In an attempt to be a little more *ahem* relational in my bloggy-blogging – not to mention, I really want to introduce my quite small number of readers to stuff I like – I am going to start posting a weekly blog about stuff I’ve found around the internets that I think is worth the time to take a peek at. Enjoy!
- Mallory Ortberg recounts (amicably) her upbringing as an evangelical, though she is an atheist now. [Warning: some profanity] (H/T Krista Dalton)
“Mallory,” he said, “I know you are a strong woman of God.” So far, so good. “I know you are very gifted, very intelligent.” He paused and wiped his glasses. “I think this impulse you have to – wield authority – over others, over men – comes from the Devil.” He said it kindly; he was not angry with me but concerned.
“Ah,” I said. Something to consider
- Rachel Held Evans outlines “Five Things You Don’t Have to Leave Behind When You Leave Fundamentalism.”
Fundamentalists often treat the Bible as a set of propositional statements designed to conform to modern, enlightenment-influenced expectations. It is flattened out and simplified, used as a weapon against other people and a prop for pet political and theological positions… Leaving fundamentalism means learning to accept the Bible on its own terms, loving it for what it is, not what we want it to be.
- Fred Clark (Slacktivist) responds to Tony Jones’ #progGOD incarnation question with an old post (though he’ll be doing a new one later)
But also — and here’s a wonderful part of the story we too often forget — the epiphany that unfolds from this freaky incarnation works both ways. If the person and the life of Jesus Christ taught us humans everything we need to know about God, that life also taught God what it is like to be one of us.
We should not let the theologians have the word faith. We should not give it to them. We should not give them the word hope, or other words like grace or even prayer. They don’t belong to the theologians; they belong to us. They are part of the furniture of human existence, part of the structure of human existence…
- Pat Robertson delivered a shocking statement on his stance regarding reconciling a literal understanding of the biblical writings and scientific understandings of the age of the earth. (H/T James McGrath)
- This came out a couple of weeks ago, but The Punch Brothers came out with a new EP called “Ahoy!” Great piratey music! Below is an awesome cover of “Icarus Smicarus” by Mclusky, which is included in the EP.
Did you find anything awesome this week? Post a link!
