work had impacted their lives. A GoFundMe campaign launched to help cover her family’s medical expenses set a goal of $70,000. It has raised more than $200,000.
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I’ve been thinking a lot about doubt lately—what it is, why we resist it, and whether it is actually a gift to people of faith. If you’re in the midst of a faith crisis, check out my interview with Austin Fischer, pastor and author of Faith in the Shadows.
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The December sky was low and gray on the morning I woke up and could not feel my hands. I wrung out my arms, hoping the sensation would return. I shook them violently to no avail. Rushing to the bathroom, I held them under hot water. Then frigid water. Neither helped… Read More…
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Everyone in “religion” has heard of (and has an opinion of) Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan is one of America's most prolific religion and culture writers. I’ve known Jonathan for a long time and I consider him a friend. In this two-part series, we talk about his new book Learning to Speak God from Scratch, plus a few other topics. Read more…
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America’s largest Protestant denomination has seen better days. Last week, an investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News reported more than 700 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by nearly 400 church leaders going back to 1998. Read More…
Shortly after Fox & Friends aired a segment about proposed legislation to incorporate Bible classes into public schools on Monday morning, President Donald Trump cheered these efforts on Twitter. Read more…
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In a culture dominated by sharp opinions, admitting uncertainty comes at a cost. The Christian musician Lauren Daigle just learned that lesson the hard way. Read More…
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