A Christians wrong about heaven?
Are Christians wrong in their thinking about heaven? Is it all clouds, singing and endless reminiscing? Bishop N.T. Wright doesn't seem to think so and I have to strongly agree. The general Christian perception of heaven seems to be shaped by culture and not Scripture. Wright quotes a children's book by California first lady Maria Shriver called What's Heaven, which describes it as "a beautiful place where you can sit on soft clouds and talk... If you're good throughout your life, then you get to go [there]... When your life is finished here on earth, God sends angels down to take you heaven to be with him." That, says Wright is a good example of "what not to sa

Spiritual arrested development
If you have ever been to a Christian rally of some description, you will have no doubt heard the following question:     What if you died tonight, would you be ready? Would you go to heaven or hell?      In retail circles this is known as the hard sell. It is a pointed question to force you into a decision without full facts, full knowledge or full understanding of what you are committing to. This question has always grated against my soul for two reasons" First, as I've already said, it's a hard sell and you don't know all the facts. Christianity is about becoming Christ-like, but asking a question purely on eternal destina

Bait and switch Christianity
Richard Beck over at Experimental Theology and written a fantastic article about about the phenomena of Bait and Switch Christianity. When she reached spiritual matters we had the following exchange: "I need to spend more time working on my relationship with God." I responded, "Why would you want to do that?" Startled she says, "What do you mean?" "Well, why would you want to spend any time at all on working on your relationship with God?"

Faith and the unknown
While reading another blog this morning I came across this definition for faith, and I quite enjoyed it:     Faith is a recognition of human limitation followed by an attitude of openness and trust towards the unknown. This is not specific to religious faith, although it does encompass it. What are the things we have faith in? I have faith in people / relationships. I have faith in the trust I have given to my wife and the openess I share with my friends. Faith that it will not be betrayed. I have faith in some institutions. I have faith in the trust I've g

All love is an exercise in faith
All love is an exercise in faith. A few conversations recently reminded me of this truth. One with an atheist believer, another with a Christian believer. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. - 1 John 4:7-9 My atheist believing friend wanted proof of God so I asked him if he loved his children. Of course he said yes (a