Parchment & Pen Blog

There was a funny scene in an otherwise forgettable movie (and that’s not so much a criticism as a confession that I actually can’t remember what it was) in which a couple of average white Americans pretending to be renowned Japanese scientists – complete with Japanese name tags –  introduced themselves to someone who asked [...]

I’m not a legal scholar or an expert on the issue of same-sex marriage, but I’d like to offer some thoughts I have had on the subject for some time. Specifically, I want to address the complaint that the traditional restriction of marriage to unions of a man and a woman are discriminatory against gay [...]

I have been asked this quite a few times over the years and the issue was brought up again recently. Can homosexuals be Christians? Or, better, is there such a thing as a “homosexual Christian”? Many would believe that someone who engages in a homosexual life style is necessarily excluded from the Kingdom of God [...]

Occasionally, I will get asked by one of my fellow African-americans what race do I think Jesus was.   Typically, what goes along with that question is the reflection of how Jesus has been displayed in artwork throughout Christianity’s existence.  Usually, the sentiment is juxtaposed with a sense of indignation that spurns the anglo, eurocentric dominance of such art [...]

I remember back in seminary, there was a small yet militant movement of students who were evangelists of the anti-birth control movement. They were not against it because the believed it was an attempt to control God’s plan, but because they believed that all birth control, save “fertility awareness” and condoms, caused abortions. This put [...]

From the very beginning of the Christian faith, believers’ commitment to Christ was often tested with their own blood. Stephen was the first casualty; James a few years later. During the Neronic persecutions, many believers— Peter and Paul among them—gave up their lives for Christ in the city of Rome. Whether this persecution officially went [...]

Life is a precious gift of God. Christians see life as something that must be preserved, enjoyed, and celebrated. Yet Christians—evangelical Christians—are often among those who support the death penalty. How can this be? Isn’t there an inconsistency with the Christian witness of life, grace, and mercy and support of the death penalty? Isn’t there an [...]

Greg CromartieHost of Theology Unplugged Ideas have consequences. The ideas passionately debated in Michael’s blog: Emergers On Abortion: Where Do You Stand? are no exception. We can discuss this issue until eternity without changing the consequences of the thing itself. That’s what I want to discuss here…"The Thing Itself." Those who support abortion rights and [...]