One unseasonably warm spring day in Southern California when I was 18 years old, I crammed into a car with 4 or 5 of my closest friends from choir at our Assemblies of God university and drove an hour inland for a concert. We parked in a vast asphalt parking lot surrounded by empty land, … Continue reading Then Sings My Soul
deconstruction
Burdens We Weren’t Meant to Carry
https://youtu.be/fKkQMTm0sY0 "Obsessed" from the film Twister (1996, Universal Pictures) I’ve always loved extreme weather. Not the destruction it leaves in its wake, but the wildness and mystery created by our planet’s atmosphere. Probably why the film that the clip above is from was one of my favorite movies when I was a teenager. I can … Continue reading Burdens We Weren’t Meant to Carry
Not Broken
Within evangelical Christianity, people aren’t good at holding opposite truths with tension. Everything exists within a binary, and anything outside or in between is a problem, and often willfully ignored. Usually labeled as sin or at the very least unimportant if the gray area makes the Christian feel too uncomfortable. I’ve been thinking about this … Continue reading Not Broken
Identity is (Not) a Sin
Here we are together at the end of this long journey back in time, processing a set of teachings that has left a visible scar across the landscape of millennials and beyond. If you’ve been reading every week since this began, I hope you’ve found comfort and solidarity knowing you’re not alone. If you’ve just … Continue reading Identity is (Not) a Sin
Honey, I’m (Not) Home
Purity Culture Part IV: Gender roles within purity culture and beyond. Heteronormative: “of, relating to, or based on the attitude that heterosexuality is the only natural expression of sexuality.” This term will be used ad nauseam over the last two parts of this series. Mostly due to the fact that evangelicals have built their entire … Continue reading Honey, I’m (Not) Home
Are You (Not) the One?
Purity Culture Part III: Shame and Sexuality in Relationships We’ve made it to Part III in this five-part series on purity culture and how it impacted a generation. With every week that passes I think I’ve already read the most damaging tactic, the most tragic story, the most heartbreaking statistic, until I realize I have … Continue reading Are You (Not) the One?
Modest is (Not) Hottest
Purity Culture Part II: Modesty & Rape Culture If you’re just now joining me for this series on purity culture, welcome. This is part 2 of a 5 part series. Part 1 provided a working definition of purity culture, and an overview of its impact on an entire generation. This week we’re exploring modesty and … Continue reading Modest is (Not) Hottest
(Not)That Kind of Girl
Part I: A purity culture prologue. First of all, I want to thank you, dear reader, for coming on this journey with me. When I first announced on Twitter and Instagram that I was starting this series, so many of you responded with your stories and solidarity. If I’m being real with myself, I’ve been … Continue reading (Not)That Kind of Girl
Politeness as a Weapon
Whether they're silencing women or leavers, white evangelicals will do anything to protect their reputation and the patriarchy. “Why are men?” I ask this question no less than fifty times a day on Twitter. But what I’m really asking is: Why are men always demanding politeness from women, and then get defensive when we refuse … Continue reading Politeness as a Weapon
White Christians vs White Atheists: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time on Twitter, you probably know by now I have strong feelings about atheists who pick on Christians. I’m just as critical of elitist atheists as I am of toxic Christian theology and abusive doctrine. But one of the particular behaviors that sets me off is when … Continue reading White Christians vs White Atheists: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
The Life She Wrote 