My book Hell Bent comes out Sep 30, but it makes a huge difference if you pre-order it! Pre-ordering helps to increase a book’s reach and broadcast its message. It’s especially important for first time authors! If this message means something to you, it would mean the world if you pre-ordered my book.
Comment “Link” below and I will send you a preorder link straight to your DM‘s!
Christians once used the Bible to defend slavery—verses and all. But abolitionists saw a deeper truth: the gospel is about liberation.
That same lens can—and must—be applied today.
Affirming queer people isn’t a rejection of the Bible. It’s the faithful continuation of a liberating tradition that centers love, justice, and human dignity.
if you’re interested in a more liberating kind of Christianity, you may appreciate my Substack, where I write about the spirituality of Jesus, which was a spirituality of love. Comment “beloved” below, and I will DM you a subscribe link!
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#QueerChristian #ProgressiveChristianity #FaithAndJustice #AffirmingChurch #Deconstruction #LGBTQChristian #exvangelical #inclusion #pride
Jesus was not more concerned with protecting supposed “Biblical truth” than he was with protecting PEOPLE. Jesus always put people before dogma.
According to Jesus, the whole purpose of religion is to lead us into LOVE. When our religious rules do not lead to greater human flourishing, we don’t keep the dogmatic rule at the expense of people! This is why Jesus said humans were not made for the Sabbath command- the Sabbath was made for humans.
Jesus taught us to change for the sake of the person in front of us- that’s the best reason to change.
Nothing is more arrogant and dangerous than someone who thinks that they already have all the answers, and that encountering diverse perspectives should not change their settled, rigid beliefs.
Our worldview should always be shifting as we encounter diverse voices- we should always be widening to enlarge the scope of our love.
For example, a few months ago I read an incredible book by a queer black woman called “The Day God saw me as Black.” The author had a chapter about what it was like to live in her body. She wrote about how her body is often “defeminized” because of her size, making her both invisible and hyper visible. As someone with an entirely different embodied experience, it was so good for me to contemplate life in a different body, especially one that encounters marginalization I know nothing about.
This is the opposite of toxic. This is how our hearts are enlarged.
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#empathy #christiannationalism #deconstruction #exvangelical #spirituality #jesus #inclusion
**CORRECTION** Ty is not married to Michael. He is married to a man named Alex. I misread Melisa’s substack article and misinterpreted her sequence of pictures. BUT… the entire heart of this post still stands. Michael is a gay man who re-released this song with Ty Herndon who is a gay man. And Testify To Love is now an anthem for queer love!😤
Go stream the NEW Testify To Love and let’s reclaim our lives together. @michaelpassons@tyherndonofficial@melissagreene
#lovewins #exvangelical #deconstruction
I’m just kidding; most pastors don’t go to seminary!! 🙃😭
But seriously, there is a major information/education gap between biblical scholarship and the American pews.
What are some other things you were surprised to learn? Comment below! 💖
PS- yes I realize there are six things, I added an extra one last minute and forgot to change the first slide 😂
Follow @berecker
On Sunday, May 17th, Christian Nationalists are claiming to rededicate America to God on the National Mall. Christian Nationalism is a heresy — an abuse of Christianity that uses religion for power and domination.
Faith leaders from all around the country are coming together to offer a vision that redirects the nation toward what is loving, just, and good for all.
Redirect250.org will be streaming sermons, meditations, and prayers from 9am–6pm on Sunday, May 17th. Diverse faith leaders from around the country will point the nation toward liberty and justice for all.
Smith says that people who put distance in the relationship over politics should “kick rocks, go to hell, I don’t want to see you or talk to you ever again.” So to be clear, according to Smith it *is* good and right to cut someone totally out of your life—if they actually care enough about other human beings and the impacts of your politics to do something about it. Bit of a double standard my guy! Sounds to me like he evaluates people based on how they treat *him* rather than if they actually have ethical standards or a moral backbone. I can see why he likes Trump tbh!
Trump also evaluates people solely based on their opinion of him. It’s one of the biggest signs of a self obsessed narcissist with no clear ethical framework other than self-absorption.
Would be pretty cool if “Christian man” wasn’t a red flag!! 🚩🚩
Some dudes are about to chime in with a, “not all Christian men!” — before you do, maybe take a moment to listen to the women in the comments who know exactly what I’m talking about 😭😭
“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” - DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR
#ssu #jfi #ststephensuniversity #mlk
We can’t personal responsibility our way out of this one, folks✨
PS— how many of our problems stem from people having no clue how much $1 billion actually is?
Jesus was political, Jesus stood against oppressive systems, spiritual and natural, what is more spiritually oppressive and sinful, than systemic white supremacy?
Do you guys think the black church can return to its political activism and re-dedicate itself to the liberation of black people?
#WHMPartner
