by John Ellis Every so often, I wish that my kids could have the schooling experience that I did. My time within the Christian school movement, from kindergarten through high school, was, for the most part, fun and contained a sense of community. I can’t help but wonder if my kids who attend public school … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 3
Tag: Christianity
A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 2
by John Ellis Desiring sympathy and solidarity as we seek an autonomous existence apart from God isn’t new. That’s part of the trap our first parents, Adam and Eve, walked into. In Genesis 3, the Bible calls Serpent-Satan, “crafty.” He is beguiling and a master at feigning understanding through his soothing slither of commiserating words. … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 2
A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 1
by John Ellis On August 2, 1975, I was born for the first time. Interestingly, one of the most vivid metaphors that Jesus used to describe salvation is birth. During a clandestine meeting with a Jewish religious leader, Jesus made the astonishing claim, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 1
A Godless Fundamentalist: Introduction and Prologue
by John Ellis Introduction In 1994, Douglas Coupland, the unofficial spokesperson for Gen X, published Life after God. A collection of short stories, the book gave voice to the belief that my generation was “the first generation raised without God.” Beyond just seeing the release of one of Gen X’s seminal works of art, 1994 … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Introduction and Prologue
‘Dixie Highway’ and the Lingering Disgrace of Confederate Monuments
by John Ellis In a recent expose, The New York Times calls into question the validity of allowing stretches of roads in Florida to retain the name “Dixie Highway.” The highway system was originally envisioned in the early 20th century as an ambitious project to connect Chicago with Miami. As more states became involved, the … Continue reading ‘Dixie Highway’ and the Lingering Disgrace of Confederate Monuments
The Gospel and Poverty
“Blessed is the one who considers the poor.” Psalm 41:1 by John Ellis In 2011, successful Wall Street bond trader Chris Arnade walked into one of the Bronx’s worst neighborhoods. Prior to his foray into America’s world of poverty, Arnade was warned that “it was too dangerous, too poor.”[1] He didn’t care and went anyway. … Continue reading The Gospel and Poverty
The Gospel’s Relation to Social Justice and Mercy Ministries
by John Ellis I wrote and posted this article on my previous blog a few months ago (October 2019). It’s a topic that continues to concern me. And it’s a topic that exists within a larger cultural framework that prioritizes this earthly kingdom’s concerns over that of the Eternal Kingdom’s concerns. During a long phone … Continue reading The Gospel’s Relation to Social Justice and Mercy Ministries
President Trump: ‘We Have God on Our Side’
by John Ellis Our President who has famously boasted that he doesn’t have any need to repent is now crowing that, “we have God on our side.” Presuming to speak for God, President Trump made his assertion to a crowd of his adoring worshipers at the inaugural “Evangelicals for Trump” event held at a megachurch … Continue reading President Trump: ‘We Have God on Our Side’
‘The Walking Dead’ and Christianity: Morality Did Not Evolve
“If we humans are simply biological bundles of phenomenally experienced pain and pleasure that constitute happiness and unhappiness, why be obliged to maximize general happiness?”[1] Christian Smith by John Ellis Herbert Spencer’s famed Darwinian maxim “survival of the fittest” has proven quite problematic for material positivists, not to mention problematic for the general well-being of … Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’ and Christianity: Morality Did Not Evolve
How to Convince an Atheist that God Exists
by John Ellis According to the most recent data I could find, self-described atheists make up 4% of America’s population. Pew reports, “this is up from 2% in 2011.” Add in the 5% of Americans who describe themselves as agnostic, and nearly 1 out of every 10 Americans are sceptics of the highest order. In … Continue reading How to Convince an Atheist that God Exists
Practically Known Theology 