Click here to read an original op-ed from the TED speaker who inspired this post and watch the TEDTalk below.

Rebecca Saxe's TEDTalk raises some fascinating questions at the crossroads between neuroscience and moral development. According to her research there is a particular part...

"ParaNorman," the stop-motion animated feature by Laika Studios, just came out on Netflix instant download, so we decided to watch it for our family movie night. It's a fun film, perhaps a bit too scary for the little ones, but what really stood out for me was the surprisingly deep...

Jovan Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs shot and killed his girlfriend in front of his mother on Saturday morning (December 1, 2012), and then drove to the Chief's practice facility where he killed himself in front of head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli in...

I believe in radical grace. I believe in the power of forgiveness and enemy love. But not because I am a naturally peaceful person. I believe it because I have seen the power it has to heal broken lives-- including mine!

But peace and forgiveness are not my natural inclination....

Soldiers are not heroes. They are not villains either. They are human beings; human beings who have been put in the middle of a horrific situation.

A ten year old boy holding a grenade approaches a group of soldiers. He does not respond to their shouts. One shoots him with...

I recently discovered People of the Second Chance (POTSC), a group that describes its mission as: A scandalous awakening of radical grace in life and leadership. We exist to overthrow judgment, liberate love
and live a life that rebels with grace for everyone.

I love that.

POTSC...

Why did Jesus have to die? Was it to appease a wrathful God's demand for punishment? Does that mean Jesus died to save us from God? How could someone ever truly love or trust a God like that? How can that ever be called "Good News?" It's questions like these...

Biblical literalism, and the corresponding idea of the inerrancy of Scripture, has been bumping up against the sciences for a long time now. Way back in the Renaissance, the church insisted that the Bible taught that the sun revolved around the earth, and charged Galileo with heresy for claiming otherwise....

I recently returned from the Wild Goose Festival, where one of the highlights was a sneak preview of the feature length documentary "Hellbound?" which will be released in select theaters nationwide this Fall. The film picks up on the recent media buzz generated by Rob Bell's...

Yesterday, I was walking through Dolores Park and heard a street preacher, saying "If you've ever stolen a stick of gum, then you are guilty of sin! If you've ever looked at Facebook at work, then you've stolen from your employer, and that's sin!" Of course we all know where...

Is homosexuality a sin? It's an age-old question, and there are people on both sides of the debate, each quoting their Bibles. How do we know who's right? What would Jesus do if he were here with us today? Jesus never said anything about homosexuality, so can we really say?

The viral video Kony 2012 is nearing 80 million hits on YouTube. The video is an emotionally moving and compelling plea to stop Joseph Kony of the LRA, who is responsible for abducting and brutalizing children, turning them into child soldiers and sex slaves. The video itself, and...

Hearing about the injustice and suffering in our world can be overwhelming. The problems seem so insurmountable. Is it really possible to make a difference? Well, here's some good news. We already are making a big difference.

Consider these statistics cited by Dr. Scott Todd from

I believe in a rebel God. A subversive system. A dissident discipleship.

Now, I don't know about you, but where I live, most folks who hear that I am a Christian immediately associate this with a religion characterized by people known for judgmentalism rather than compassion, for upholding a "moral"...

Editor's Note: Don't miss the video at the bottom of this piece!

Well, it's that time of year when Fox drums up outrage about the alleged "war on Christmas." This time around they are declaring victory because as they report,

"Walgreens is the latest store to return to...

There are many unsettling passages in the Bible. Consider these two verses that you will probably never hear read from the pulpit on a Sunday morning:

"This is what the Lord Almighty says ... attack the Amalekites ... Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children...

Grace is not fair. Fairness means treating people as they deserve. Grace means treating people better than they deserve. Grace, after all, means unmerited kindness. Because of this, theologians have traditionally spoken of a conflict between justice and grace. In this way of thinking, justice is about there being consequences...

Over the years I have been increasingly troubled by the doctrine of Hell. As my love for God and my neighbor increased, the horror at the thought of many of those I love suffering eternal punishment increased with it. In other words, this was not a crisis of faith, it...

When you stop for a moment and think of the millions upon millions of people who have endured unspeakable suffering due to famine, war and disaster, it simply staggers the imagination. Where is God in that? As Arthur Custance writes,

"At such times, thoughtful men do not become...