The Inbetweeners

 Initially, I thought I'd explain my post yesterday.  "Embrace the Pandemonium"  But, instead, I thought I'd show you what that means by moving on to something entirely.  Pentecostal Churches. As a former Pentecostal, turned Baptist turned Agnostic, I have mixed feelings about Pentecostal churches.  On the one hand, a Pentecostal church deepened my relationship with God . The church's emphasis on engaging with God constantly, intentionally and dynamically helped me build a relationship with God that continues to this day; albeit in a different form. The idea that it is my responsibility to establish a personal relationship with God forced me to engage with her on my terms. It forced me to reevaluate how my relationships reinforce or distract from my faith and be intentional about the relationships I pursue. Also, Pentecostal churches were entertaining. It didn't feel like going to church. It felt like brunch with you and your 700 closest friends. On the othe...

When we think of blasphemy, many of us think of taking the Lord’s name in vain. But very few of us understand what this means. Taking the Lord’s name in vain goes beyond the occasional “Oh My God” and towards something more substantive. It is failing to take God, and his message seriously. It is a failure to afford, not just the name of God, but his teachings the respect they deserve. And this failure manifests itself in more than just a simple slip of the tongue. Sometimes, blasphemy means re-writing, not translating, the entire Bible to suit your needs. Christianity is replete with those who seek to re-write the Gospel and appropriate its’ moral authority to their own ends. A modern-day example is the Bible used by the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) or the Mormons. In addition to their own text – the Book of Mormon which explains God's relationship with the people of the indigenous people of the Americas by placing one of the lost tribes of Israel on the American continent – ...