5 Things I Wish Christians Would Admit About the Bible
We do God and His Word a disservice when we turn Scripture into something it's not.
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John Pavlovitz
We do God and His Word a disservice when we turn Scripture into something it's not.
24 posts
is a pastor, writer and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. In the past four years his blog Stuff That Needs To Be Said has reached a diverse worldwide audience. A 20-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. He recently released his first book A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community.
Have We Made the Bible Into an Idol?
The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it. You’ve heard that phrase before. You’ve read it on bumper stickers. You may have even said it a time…
The Heresy of Nationalism
God doesn’t bless America. That’s not how this works. I’m sorry to break it to you, Bible Belt Christians—but that’s just how it is. I know this kind of wrecks…
I’m a Christian Who Says Happy Holidays
American evangelicals’ annual campaign against the supposed “War on Christmas” began early this year, with the president promising the perpetually oppressed faithful that we would once again be a nation…
Remember, the Bible Never Mentions A Building Called ‘Church’
Recently, I wrote this piece, encouraging people who love God but who for any number of reasons find themselves outside of a traditional church. A number of Fundamentalist Christians objected.…
5 Truths About White Privilege
The first time I heard the term “white privilege,” I did what many white people do. I leapt immediately to defending myself from whatever accusations those words generated in my mind, choosing to…
Confessions of a Recovering Christian Know-It-All
Hi, I’m a Christian—and I don’t know anything. Well, I know a whole heck of a lot less than I used to, and the simple fact that I’m OK admitting…
The Deeper Problem With Brock Turner’s Father Calling for Leniency in His Son’s Rape Case
You’ve surely heard by now about the unconscionable case of Brock Turner, the student at Stanford University who last year was accused of raping a fellow student behind a dumpster—while…
How to Debate on Social Media and Not Lose Your Soul
As with many people, I live a good portion of my waking moments on social media, engaging, writing, responding—virtually existing. As fruitful as it can be, there’s a toll this…
No, ‘Moral Decay’ Isn’t Happening More in America
You don’t need to look far to see that we’re in the middle of a cultural outcry—about almost everything. A few months ago, it was same-sex marriage and Kim Davis.…
The Greatest False Idol of Modern Christianity
Idolatry is a horrible, dangerous thing. Sadly, far too many of us are guilty of it. You can see it in the way we complain on social media, in the…
The Harm of Claiming There Is a ‘War on Christmas’
The yearly Christian obsession with the supposed “war on Christmas” began early last year, with a viral video of self-proclaimed car seat prophet Joshua Feuerstein’s rant against Starbucks before Thanksgiving…
Christians Shouldn’t Try to Scare the Hell Out of People
Now this was a nightmare. I was a year or so into my career as a student pastor, carelessly bounding through twisting cornstalk caverns on a crisp Fall evening in rural Pennsylvania, alongside…
What to Do When You’ve Lost Your Faith
“I just don’t know if I believe anymore … and I don’t know what to do about it.” I hear words like these every single day from people from every…
6 Ways Christians Can Give Faith a Bad Name
If modern culture were a prize fight, organized Christianity wouldn’t quite be knocked out yet, but it would certainly be on the ropes, way behind on points coming to the bell.…