Why did God order all those people killed in the Bible? Why does he condemn people to Hell? Why did he let so-and-so die or such-and-such terrible thing happen? Even Christians like myself wrestle with these things. Unfortunately, giving a satisfactory answer (or rather, answers), would take ten books, four articles, and three Youtube videos. … Continue reading Why Does God Do Bad Things?
In case you haven't heard that word before, "Apologetics" is essentially a defense or explanation for your belief in God and/or his ways. If someone says, "God is dumb," and you say, "Nuh-uh," that's your apologetic. Not a good one, but still... Christians have been defending themselves for thousands of years now, as is instructed … Continue reading 5 Ways Christians Can Improve Their Apologetics
It's not enough to say there's a problem, as I and many others have. If anything's going to change, we have to offer advice and help, too. So today I'd like to offer an alternative to the one of the greatest dilemmas of Christian books and films: preachiness. Christians want to teach morals and lessons. … Continue reading How Christian Writers Can Teach Without Preaching
90% of everything is crap. That’s just nature; there is more attempt than skill, and even skill must be cultivated. So why do I complain that 90% of Christian art is crap? Because unlike the rest of the world, mainstream Christianity defends its crap. While this trend is thankfully changing, there are still a staggering … Continue reading Why Defending Bad Christian Art Shows Bad Theology
You know the story even if you haven’t read it. You probably said “Bah, Humbug” before you heard Scrooge grumble it. You know Scrooge as an adjective even if you don’t know the noun. It’s been adapted countless times, from stageplays to Hollywood, from historic accuracy to modern satire, from Muppets to mo-cap. A Christmas … Continue reading Why “A Christmas Carol” Still Works 175 Years Later.
Christians don’t like being old they HAVE to do something. Doesn’t that violate the whole “saved by grace, not by works,” thing? But while salvation isn’t earned by works, salvation, once gained, leads inevitably to works. They are the result, not the cause. This is why Jesus gave commandments even though he was coming to … Continue reading 4 Things All Christians NEED To Do
I'm normally not a fan of spy thrillers. They're okay, but they've never held my attention for long. I've never even seen the Jason Bourne movies. So when Paul Blake's back cover starts with "Alec Foster is no Jason Bourne," I took an interest. I'd met Paul Blake on Twitter and read a few of … Continue reading Book Review: “A Young Man’s Game” by Paul Blake
So you're ani-curious, are you? The first bit of good news is that nobody uses the term ani-curious, so you'll never hear that stupid dribble again. However, you might hear a lot of baffling words and phrases that are simply part of the medium. Anime is its own culture, and it can be a confusing … Continue reading Intro to Anime: Terms You REALLY Need to Know
It is an insult when someone says that the work you created isn't worth their wallets. Not that they can't afford it, but that the weeks, months, or years put into it, the training you underwent, and the skill you've shown aren't worth a dime. That you are not a person with bills to pay, … Continue reading Book Pirates Are Not “Fans”
I’ve gotten a bit of attention for calling myself an R-Rated Christian. Usually, those two phrases go together like peanut butter and barbecue sauce. I’m happy to announce that most of the reactions I’ve gotten have been good. I’ve been able to find other Christians who are proud to don their over-eighteen moniker, and if … Continue reading R-Rated Christianity
