Benjamin L. Corey's Blog, page 42
June 27, 2014
3 Key Reasons Why Religious Right Leaders Are So Angry
What's worse from their perspective, is the situation is more than just the fact these "kids" aren't interested in leading the next generation of the religious right, but that they've actually switched sides. While conservative leaders were stuck in the old culture wars, those of us in progressive/emergent Christianity happily welcomed these kids into our fold (and gave them a few books to read). Today, these "kids" now make up a core block of the opposition to the very movement they were once destined to lead.
June 25, 2014
What Jesus Talked About When He Talked About Hell
The word Jesus uses in Greek is γέεννα (Gehenna), which actually means "The Valley of the Son of Hinnom". An over simplified description of Gehenna would be that it was the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem; this was the place where both garbage and dead bodies would be discarded and consumed by a fire that was likely always burning. The location goes all the way back to the book of Joshua, and was a place where bad things happened-- child sacrifice, bodies were cremated, etc. Basically, imagine a dump where garbage is burned add into that the vision of burning bodies and a historical connotation of child sacrifice, and you'll see that it wasn't a very desirable place. However, it was a very literal place and the original audience of Jesus would have understood it as such. They would not have heard the word Gahenna and thought of our concept of hell-- they would have realized Jesus was talking about an actual place outside the city.
Meriam Yehya Ibrahim and The First World Problem of “Religious Persecution”
It seems that what has happened here is that persecution in America has become just another example of the way we view “problems” in a first world setting. Regardless of what actually is occurring elsewhere, we’re consumed with what we perceive is happening here, and behave on a practical level as if our “problem” is way worse. The way we’ve come to view persecution is no different than how we’ve come to view so many other issues.
June 24, 2014
Meriam Yehya Ibrahim arrested AGAIN in Sudan! This is what real persecution looks like.
Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, the woman who was just freed from death row in Sudan, has been arrested AGAIN. Ibrahim had been previously arrested on death row and awaiting 100 lashes plus death by hanging once her baby, born in prison, was older and weaned. She was sentenced to the 100 lashes for adultery as the [Read More...]
Why Some Christians Are Universalists (Letting Go of Hell Series)
Continuing the discussion on hell we started yesterday, I was asked to show the third option that exists beyond eternal conscious torment (the traditional hell), and annihilation. The third option that exists, of course, is universalism. Yes, there are Christian Universalists– and they’re not a new thing. Christian Universalists existed among the early church, contributed [Read More...]
June 23, 2014
Letting Go Of Hell (Without Letting Go Of The Bible)
Affirming that scripture is inspired and true means one must also affirm the “eternal, conscious torment” of hell, correct? Nope– not at all, and today I’ll explain how it’s possible to let go of hell without letting go of the Bible. I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, and saw that Evangelical [Read More...]
June 20, 2014
Be Not Deceived: There’s No Such Thing As A “Christian Banker”
The Bible calls bankers who lend money for interest an "abomination". Why aren't we putting them out of the church?
June 19, 2014
You’ll Never Understand The Bible Until You Understand Jesus
True story: nearly loosing my eye 14 years ago taught me how to better read and interpret the Bible. I was just moving into my condo in Tumon, Guam. I was so excited to move in– it had a beautiful balcony overlooking the Philippine Sea, was just a short walk from the beaches, and I [Read More...]
June 18, 2014
What’s So Complicated About “Love Your Enemies”?
If there’s one thing I don’t understand about modern Christianity in America, it’s this: The offensiveness of enemy love. If one takes a public stand against, say, any sin you can think of, one is considered “courageous” and a “defender of the faith”. Folks will quickly applaud you and tell you how much they admire [Read More...]
Permission to Ask The Hard Questions (Scripture for the 21st Century)
Many individuals walking from conservative expressions of Christianity perhaps would walk away from Christianity entirely if they did not have a safe place to ask hard questions. We must continue to encourage and welcome the asking of these hard questions, and continue embracing a God who is big enough to handle it.
