There’s a very simple bit of theology that Christians don’t seem to have caught onto yet: According to the Bible, we (at least those of us in the body of Christ — this doesn’t apply to Christians in the Israel of God) can do whatever we want to do (1 Corinthians 6:12). Does the Bible… Continue reading All things are permitted
Articles by Drew Costen
Questioning your presuppositions
While truly questioning one’s theological presuppositions is rare among Christians, the real hallmark of a heretic is that he or she is willing to reject the ideas that conflict with reality, regardless of how “orthodox” said beliefs may happen to be and how much trouble he or she might get into for following the evidence… Continue reading Questioning your presuppositions
God’s terrible mistake
On the third day of creation, God made a mistake so extreme that the world still hasn’t fully recovered. I know, it’s hard to believe, but after two days of creating a whole universe you’d have trouble maintaining perfection too. The physics involved in creating gravity alone would be enough to drive a mere mortal… Continue reading God’s terrible mistake
Why we should keep the law out of the courtroom
If the Mosaic law was created to get people to sin more rather than less, as Romans chapter 5 tells us it was, then it seems to me that the people who want the 10 Commandments posted in or around court houses and schools are actually encouraging sin rather than discouraging it. Which isn’t the end… Continue reading Why we should keep the law out of the courtroom
The evangelical abortion inconsistency
If you’ve read many of my posts, you know by now that one of the most consistent traits of Christians is that they’re not very consistent in their theological thinking. This is possibly no more obvious than in their views on the subject of abortion. Most evangelicals I know of, for instance, are extremely anti-abortion,… Continue reading The evangelical abortion inconsistency
We are all innocent
Those who know me well know that I don’t believe in “free will,” or at least that I think it’s the biggest misnomer there is, philosophically and theologically speaking. Every person alive is a victim of their genetics and past experiences. In other words, every choice we make is predetermined by a combination of our… Continue reading We are all innocent
Do Universalists need Jesus?
Someone I know recently said that if Universalism is true then we don’t need Jesus and, since I’ve heard this statement too many times from too many traditionalists, I felt a need to give a short response to it here. As a Universalist, I like to respond to assertions like this one with a parable… Continue reading Do Universalists need Jesus?
An actually biblical TULIP
Believe it or not, I find that there is a little bit in Calvinism to agree with, particularly the fact that they believe everyone for whose sins Christ died will be saved. There are some points where we disagree, however, because Calvinists don’t understand that Christ died for everyone’s sins, so I thought I’d give… Continue reading An actually biblical TULIP
You are already a heretic
It doesn’t matter what your theological views are, nor does it matter what denomination your church is; no matter who you are, you are considered a heretic by some other group of Christians out there. What most people don’t realize is that the definition of “heresy” isn’t “false teaching,” just as the word “orthodoxy” doesn’t… Continue reading You are already a heretic
If you were a Universalist
I was recently reminded of a great old (possibly apocryphal) story about the 19th-century Universalist, Hosea Ballou: Ballou was riding the circuit in the New Hampshire hills with a Baptist minister one day, arguing theology as they traveled. At one point, the Baptist looked over and said, “Brother Ballou, if I were a Universalist and… Continue reading If you were a Universalist