Until recently, I’ve opted not to speak on the Israel-Palestine conflict in any public capacity: not on any of my platforms, not on social media, not at social gatherings, and especially not at work!
While the conflict predates my existence, it’s been an especially contentious topic since October 7, 2023 - the day Hamas led a coordinated, surprise attack against Israel. As others rushed to social media and traditional media spaces to voice their take on the matter, I decided to remain silent - not because I had nothing to say, but because I doubted my ability to engage the topic competently and graciously. I also feared the backlash and “cancellation” that would surely come to me for expressing deep concerns for, as well as sharp criticisms of, parties on both sides.
Nevertheless, a recent conversation with a coworker gave me a new perspective on the topic, and it finally emboldened me to publicly speak on the matter as much as the Lord would allow.
With more than 50 years of faithful preaching of the Scriptures and zero public scandals, Pastor Begg had certainly earned my unofficial designation as a “solid” celebrity pastor. However, his recent handling of a cultural matter countered a Biblical worldview, and this was not at all consistent with the reputation that has long preceded him.
Which begs the question that many have raised in recent weeks: What are we, as Believers, now to do with Alistair Begg?
Since publishing the original SITMAC series in 2018, I’ve received several requests to write another installment. Admittedly, I didn’t believe one would be necessary because, as my logic went, by exposing the up and coming protégés of the old guard (see Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, etc), it should be easy to sniff out other false and extremely problematic preachers and pastors by association. Those birds all seemed to flock together, so writing about yet another member of their coop felt redundant.
What I didn’t consider at the time, however, was the role social media was beginning to play in platforming charlatans who don’t necessarily have ties to the old guard. I also didn’t consider how, thanks to social media, false teachers and problematic brothers (and sisters) no longer need a pulpit or a local church to sow error and confusion before a mass of God’s people.
Prior to episode 902 of the Relatable Podcast with Allie Beth Stuckey, I had extremely little knowledge of Kat Von D.
I’ve certainly heard her name in passing as I’ve consumed pop culture news over the years. In recent weeks, for example, I’d seen various headlines reporting on her recent baptism into Christianity. So, indeed, I’ve definitely heard of her.
Yet, I’m embarrassed to admit that I was so unfamiliar with her claims to fame and professional résumé that I initially confused her with the burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. In my defense, both women do have “Von” in their names; they’re both undeniably gorgeous, fair-skinned brunettes who often rock a bold, red lip; and they are both closely associated with Marilyn Manson.
In the premiere episode of Season 4 of Truth + Fire: The Podcast, host Veritéetfeu tackles "married single motherhood", a parenting phenomenon where married mothers take on the sole responsibility to care for their children. But is this practically beneficial for the mother, the father or their children? More importantly, is it Biblical?
Since Ferguson, Lecrae’s been much more vocal about racial injustice, and he’s taken some heat for that. In recent interviews he’s implied this backlash has come because American Christians are just too privileged to “get it”. According to him, the American Christian culture sees a black man speaking on such matters as being “too black”.
But as a Black Christian, I’ve have to interject and say, NO, my brotha! That is NOT the heart of the issue.
Author and White Privilege Conference speaker, Paul Kivel recently argued that everything negative in American society can be traced back to Christianity – racism being chief among them. I found it challenging to understand how he could rightly blame Christianity, in and of itself, for racism other than to characterize it as “the white man’s religion” and to bash the King James Bible as racist propaganda. So, I sought to determine if Kivel's claims had any legitimacy.
Is Christianity the white man’s religion? And does it, through the Bible, support racism and the inhumane treatment of Blacks and other people of color? Here are my thoughts.
It’s been a rough week.
As nine innocent churchgoers lost their lives last Wednesday night at the hands of a shooter poisoned by hatred – scratch that – sheer EVIL, I sat in the comfort of my home drafting a carefully crafted piece on forgiveness, specifically what it truly means, how to extend it, and how certain attitudes can hinder it.
In the days leading up to writing that piece, I’d wrestled with God over the topic because I felt it wasn’t ‘sexy’ enough. We’d been privy to the bizarre and the strange that is the Rachel Dolezal story for days at that point, and I felt I was losing too much precious time writing about “forgiveness” when I’d much rather get in on some “transracial” action!
But God nagged me to publish my next post on forgiveness and, honestly, I didn’t get it. I initially felt the subject had absolutely no relevance. “Who would even read it,” I thought. But I soon came to realize why God inspired me to speak on that particular topic.
