Tag Archives: faith

To Hell With Your Crusade

Posted by Caleb Coy on

In 1096 the first Christian crusade was a mission to retake Jerusalem from the Muslims.


The first thing the crusaders did before leaving home was murder 2,000-5,000 Jews.


After 40 years of that forever war, the crusaders reached Jerusalem. They liberated the city by killing Muslims. And Jews. Literally a city founded by Jews, and the Christians killed them there to erect a “Christian” city. Because the Pope told them to.
And if 40 years sounds like a forever war, guess what. There were three more crusades over the course of 200 years. Many Jews, Christians, and Muslims died, and during none of that time did Jesus come back.

850 years after the first crusade, Germany would exterminate even more Jews, after boldly claiming that they were the third iteration of the great empire that started the crusades. And they couldn’t have done it without recruiting masses of Christians invested in their country’s GDP. And they executed Christians who spoke against them.

Proponents of any “Holy War” from Western Christians against the Middle-East today who believe that violence must be done in order for Jesus to come back—damn your religion to hell. It is not that of Christ. You don’t care about Jews, and you don’t get to pretend that you care about Jews. You welcome the slaughter of anyone, even your own kind, in order to force Christ to come back. People like you are the anti-Christ.

Curse your rhetoric and your trash calls for patriotism and faith, you who pretend to care about Israel, but provoke wars that will slaughter Israelis, as well as Gazans, Iranians, and others. People in far lands are not tools for your dreams of cheaper gas, climbing portfolios, and fast-returning you-shaped saviors.

Oh, and those “Christian” crusaders. Yeah, they also killed fellow Christians. In Europe. Constantly. For political reasons. They attacked Constantinople for political reasons. They no interest in Gospel. Faith was just a tool to accomplish violence for kings.

The meek shall inherit the earth. It’s best go move out of their way while you still have a chance to become them.

Jesus is Lord, and Neither Party Acts Like It

Posted by Caleb Coy on

At first glance, it could not be any more clear.

Recently, Kamala Harris told Christians in her audience “you’re at the wrong rally,” when they declared “Jesus is Lord,” and J.D. Vance declared “Jesus is Lord” to a host of cheers and applause. If you believe Jesus is Lord, you should obviously side with the guy who says that, especially since your only other viable option is the woman who would kick you out for saying that. Continue reading →

5 Tracks in American Christianity: Expanding on Joel Singleton’s Article in Renew

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Recently I read a terrific article in Renew.org by Joel Singleton.

4 Tracks in American Christianity: A Tool for Cutting Through the Smoke and Heat

I highly suggest you read it, as I’m going to take this post to talk about it.
Singleton puts forward a basic way of understanding the difference in church philosophies in America, and he cautions that this is just a tool for understanding, not a surefire way to just group churches into categories.
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(the above image is supplied by Renew.org)

Continue reading →

Don’t Look Up: A Christian Apologetic?

Posted by Caleb Coy on

I know what you’re thinking: Don’t go there. The Netflix hit Don’t Look Up is a political satire and an allegory for climate change. There is no Christian subtext.

Ok, the movie obviously wasn’t written by a baptist studio, an evangelical media startup, or Kirk Cameron. It was written by a liberal comedian. And the idea of a random comet hitting earth and destroying all human life for no reason contrasts with the end-times beliefs of most Christians, not to mention the disbelief in climate change by many—but not all—evangelicals.

Continue reading →

Ten Ways to Have a Better Relationship…With Your God

Posted by Caleb Coy on

I’ve found some relationship advice I want to share. There is a world out there of magazine posts and blog articles giving us “5 steps to…” and “10 ways to…,” many of them centered on relationships. Seems easy. Here are ten ways you can have a better relationship with God:

1. Don’t Have a Relationship With Other Gods

Exclusivity and fidelity to God are a no-brainer, but sometimes we give in to that craving to have more. We can’t forget who is Lord of our life. Continue reading →

1 Peter 3:15 and Loving Apologetics (Part 3)

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Previously I wrote about how 1 Peter 3:15 “call to apologetics” should be read in context of its immediate passage to inform us about what apologetics is. In a passage that anticipates persecution from without, making a defense is seen as a holy necessity that must be done with gentleness and reverence.

I decided to read through the entire letter of 1 Peter, trying to imagine myself as his audience, and allowing the entirety of the letter to inform my understanding of “defending the faith.” Continue reading →

In Memory of My Grandmother, the Saint

Posted by Caleb Coy on

One of my earliest and most consistent memories of my grandmother is of her changing the flowers that would sit behind the pulpit above the baptismal pool. It may seem odd that such a mundane and routine memory stands out to me, but I think it epitomizes how she lived her life, in service of the small things that made life beautiful.
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Why So Many Christians Vote Democrat

Posted by Caleb Coy on

In these 2 weeks my goal is to break down as simply as possible why many in Christians in general vote for either of the two major parties in elections. Christians who are staunchly Republican may wonder why someone who shares the same beliefs, values, and worldview would dare vote for a Democratic. Christians who are staunchly Democratic may wonder why someone who shares the same beliefs, values, and worldview would dare vote for a Republican. Christians who are neither of these may wonder the same about either.
Continue reading →