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Category Archives: baggage
How Some Misguided Christian Beliefs are Very Harmful
Christianity is a very broad group of more than 2.3 billion people throughout the world, and there is tremendous variation in doctrinal beliefs among us. What we have in common is that we all, in some way, recognize Jesus as … Continue reading
Jesus Without Baggage Welcomes Inerrantists!
Last week, I posted an article in which I explained that appeals to inerrancy in discussions were totally ineffective with those who do not embrace inerrancy. I had in mind those inerrantist believers who aggressively argue against progressive believers but … Continue reading
Why Call Out Fundamentalist Views: Isn’t Everyone Entitled to Their Own Opinion?
Yes, everyone IS entitled to their own opinions (beliefs)—but not all opinions are equally valid (think ‘flat earth’), and some are very, very harmful. We could simply ignore our disagreement with harmful fundamentalist views, but that would leave potentially new fundamentalists … Continue reading
Thank You to My Jesus Without Baggage Readers for Making 2017 the Best Year Ever
Jesus without Baggage readers, I want to thank you! You made 2017 by far the most successful year ever for Jesus without Baggage (in its fifth year). In 2017 the blog had considerably more followers, views, and comments than ever … Continue reading
Patriarchy, Bill Gothard, and the Umbrella of Protection
In my fundamentalism of the 1960s, it was widely believed that the husband was the head of the house and that women were not allowed to preach. Many even objected to their wives working outside the home. The ideal wife … Continue reading
Posted in authority, baggage, fundamentalism
Tagged Bill Gothard, family, Institute in Basic Life Principles, umbrella of protection
34 Comments
Dealing with the Fear of Doubt and of Questioning Religious Beliefs We have been Taught
Growing up a fundamentalist, and then 25 years as an evangelical, I witnessed a lot of fear and experienced significant fear myself. These very conservative environments are filled with fear and, to a large extent, are based on fear—fear of … Continue reading
Posted in authority, baggage, doubt, evangelicalism, faith, fear, fundamentalism
Tagged Proverbs 14:12
48 Comments
How So Many Believers Completely Misunderstand God’s Love in John 3:16
I suppose most believers think John 3:16 is one of the most wonderful passages in the Bible—and I agree! This passage tells of God’s love for us in a very proactive way. This is why “John 3:16” is found everywhere: … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, baggage, God, hell, Jesus, love, The Father, the Good News
Tagged angry God, John 3:16, John 3:17-18, Penal Substitution
48 Comments
How Important are ‘Correct Beliefs’ to God?
Many believers think people who claim to be Christian but stray too far from ‘correct beliefs’ are not Christian at all. And the corollary is that they are going to hell—just for not getting their beliefs right! I used to … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, Jesus, judgment, love
Tagged Christian beliefs, communion, harmful beliefs, heretics
47 Comments
The Story of Sin and Salvation—Common Baggage Version (CBV)
From the time I started church as a second grader, I began to hear the story of sin and salvation. I heard it from the pulpit; I heard it from Sunday school; I heard it in adult discussions; and I … Continue reading
Posted in atonement, baggage, God, hell, Jesus, sin
Tagged Adam and Eve, angry God, crucifixion, salvation
44 Comments
5 Steps to Finding a Good Church Fit for You
Let me begin by saying that I cannot tell you for sure how to find a good church for you, but I feel I should address it the best I can since I get this question often. Frequently the question … Continue reading
Where Does the Blog Go from Here—Your Choice (a poll)
Hey Guys! We just completed a series on Jesus’ early work in Galilee and I would like to know your preferences for the next series. The new topic will begin the first of the year, with non-series posts between now … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, Jesus, judgment, polls
12 Comments
Helpful Updates to the About This Blog Page
The most-viewed feature on my blog by far is the About this Blog page; it also receives more comments and interaction than any other page. The page is an important introduction to the entire blog describing the essence and purpose of the blog, … Continue reading
This is the Anniversary of My Most Viral Blog Post Ever!
This time last year one of my posts, 6 Religious Beliefs that Cause Tremendous Harm, soared to become my most popular post of all time in only 13 days! It still stands as my most viral post ever. It begins: In … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, Bible, creationism, evolution, favorite blogs, gays, God, hell, inerrancy, legalism, sinners
5 Comments
We are not to Follow Burdensome Religious Rules
When I joined an evangelical denomination in 1970, they read me the teachings of the church. I agreed to abide by prohibitions such as drinking alcohol or using tobacco, swearing oaths, wearing jewelry, and belonging to lodges. There were also … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, behavior, Jesus, legalism, love, sin, The Father, the Good News
Tagged Matthew 23
33 Comments
Announcing Jesus Without Baggage Resource Pages
For the past few months, I have been working on compiling and organizing some of the best books, websites, and exceptional articles I have found on these seven important topics we discuss on Jesus without Baggage. I am very pleased … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, behavior, Bible, conditional immortality, evolution, gays, hell, inerrancy, legalism, love, sin
Tagged angry God, violent God
7 Comments
This is the Transition in the Blog I Have Been Waiting For!
My father was a fundamentalist preacher who, during his ministry, pastored three different churches. As I was beginning my journey away from fundamentalism, I shared my discoveries with him and explained why I was changing some of my fundamentalist beliefs. … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, Bible, evangelicalism, fundamentalism, Jesus, love, the Good News
26 Comments
How Should We Respond to Those who Teach Harmful Beliefs?
This is the last post in the series on 6 Religious Beliefs that Cause Tremendous Harm. These are misguided beliefs that take us away from the Good News of Jesus to a life burdened with fear, condemnation, and religious baggage … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, evangelicalism, fundamentalism, love
Tagged 1 John 2, harmful beliefs, John 13, John 14, World Vision
37 Comments
My Most Popular Post of 2014
In September of this year one of my posts, 6 Religious Beliefs that Cause Tremendous Harm, soared to become my most popular post of all time (two years) in only 13 days! It begins: In my opinion, six mistaken beliefs … Continue reading
6 Religious Beliefs that Cause Tremendous Harm
In my opinion, there are six mistaken beliefs among Christians that cause incalculable pain, suffering, and lasting damage. On this blog I focus a lot on these baggage issues, as summarized on my About page: The belief that the Father … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, creationism, evolution, gays, God, hell, inerrancy, legalism, sinners
Tagged Christian Evolution, Jonny Scaramanga, Lana Hope, Rachel Held Evans, Samantha Field
50 Comments
Creating Disciples
I was in college in the mid-70s when an extreme discipleship program reached out and touched me. It was the Shepherding Movement that began with a group of six prominent Charismatic pastors. These pastors developed a system of accountability that … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, behavior, Jesus, judgment, witnessing
Tagged accountability, discipleship, Matthew 23, mentoring, Paul, Shepherding Movement
20 Comments
Jesus Without Baggage 