Culture

By Josh Klein and Thomas Moller When I (Josh Klein) was younger, around thirteen years old, my best friend and I set out to write a book together. We were enamored by Star Wars. The world of Science Fiction seemed so appealing. New worlds, different species of hominids, laser swords (lightsabers), traveling at the speed of light and from system to system. I was into it all. Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate SG-1, you name it, I loved it. The reason I loved it had to do with thes

As a theologian, I've devoted my life to pursuing truth, wherever it leads—and no matter the cost. I’ve sought to think logically, interpret Scripture responsibly, live accordingly, and speak the truth in love. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey, it’s this: if you are committed to truth, you will make enemies. Many of them. Not because you're trying to. Not because you're cruel or abrasive. But because speaking truth inevitably confronts error—and people do

Risk is an inescapable part of life. We wear seatbelts because we can’t predict when an accident will happen. We buy insurance because we don’t know when a disaster might strike. We lock our doors at night, not because we expect a break-in, but because failing to prepare for one could prove catastrophic. Gun ownership operates on the same principle: it’s a rational hedge against an unpredictable world. This reasoning finds a striking parallel in Pascal’s Wager , a classic phi

In Part 1 of this series on abortion, we discussed that abortion has been practiced for millennia. It is nothing new although the means of destroying a child in the womb have varied. We also briefly looked at why abortion has been a human preoccupation throughout history. For philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, they firmly believed it was to ensure that the best progeny would be born and eventually be leaders of the state. It was also because they feared possible overpopu

It is always a temptation in an industrial and technological society such as America to fall into what C.S. Lewis called “chronological snobbery.” This is the belief that the present ideas and practices are superior to, or could never have been imagined by, those who went before us. This is no less true concerning the practice of abortion. Many believe abortion is a relatively new idea and that those who preceded our advanced age could never have imagined having the means to

In June of 2020 the ACLU published an article entitled Sex Work is Real Work and It’s Time to Treat it That Way . In it, the author makes this statement: “Sex workers deserve the same legal protections as any other people. They should be able to maintain their livelihood without fear of violence or arrest, and with access to health care to protect themselves. We can bring sex workers out of the dangerous margins and into the light where people are protected — not targeted — b

If I’ve learned anything from social media, it’s that it’s depressing and anxiety-inducing. Years ago, I began my own blog and podcast and joined everyone else on Facebook. Although I received many encouraging comments and posts, there were many “battles” that erupted. I admit that some of what I wrote and spoke about was unpopular with some people. No one likes getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I admit, too, that I occasionally pushed the envelope (although I d

It was a warm August morning and I had just dropped the kids off at school and was making my way into the office when my phone buzzed. A text from Tim Stratton about a quote he had posted on Twitter (or X now I guess) came through.  The quote was pulled from something I had said on the same platform a day before in a spirited but cordial debate with Michael W. Austin on the meaning of progressive Christianity. This quote, pulled from the context of the previous day’s conve

Opening Statement vs Randal Rauser: Randal, I want to thank you for having this important conversation with Josh and me. It’s an honor to have this conversation with you. Today we are discussing how Christian Americans ought to vote. To be specific: Josh and I contend that it’s impossible for an informed and consistent Christ follower to vote for Harris and Walz; you disagree. Although you are a Canadian who cannot VOTE in America’s elections, you do use your VOICE to influ

One of the first Bible stories I remember learning as a child was The Parable of the Good Samaritan. I recall my parents reading this story and discussing it with my sister and me. I understood the parable at a very young age, but sadly, many Christians today — including pastors — seem to have forgotten its lesson. Jesus is clear: His followers have a moral obligation to use their power to help those in need. Pastors and other Christians who refuse to help their neighbors i

Since we are presently in the midst of a presidential election, it seems apropos to consider the proper role of government. Christian theology has much to say on this topic. Unfortunately, it is rarely addressed by Christians, churches, or American society in general. Most discussions during election cycles focus merely upon issues and policies, each candidate and political party taking his or her position in opposite corners of the boxing ring. This is very unfortunate, ind

Abortion is often a litmus test for political allegiance. This is unfortunate. I do not believe abortion is a political topic. Churches that shy away from talking about abortion as a political topic are often the same churches that would chastise churches in the 1800s for their lack of comment or activism on behalf of slavery abolition. Abortion is only political because our political sphere in the United States usurped their authority and legalized a form of murder for pers

An Open Letter to Never Trump Friends The mission statement of FreeThinking Ministries is stated as follows: "Reasoning together (Isaiah 1:18) by applying logic and sound theology to all aspects of life." Josh Klein and I reason together by applying logic and sound theology to one of the most important aspects of life -- POLITICS. Indeed, we start with theology to reach our political conclusions, which is an important aspect of life as it has a huge impact upon our neighbors

Dear friend who is inclined not to cast a vote for either Harris or Trump, I agree that Trump deserves criticism for his weakened stance on abortion. His position on abortion has probably changed for the worse since coming to the conclusion that he can't get elected by holding a consistently pro-life position. But consider Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Even Lincoln was not a declared abolitionist in 1860 (and also by our standards today a racist). He couldn't have bee

In our previous two installments (See Part 1 & Part 2 ) we considered the charges against Trump and levied our own heavily sourced charges against the Harris administration and campaign, but we are not finished. Much more could be said about the moral and political deficiencies of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. For instance, Harris was recently endorsed by the pornography industry , something you won’t read about from the “Evangelicals for Harris” community while they, at the s

By J.R. Klein & Timothy A. Stratton In our previous installment we focused on reasons we do not consider voting for Trump a moral blight nor a danger to our democracy please read part 1 here: ( Part 1 ) This installment will focus on why it is possible that not actively opposing the Harris/Walz agenda could bring historic evil on our neighbors. We invite you to reason together with us as we make our case. Good Men Doing Nothing Consider this well-known quote: “Let not any o

By J.R. Klein & Timothy A. Stratton Dear Never Trump friends, We seek unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but there is a glaring issue—that seems to be an objective moral issue—in our culture today that is dividing the Church in America and turning brothers and sisters in Christ against one another. We cannot ignore it. It must be addressed. We must seek unity. Please consider this an invitation to reason together. The mission of FreeThinking Ministries is “Rea

The message of this week’s platitudinous insubstantial presidential debate was loud and clear: the apocalypse is upon us once again. This election cycle will determine the beginning of the end of the United States as we know it: either the Climate Sky God will destroy all humanity, or immigrants will eat US citizens’ cats. The well known, most popular, and efficient Vice President Kamala Harris, who never changes and always holds to her values, warned of the Climate Sky God

I'm wired to be a protector.  I think it's because I was bullied mercilessly growing up. I was always the smallest and skinniest kid in my class. Not only would my schoolmates make fun of me for being so skinny, but they would also often seek to make an example of my weakness in front of others. In fact, one day, I even got beat up by a couple of girls. I would literally get beat up on the playground, in the lunch line, in the locker rooms, and at the swimming pool. In fact,

For the past few weeks, Christians have been castigated, especially by some Christian pastors, for shouting and being unkind toward unbelievers. The echo of “Jesus would not act this way” has resounded in the cultural sanctuaries, drowning out the Christian message of sin, repentance, and salvation in Jesus Christ. And rightly so! The Olympics opening ceremony and the follow-up women’s boxing controversy of allowing humans with XY chromosomes to pummel women with XX chromosom