caught somewhere between real life, simple faith, & raw emotion
Unauthorized Blogs
Talking about what no one wants to talk about.
Christian Horror Film About…Porn
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I’m feeling better so let’s get back into it…
In the world of oddities, some Christians have made a horror film. What?
It’s true.
The film is called Harmless and it centers around a box of porn.
I’m not kidding. From the movies official site:
“Harmless is a feature film shot in the popular found footage style. It’s the story about a husband and father and his battle with a box of porn that is found in the closet. Once opened, the box of porn begins to torment the family, much like a poltergeist. It’s sort of a social commentary on how pornography can destroy a family.”
Below is the trailer for the movie. And I must admit, it’s low budget (you might say ‘indie’ if you wanted to be generous about it). But I must also admit, I found it a little interesting.
Watch the trailer:
VIDEO: Wack-a-doo Christians
0I’m not sure how far you can get in this, but there are several laughs. Perhaps my favorite is the horn blowing at 3:00 mark.
New Bible Removes ‘Christ’
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So a couple weeks ago I talked about new Bible translations that remove “Father”, “Son”, and “Son of God” as not to offend anyone. Que your outrage because it gets worse…
>There is a new Bible called The Voice that takes out “Christ,” “angels,” and “apostle.”
Now, before you get your full outrage goin’, hit pause. Unlike the Bible translation that simply removes terms that might offend people (like Father, Son, and Son of God), which I would argue changes the very meaning, intent, and overall message, The Voice aims to be a simpler read.
Let’s compare. The ever-popular John 3:16-17 in the King James version reads:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
In The Voice it reads:
“For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life. Here’s the point. God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction.”
As I detail in my book, Bible translations range from the literal to the paraphrase. The Voice leans toward the paraphrase side of the spectrum, much like The Message.
>It is not really for in depth Bible study.
It is geared for the person who just wants to sit down and read on a lazy Sunday afternoon, perhaps. It is captures contemporary English (no King’s English or Shakespeare spoken here) in story from.
Just thought you should know.
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VIDEO: The Call
0Okay, just one more day of narcissism. Monday I posted some highlights from our road trip to Nashville and the Stand Together Fest. Here is footage that VENIA posted of the show last weekend when I performed “The Call” with them. It’s way better quality than my Flip video. Enjoy!
Dear Christian, Don’t Be A ‘Christian’
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*Below is an excerpt from my book 10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith. I thought this would be good due to my involvement with Stand Together Fest last weekend and I talk about my band Strongarm.
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I was in a band called Strongarm. Psalm 89 in the Bible inspired the name. It talks about God delivering his people with his strong arm. Our name also had a double meaning as an indirect reference to Jesus. But mainly I picked it because it sounded tough.
Musically, we called ourselves hardcore. The style fell somewhere between metal and punk rock. Like punk, it was outspoken and raw. Like metal, it was heavy and a little more polished. Either way, if you heard Strongarm, you’d probably wonder what the heck we were saying and why we were so mad. The style was passionate, aggressive, and cleansing. I loved it. I still do.
I was the lead singer, but I can’t really sing. So I was the screamer. I also wrote the lyrics. In fact, I wrote 15 of the 19 songs that are out there. But who’s counting? And I ran most of our business affairs. By the time I quit, we’d recorded a full-length album, released a few singles on seven-inch vinyl records, shot a music video, and done several small tours. There’s still a bunch of our merchandise floating around online auctions, if you’re interested.
I learned a lot in the band. Overall, it was a great experience. Though I quit in 1996, I still get a few emails a month from avid fans. I’m always complimented and honored by their well wishes.
When our first album, Atonement, came out, we did something out of character. We did a tour of Christian venues. The opportunity came up, so we took it for the quick exposure to support the record. There were a lot of memories, like the last show of the tour when we stood around and shared how much we hated each other before going on stage. Did I mention we were all Christians?
We brought along a friend named Tom. He volunteered to be our roadie, helping us with extra muscle. This gave him an opportunity to travel the country for free. He didn’t believe what we believed, but he was an amazing guy. We really liked him, and he liked our band. We also hoped the experience might have a positive influence on him. It influenced him all right.
One show in particular stands out. It was in Memphis. We arrived and were greeted by the promoter, who told us he’d received a call from our previous stop. They called to advise him that we weren’t “Christian” enough. They recommended he cancel the show.
You see, our friend Tom had an underground magazine (called a zine). He hoped to promote it and make contacts on the tour. There was some slightly coarse language in it, but it wasn’t a huge deal to us. It really wasn’t any worse than what is on primetime television. We just asked him to hand it out on his own time and not from behind our merchandise table.
Anyway, a parent got hold of one of the zines and went ballistic. So, we were horrified when we arrived in Memphis to accusations that our band promoted filth and pornography. At the time, we felt the parent’s reaction was unwarranted. Tom felt terrible about jeopardizing our tour. We felt bad for him. But something even worse had happened.
This hit Tom hard. He just wasn’t the same after that. He learned something about Christians. He learned to hate them. It’s something I’ve always struggled with, because there always seems to be some type of fallout when they’re around. The deeper issue was that Tom, like many, decided to stay away from Jesus. I don’t know where Tom is today, but in the grand scheme of things, I wonder if it would have been better if he hadn’t toured with us.
Nothing has discouraged me more in my desire to follow Jesus and know God than my observations of those who call themselves “Christians.” They make it so easy to hate them. They can be crazy, annoying, judgmental, and hypocritical.
Even worse, I regret that each of those words also represents me personally, to some degree.
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VIDEO: Stand Together Road Trip Highlights
2A long time ago in a galaxy far far away I used to be in a band called Strongarm. As a result, I still get emails from the scene. For example, a couple years ago I did a song with VENIA (RIP).
So last weekend there was a music fest called Stand Together Fest (by the way, that is the title of a Strongarm song). I got asked to do a cover of “Trials” by Strongarm with Debtor and to sing “The Call” with VENIA (it was the 2nd to last show ever). So I took the whole family. My kids loved it.
PS-It’s been 17 years since I did “Trials” so don’t be too hard on the old man!
Don’t Be Spiritual, Christian
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Everyone, religious or not, Christian or not, likes to be known as spiritual.
Sometimes it’ll go something like, “I don’t believe in organized religion, but I am very a spiritual person.” This seems to imply that a person is in tune with their soul (or true self), the environment around them, and others. But that’s not enough.
>Newsflash: Hitler was spiritual. Charles Manson was spiritual. It was just a different kind of ‘spiritual.’
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the term doesn’t really mean anything. It’s a catchall that sounds good but lacks any real meaning. It has style but no substance, if you will.
As a follower of Jesus, the goal should not be spirituality—or to be spiritual. The aim is higher and not so vague or ambiguous.
>Our best efforts are to be righteous and Christ-like.
Admittedly, these phrases are not going to be popular with co-workers during break time or your study group at school. So don’t use them in those settings! They are ‘inside baseball’ lingo and that’s okay.
Just know there is a difference. And let that understanding be you personal guide.
Strive to be righteous and Christ-like. That’s so much more than simply being spiritual.
It’s being godly.
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Killing Babies No Biggie
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I will be discussing and posting some awesome stuff from our road trip this weekend. But now it’s time for a heavy Monday. Sorry.
Here is a truly disgusting development. According to this article:
Parents should be allowed to have their newborn babies killed because they are “morally irrelevant” and ending their lives is no different to abortion, a group of medical ethicists linked to Oxford University has argued.
Sounds made up doesn’t it? Or something in some pseudo-civilized futuristic movie where every aspect of everyone’s life is controlled by the elites (like in Gattaca). Unfortunately, this is true.
These ‘medical ethicists’ published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, says newborn babies are not “actual persons” and do not have a “moral right to life”. The academics also argue that parents should be able to have their baby killed if it turns out to be disabled when it is born.
They call it an “after-birth abortion.” I suppose this makes them feel better, since it is nothing less than murder.
Regarding the most vocal objections, the journal’s editor, Prof Julian Savulescu, director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, said these are “fanatics opposed to the very values of a liberal society”.
So this is what a ‘liberal’ and ‘enlightened’ and ‘civilized’ society comes to? No, we don’t eat our young. We just kill them because they are a bit too inconvenient for the level of luxury we desire for our lives.
Disgusting. Lord forgive us for entertaining these ideas.
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VIDEO: Worst Guitar Solo EVAR!
0So I’m going to Nashville today to Stand Together Fest. I’ll be doing an old Strongarm song Trials with an awesome band called Debtor and doing the song I wrote with Venia entitled The Call. Looking forward to Roadtrippin’ with the family.
Anyway, just for fun here is the worst guitar solo EVAR! You gotta make to the end:
Christianity Is Harder Than You Think
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If I were cheesy, I’d make a t-shirt with the phrase Christianity is harder than you think.
Nothing is truer.
>If you are doing Christianity correctly—if you’re taking it seriously and really devoting yourself—it is very difficult.
It is hard to say ‘no’ to going out for drinks after work with the gang, so you don’t predictably end up doing something you shouldn’t. Maybe you think you can be a ‘good influence’ or even assume the role of designated driver. But it always ends with some regrets.
It’s hard to break up with someone you love, get along great with, and have tons in common with. It’s hard to finally face the fact that this person is not a Christian. He or she may be ‘Jesus-friendly’, but it just isn’t enough.
>If you’re faith doesn’t have regular and reoccurring moments of difficulty, you may be doing something wrong.
I’m not saying to be a contentious and cantankerous person. Don’t make things harder than they need to be. But taking a stand when it would be easier to be passive and ‘go with the flow’ isn’t easy.
It’s hard. It’s supposed to be.
Taking a stand singles you out, because Christianity is harder than you think.
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New Bible Translations Remove ‘Father’ & ‘Son’
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Just when you think you’ve heard everything, something pops up that manages to surprise you. There is a new controversy with a new Bible translation. This article points out:
A controversy is brewing over three reputable Christian organizations, which are based in North America, whose efforts have ousted the words “Father” and “Son” from new Bibles. Wycliffe Bible Translators, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and Frontiers are under fire for “producing Bibles that remove “Father,” “Son” and “Son of God” because these terms are offensive to Muslims.”
So what is the big deal. Let’s see some examples.
First, First, Wycliffe and SIL have produced Stories of the Prophets, an Arabic Bible that uses an Arabic equivalent of “Lord” instead of “Father” and “Messiah” instead of “Son.”
Second, Frontiers and SIL have produced Meaning of the Gospel of Christ , an Arabic translation which removes “Father” in reference to God and replaces it with “Allah,” and removes or redefines “Son.” For example, the verse which Christians use to justify going all over the world to make disciples, thus fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) reads, “Cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiahand his Holy Spirit” instead of “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Perhaps, this should passage should be called the Great Omission instead?
Third, Frontiers and SIL have produced a new Turkish translation of the Gospel of Matthew that uses Turkish equivalents of “guardian” for “Father” and “representative” or “proxy” for “Son.”
I get it. I get contextualizing our faith and message in order to reach people groups. But at what point are we destroying the essentials of the Gospel message. At some point, God calls us to change.
How far does this go?
Some people are even offended by mentions of God and Jesus. Maybe we should make a Bible with “Cosmic Force” and “Cool Dude” instead. Imagine John 3:16 now:
“For Cosmic Force so loved the world that Cosmic Force gave Cool Dude, so that whoever believes in Cool Dude should not die but have everlasting life.”
Isn’t that really rad? No.
At some point we missed the point and ruined the message. The Father and Son will be a stumbling block to some. Remember?
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VIDEO: Kill The Devil With Your Shoe!
0This is very bizarre. This pastor throws his shoes at a mock-up of the Devil. And then everyone in the church follows his lead. The best is the lady at the end beating Satan with her crutch and the other walloping him with her purse. I wish I knew all I needed a pair if Adidas to defeat evil.
Be Teachable, Christian
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Being teachable seems obvious but it is very difficult. The older you get, the more you experience and learn in life. Hopefully, as you grow in knowledge you increase in wisdom as well.
As a result, there is a tendency to rely on yourself, your experience, and your wisdom. Now, that’s not all bad or even ill advised, but it can be a problem.
>When no one can speak into your life, it is a problem.
When we rely only rely on our own wisdom and experience it is dangerous. It is a disgusting trait when someone has no curiosity or desire to learn about new things. This is called complacency and be sure to drive it far from your character.
That’s not to say you don’t have a unique perspective that is valuable. Or that you don’t have a singular vision in certain situations. You do. It just means that you need to be sure to glean wisdom from others as well.
>Gather what you know, ask others what they know, and move forward. And do this for the rest of your life.
So be teachable. Please be teachable.
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Wanna Get Mad At Some ‘Christians’? Then Watch This…
0You know them well. It’s the group from the church that holds up those terrible signs at soldier funerals and other highly visible events. They are from Westboro Baptist Church. Most people hate them. They even mad it into my book.
In any event, here is a heartbreaking news segment from a young lady who they banished. It’s terrible. Most importantly, these people are awful representations of Jesus and I have nothing in common with them. Watch it:
VIDEO: Countdown To Rapture
0Here is bizarre video depicting people waiting to get raptured. My favorite part is the flying at about the 6:00 mark. Enjoy!
Famous Atheist, Richard Dawkins, Not Sure If God Doesn’t Exist
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Last week there was a big atheist coming out. It was called the Reason Rally. It was held in Washington and where thousands of Atheists gathered to, well, I don’t know…come out against religion I suppose. I other words, it is ‘unreasonable’ to believe in God.
According the the Reason Rally website:
- The intent is to unify, energize, and embolden secular people nationwide, while dispelling the negative opinions held by so much of American society… and having a damn good time doing it!
- This will be a positive experience, focusing on all non-theists have achieved in the past several years (and beyond) and motivating those in attendance to become more active.
Now on to their own words…
There were many speakers. Several of the featured names were famous folks who sent in videos: Penn Jillette, Bill Maher and U.S. Rep. Pete Stark. Others, popular in the Internet niche of skeptics, free-thinkers and atheists, came to the microphone to address the soggy crowds in person. A sampling:
- Friendly atheist blogger Hemant Mehta urged people to run for office, any post from school board to Congress to dogcatcher.
- Greta Christina, author of Why Are You Atheists So Angry?,attacked every major faith, even the teachings of the Dalai Lama. In a long litany of what makes her angry, she got all the way back to Galileo (overlooking the modern Catholic Church’s restoration of his reputation). A bit ironic.
- Adam Savage, co-host of Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel, said there really is someone who loves and protects him and watches over his actions — “It’s me!” Christians do that too. It’s called responsibility and accountability.
David Silverman, Reason Rally organizer and American Atheists president, also spoke. His words were a thundering call for “zero tolerance” for anyone who disagrees with atheism.
Yummy!
Headlining was famous atheist, Richard Dawkins. So was he ‘reasonable’. You decide.
Dawkins called on the crowd not only to challenge religious people but to “ridicule and show contempt” for their doctrines and sacraments.
Mmmm good.
But now is a good time to poke a little back at Dawkins. Here is my favorite Richard Dawkins quote in which he says he cannot be sure God does not exist. Just thought you should see it. It’s very interesting, nonscientific, and unreasonable.
Or perhaps it’s the most reasonable thing he’s ever said. Watch it here:
Leadership is a BFD
0Today I’m talking about current events. So I was minding my own business this weekend reading the news and looking forward to seing the Hunger Games when I stumbled upon something that shocked me.
What was it?
I came upon this official Obama/Biden campaign shirt with cussing. And not just cussing. The king of cuss words:
Can you believe it?
Now, I’m not a prude. I’m not afraid of controversy (I mean, look at the title of my book). I appreciate the humor of the shirt. I appreciate them not running from the Joe Biden gaff this obviously refers to. I would be fine with it coming from third party company or independent campaign organization. I’d laugh and retweet it.
>But this is completely inappropriate coming from such a prominent leadership position–coming from the preeminent leadership postion in the world, even.
This office of president is something that should be handled with dignity, class, and the highest degree of character. It’s not a place to be crass, petulant, or petty.
I would be equally disturbed if the GOP came up with a shirt that said: Obama, WTF?!
This is just shameful and embarrassing. The office of president is something to look up to, something that should set the example, something I should be able to tell my kids about and how there is nothing higher or important to aspire to.
>Leadership is not a place to act like some trendy teenager chasing cool.
Does our culture need to grow up a little? Leadership is a big deal. We should treat it as such. It deserves a higher standard, especially when we claim to be a Christian (like both the president and vice-president do). No?
Just a thought.
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VIDEO: Creepy Teaching On Heaven
0This is a teaching on heaven from the 60′s (I think). It is CREEPY! Watch it because it gets even weirder as you go on. VERY strange part at the 2:19 mark. See you in heaven!
