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4 Jul, 2026

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In God We Trust?

Trust: a firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.

Our nation is celebrating its 250th birthday today. I saw a flag recently commemorating the Semiquincentennial* with the words “In God We Trust.”  It got me thinking. As a nation what do we actually trust God for? For our Freedom? No! Our freedom was purchased over the last 250 years with the blood of American soldiers. Since it’s on our money, do we trust God for our prosperity? No! Capitalism is the reason for our prosperity, and that’s certainly not in line with the teachings of Jesus.

Can God be trusted to keep us safe from natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires? All you have to do is watch the news and you’ll see that this kind of divine protection is not happening. Are we trusting God to heal us from diseases? According to Stephen Arterburn, God can’t be trusted for that either. So, back to my question, “What are we actually trusting God to do for our nation?” We’ll get back to that.

A brief intro

In the book Toxic Faith, the authors present twenty-one beliefs that they say constitute a Toxic Faith. They write,

“Faith is slowly poisoned as lies and false ideas are integrated into a person’s beliefs about God. At first glance they make such good sense. And plenty of people support and distort beliefs that have been around for thousands of years.”

My question is, “Why have these distorted beliefs been around for thousands of years?” Perhaps, it’s not the individual christian who has a adopted a Toxic Faith. But rather, maybe it’s religion itself that’s toxic.

Toxic faith #3

“If I have real faith, God will heal me or someone I am praying for.”

Hum! I wonder where christians might have gotten this “distorted belief”. Perhaps from the bible? Let’s see what a quick search of the internet reveals.

I typed in “Scriptures about healing” and got these results.

  • 25 Bible Verses about Healing That Only God Can Give
  • 36 Bible Verses about Healing That Show God Cares about Us Body and Soul
  • 15 Healing Scriptures to Declare
  • Top 15 Bible Verses about Healing
  • 25 Bible Verses About Healing to Bring You Hope
  • 40 Encouraging Bible Verses For Healing And Strength

Let’s look at some of these verses about healing. I have chosen not to give chapter and verse. If you’re interested, you can do your own search.

What’s the true, dammit?

It’s true that the bible teaches that whatever christians ask for, God will do it for them.

  • “Again, I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
  • And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all.”
  • Whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

It’s also true that the bible teaches that God will heal the sick.

  • “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”
  • “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.”
  • Jesus said to the woman, “You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace! You are healed, and you will no longer be in pain.”
  • The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

With that in mind, is it also true that these two beliefs (which have been around for thousands of years) are actually (in Arterburn’s words) “lies that are slowing poisoning christians’ beliefs about God”? If someone actually believes these verses, do they have a toxic faith or a toxic religion?

Christians say the darndest things.

Sometimes I come across christian writers who say something that completely defies logic. This little gem comes from a blog entitled “God heals all our diseases – Really?”

Psalm 103:3 “God forgives all your iniquity and heals all your diseases.”

“This is how I would teach my people to read that psalm. He ‘heals all your diseases’ means that he will heal them in the age to come.”

(Let’s read between the lines, shall we. What he is actually saying is that God will heal all your diseases… after you die. That’s what he means by “in the age to come”.)

“He heals them often now”. (It would be more accurate if he wrote, “He rarely, if ever, heals them now…”) “And when he doesn’t, (which he mostly doesn’t) they will get healing that is even better.” (Meaning, after you die, your healing will be even better than the healing you would have gotten if God had actually lived up to the promise in Psalms and healed you while you were still living. Oh, the silly things christians say sometimes! And the saddest part is that no church going christian, I’ve ever met, would even think to question such ridiculous reasoning.)

Speaking of ridiculous. Arterburn tells a fantastic story that bears telling here. It’s a rather long piece (183 words) but it’s well worth examining.

A Christian Fairy Tale

“While preparing to write this book, I was discussing with a dear friend about how God chooses to heal some and not others. He relayed a story about his secretary that illustrates God’s supernatural intervention. His secretary had not been a believer, but she had always paid close attention whenever someone mentioned God and faith. One day as she flipped through the TV channels she stopped to see Pat Robertson on the 700 Club. He was praying for people to be healed of various ailments. This nonbelieving skeptic was startled to hear him say that he believed someone with a deformed bone structure in the hand would be miraculously healed. The surprise came because her hand was deformed, a bone protruding in an unsightly way. At the instant she looked at her deformed hand, a sensation overcame her, a peaceful calm she had never felt. She looked up to see something bright, like a large beam. A finger of light burst from the ceiling and ended at her hand. In an instant, the bone deformity vanished; her hand was completely and instantly healed.”

My Reply

Absolutely have to call the BS card on this one. Let’s see; Arterburn was talking to his anonymous “dear friend” who had an anonymous secretary, who was a nonbelieving skeptic, who was just flipping through the TV channels and just happened to turn to and continue watching the 700 Club. And it just so happened that Pat Robertson was praying that someone with a deformed bone (which she just happened to have) would be healed. A large beam of light came from the ceiling and ended on her hand and the deformity instantly vanished, just like that. Here’s the kicker, the show she was watching was actually a rerun of an old show. Arterburn thinks that this only goes to show how a powerful God can work any way he chooses. I think it shows that the whole story is completely made up.

Would it be too much to ask Arterburn to produce the anonymous “dear friend” and the anonymous nonbelieving skeptic secretary? Would it also be possible to see before pictures of the deformed bone and also the after pictures showing it completely healed? Words are cheap and as we’ve seen before, Arterburn has a rather dubious relationship with the truth.

This story, just like most other fairy tales, needs a warm fuzzy “fairy tale” ending. That way, it would be even more attractive and believable to his christian audience. Would it surprise you to learn that (according to Arterburn) God’s intervention profoundly changed the nonbelieving skeptic secretary? “She became a believer” (surprise, surprise) “and has grown in her faith ever since.” There it is… all tied up with a nice little bow. She lived happily ever after.

What if God doesn’t heal?

So, what is Arterburn’s message (in his own words) to “the thousands of mothers who have babies and young children with disabilities or terminal illnesses” who are praying (like the bible teaches) for a miraculous and supernatural intervention of divine healing? How might these parents feel when they read Arterburn’s story about God healing a non-believer whose affliction was an “unsightly” bone deformity in her hand? It wasn’t life threatening, like a child with cancer or leukemia, it was simply “unsightly”.

Here’s what Arterburn basically tells his faithful christian readers, Tough! God does what he chooses. If God chooses to heal an unsightly deformed hand of a non-believer and yet chooses to allow a sick child of a devout christian, to remain sick or possibly even die, it’s his sovereign will.

“Like it or not” Arterburn says, “God is God. He heals whomever he chooses.”

 

In God We Trust?

So, on this 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, let’s spend a minute asking what exactly we are trusting in God to do for our nation and for us personally. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those who thinks it violates the separation of church and state. That’s not my main objection. I just think the phrase is meaningless.

By the way: The phrase “In God We Trust,” has been the official national motto since 1956, when it replaced e pluribus unum, which means “from many, one.” At least that one made some sense.

_____________________

Semiquincentennial seems a bit intimidating, doesn’t it? But when you break it down it really is quite simple

Semi/half – quin/five – centennial/hundred. So, when you break it down it simply means half of 500. That’s it! Kinda silly!

 

From Where I Stand

July 4, 2026

Dale Crum

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28 Jun, 2026

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The Freedom to Grieve

A secularist view

Theist: “As Christians, we don’t grieve like those who do not know Jesus and have no hope.”

Secularist: “There is no right way to grieve. You do not have to be calm, or forgiving, or composed. You do not have to make sense of the loss to be allowed to mourn it. Anger, sorrow, exhaustion, even moments of laughter—all of these can coexist in grief. Allow yourself to feel without judgment.”

 

As a follow up to my previous blog, I thought we’d explore what secularists have to say about the topic of grieving and what their qualifications are for doing so. The first thing to note is that none of the five secularist writers I found had degrees in Theology. Most had graduate level degrees in Psychology, Sociology or some other related field. All of them, without exception had years of experience working and specializing in issues related to health and wellness. Their collective advice for people who are grieving is very different from the advice given by theists. Let’s see just how different.

Before you read what secularists have to say about grieving it might be helpful if you read my previous blog about how christians are instructed to behave while grieving. Once again, this is not a how-to blog about grieving. If you are grieving there are many resources online. I have included some links in the endnotes.

(My added comments will be in parentheses.)

Secularists:

“There is no handbook for grieving. No five-step solution. But there is a path—and even if it feels invisible now, you are on it.”

(Several of the blogs written by theists were entitled 4 Things Christians Should Do When Tragedies Occur or 5 Ways to Respond When Tragedy Strikes or 6 Ways Christians Should Respond to Tragedy.)

“You are not required to forgive what feels unforgivable. You are not required to soften what feels sharp. But you are worthy of support, of gentleness, and of spaces where your grief can be witnessed, with love and kindness and without judgment.”

“Some people with good intentions, may try to guide the grieving person back to ‘normal.’ They may suggest silver linings, spiritual meanings, or try to minimize the pain. These responses, while well-meant, can be deeply invalidating. When grief is born of tragedy, there is no quick resolution.”

The grief you’re feeling is not only normal—it is human.”

(The thing about this is that christians have been taught to distrust their humanity. They would probably reject this bit of secularists’ advice, because it’s not okay for them to experience human emotions like the rest of us. They are taught that they must “conduct themselves as christians, get their comfort from Jesus and be obedient and faithful, no matter what is happening in the world”.)

“Grief after a tragic death is not something to move on from—it is something we learn to carry, often painfully, until it changes shape. You are not failing because you are still angry. You are not broken because joy feels far away. You are grieving. And grieving is work.”

“Human beings (not only christians) are born to live and love. It’s human nature to want and expect life and love to continue. We’re just not made to easily welcome death into our daily lives. True, death is also normal and natural. But still, love is the foundational experience of our lives.” (Despite what some theists believe this is true even for nonbelievers. *)

“Whatever your loss, it’s personal to you, so don’t feel ashamed about how you feel, or believe that it’s somehow only appropriate to grieve for certain things. If the person, animal, relationship, or situation was significant to you, it’s normal to grieve the loss you’re experiencing.”

“Grief does not follow a tidy path. There is no universal order to the “stages.” The experience is more like waves, or tides, or even a spinning compass with no clear direction.”

“When you’re grieving, it’s more important than ever to take care of yourself. The stress of a major loss can quickly deplete your energy and emotional reserves. Looking after your physical and emotional needs will help you get through this difficult time.”

“Don’t let others tell you how to feel. Your grief is your own, and no one else can tell you when it’s time to “move on” or “get over it.” Let yourself feel whatever you feel without embarrassment or judgment. It’s okay to be angry, to yell at the heavens, to cry or not to cry. It’s also okay to laugh, to find moments of joy, and to let go when you’re ready.”

Afternotes:

*One theist actually wrote this in his advice for grieving. “Tragedy, when the cause is human, reminds us that we are fooling ourselves if we think that people are basically good. We should be thankful that sinners may still care about their friends and family. But we must realize that others are so hardened by sin as to be without natural affection”.

Wow!! That quote is wrong on so many levels. First, for him to label anyone who is not a part of his pious circle as “sinners” is incredibly arrogant and ignorant! Second, this guy needs to get outside of his christian bubble more and meet some real people. And third, it’s not the Secularists that are the dangerous ones; it’s actually those extremely religious fanatics who pose the biggest threat and cause the most harm. Here are several examples: Lori Vallow Daybell – Ruby Franke & Jodi Hildebrandt – David Koresh.  These are very evil people who have done horrible things, all in the name of religion.

 

Links to websites about the grieving process.

Navigating Anger and Complex Emotions After a Tragic Death

Coping with Tragedy or Crisis

Coping with Grief and Loss

 

From Where I Stand

June 28, 2026

Dale Crum

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21 Jun, 2026

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Toxic Faith Two

When tragedy strikes, true believers should have real peace about it.

In the book Toxic Faith, the authors present twenty-one beliefs that they say constitute a Toxic Faith. They write,

“Faith is slowly poisoned as lies and false ideas are integrated into a person’s beliefs about God. At first glance they make such good sense. And plenty of people support and distort beliefs that have been around for thousands of years.”

My question is, “Why have these distorted beliefs been around for thousands of years?” Perhaps, it’s not the individual christian who has a adopted a Toxic Faith. But rather, maybe it’s religion itself that’s toxic.

Let’s look at toxic faith #2.

When tragedy strikes, true believers should have real peace about it.

“The desire for instant peace in the midst of tragedy leads to denial, unresolved emotions and a complete split from reality.”

Sometimes religion itself is completely split from reality. But that’s a topic for another blog.

Since the author of Toxic Faith (Stephen Arterburn) has questionable qualifications, I thought it might be appropriate to check out the writers who are handing out advice about how to deal with tragedy and see what specific qualifications they might bring to the discussion.

This is not a “how to” blog about dealing with tragedy. If you’ve experienced a tragic loss, there is a great deal of help available on the web. All you gotta do is ask the A-eye gods.  In this blog we are looking at how christians are instructed to handle tragedy.

Theists

A guy named Wes, who writes a blog called “Radically Christian” gives his qualifications as simply that he is “a passionate follower of Jesus”. Where he follows Jesus is really not very clear. It’s one of those things that christians say, but in reality, has very little meaning. Let’s just look at Wes’ advice.

“Christians must be obedient and faithful, no matter what is happening in the world.”

His bottom line for christians is that “when tragedies do occur, believers need to conduct themselves as Christians, (whatever that means). He advises them to remember that “Jesus is Lord and that they must be obedient and faithful, no matter what is happening in the world.” Seems rather Draconian, doesn’t it?

Anyone who has been a part of a christian community can tell you that just about every aspect of a believer’s life is controlled by rules and expectations; both spoken and unspoken. Wes seems to imply that even while grieving, christians are required to conform to certain christian standards. Wouldn’t that constitute a toxic faith?

Another christian writer named Joel, believes he is qualified to give advice about dealing with tragedy. He earned a PhD in Reformation and Post-Reformation Historical Theology. His dissertation was entitled “Personal Assurance of Faith: English Puritanism and the Dutch Second Reformation.”

Okay!! Not quite sure how that qualifies him to hand out advice, but he does it anyway.

His bottom line is that tragedy is not God’s fault (of course not) because the god he believes in is “perfectly and entirely good”. Well, that begs the question, “So, who’s to blame for natural disasters like famines, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and tsunamis?” Joel’s answer is that “We now live in a dangerous world because mankind is evil.”

Surprise, surprise!

Let me see if I’m understanding Joel’s christian rationalization. The blame for the 9.3 earthquake that happened in the Indian Ocean on Boxing Day in 2004 and the disastrous tsunami that followed which resulted in almost 230,000 deaths, conveniently falls on the fictitious Adam and Eve and fallen mankind, but definitely not on God. Wow, talk about being completely split from reality. The interesting thing is that the Boxing Day tragedy doesn’t even make the death toll top 10 list.

Michael, yet another so called expert about how to deal with tragedy, has a Ph.D. in social anthropology. Perhaps that’s a step up from “post-reformation historical theology” but I still fail to see how this makes him qualified to address tragedy. His solution to facing tragedy is that everyone is “in need of salvation” and the christian response should be to make sure everyone knows that they need to “Come to Jesus”. A lot of good that did 200,000 Indonesian Muslims on December 26, 2004.

Another christian writer named Jamie earned a Master of Theological Studies. Unlike most of the other experts, his tragedy was a personal one. He lost a young son in a tragic accident. Because he is speaking from personal loss, I am reluctant to criticize his personal experience with tragedy. However, he makes some points that are perhaps worth exploring.

He says that Christians should not grieve like those who have no hope and that christians grieve differently than the rest of the world. He believes that christians should experience grief and tragedy differently than those who “do not know Christ”.

“As Christians, we don’t grieve like those who have no hope.” 

Really? Christians experience grief differently? How ignorant of him to suggest that those of us who don’t share his religious beliefs have no hope. We do have hope, but it’s not based on supernatural fantasies.

Then he dives into the deep philosophical ocean of the Logical Problem of Evil. He writes that there are only three options available for him to believe about God in this tragedy: (Actually, there are many more than three.)

He writes,

  1. God had the ability to protect his son but did not want to.
  2. God wanted to protect his son but did not have the ability to do so.
  3. God had the ability to protect his son, but God desired something that in the grand scheme of his sovereign purposes was greater than protecting his son.

He proposes that if it’s the first option, God is distant and uncaring. If it’s the second option, God is loving but isn’t powerful enough to do anything. In the third option, God loved Jamie’s son, and could have protected him, because “God can do all things” but chose not to. His conclusion was that God in heaven can do whatever he pleases because God’s thoughts and ways are higher than his own. He then resorted to using an old and highly overused cliché by saying, “God moves in mysterious ways.”

He finds comfort in the thought that his son is now “in heaven experiencing God’s presence and he is happier today than he has ever been.”

Many people choose to deal with tragic loss by imagining their loved one is in heaven. If that’s what it takes to deal with the pain, I get it. But it seems to me that this kind of hope (that christians have) is based on faith rather than reality. It might be the easiest way to find peace in tragedy, but it’s a false hope, nevertheless.

Jarrod, another christian writer dispensing advice on this topic, says that he is passionate about exalting Christ and is pursuing a master’s degree in Preaching and Pastoral Ministry. He says that a believer’s first response to tragedy should be prayer. Surprise, surprise! He even gets pretty specific about how christians should pray. They need to pray for comfort, for wisdom, for trust and for openness. The main emphasis is that those who have experienced tragedy need to “come to know Jesus through their tragedy”.

His bottom line is this, and I quote, “Tragedy, suffering, and loss are a natural part of life, but Christians are called to be precise in their responses. Love your neighbor. Weep with those who weep. Look forward to the hope we have in Christ and, above all, draw close to God.”

The common thread running through all the christian writers is that even in grief, christians must conform to religious expectations. These christian bloggers use a lot of “shoulds”, “oughts” and “need to” phrases. It’s not difficult to see how toxic faith #2 came to be adopted by some believers. Every one of the five christian bloggers I found were authoritative and directive in their advice about grieving. Apparently, there are guidelines and expectations that must be followed by christians, even during the grieving process.

In the next blog we take a look at what secularists have to say about the grieving process. The difference really is quite striking.

 

From Where I Stand

June 21, 2026

Dale Crum

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12 Apr, 2026

Blog

Toxic Religion

In the book Toxic Faith, the authors present twenty-one beliefs that they say constitute a Toxic Faith. They write, “Faith is slowly poisoned as lies and false ideas are integrated into a person’s beliefs about God. At first glance they make such good sense. And plenty of people support and distort beliefs that have been around for thousands of years.”

My question is, “Why have these distorted beliefs been around for thousands of years?” Perhaps, it not the individual christian who has a adopted a Toxic Faith. But rather, it’s the religion itself that’s toxic. Let’s take a deeper look into some of these 21 toxic beliefs and see where they might have originated.

Toxic Faith #1: God’s love and favor depend on my behavior.

“The Central theme of the bible is that God is love.”

Actually, it’s not! The phrase “God is love” is found only once in the entire bible in 1 John 4:16. Instead, what the bible repeatedly teaches about God is quite different. The bible seems to teach that God’s love and favor does indeed depend on behavior. Perhaps churches want to believe that God is Love, but their mission statements don’t really reflect that belief. If you’ve ever attended an evangelical church, you know what’s really being taught from the pulpit, and it’s not God’s love. Let’s look at another characteristic of God that is repeatedly revealed in the bible.

An Angry, Jealous God

“If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26-31)

“Our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29)

“The LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. The anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 6: 13-15)

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger—I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it but will be utterly destroyed. Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.” (Deuteronomy 4:24-26)

“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)

“The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies.” (Nahum 1:2)

“I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” (Deut. 5:9.)

“Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.” (Joshua 24:19)

And the famous and most popular verse for evangelicals,

“The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23.)

Guess that dispels the falsehood that God’s love does not depend on your behavior. No wonder christians believe that their God’s love depends on their behavior. It’s being taught in the bible and from the pulpit.

Abusive Churches

In their book entitled The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Johnson and Van Vonderen say this about abusive churches.

“Therefore, a spiritual system to be avoided is one in which the leaders or teachers add the performance of religious behaviors to the performance of Jesus on the cross as a means to find God’s approval. (False teachers say), ‘Faith in Jesus is right, and you must have it. But it is not enough. In order to really find positive standing in God’s eyes, you must ___________.” Fill in the blank with whatever fits for your church.”

When they say, “God’s eyes”, it should actually read “in the eyes of other christians”. Blaming this form of religious legalism on God is unhealthy. Let’s see what it takes to please other christians.

For the past several years I have been studying church mission statements and have found a number of behaviors that are required if a fellow believer wants to belong to a certain church. Let’s fill in the blank with what can be found in church mission statements. What follows is by no means an exhaustive list.

In order to be considered as a part of our church you must _____________________.

  • Belief in the divinity of Christ, his virgin birth, resurrection, ascension into heaven, and second coming.
  • Be born again.
  • Repent of your sins.
  • Be baptized: immersion only.
  • Participate in the sacrament of communion.
  • Receive the holy spirit.
  • Speak in other tongues.
  • Believe that the bible is inerrant.
  • Believe in a six-day creation story.
  • Believe that Adam and Eve were actual historical characters.
  • Believe in original sin and “the fall”.
  • Believe that all of mankind is totally depraved.
  • Believe in eternal life for us and eternal punishment for them.
  • Study the bible: exclusively the King James version.
  • Attend bible study meetings.
  • Memorize scriptures.
  • Thoroughly receive and believe the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed.
  • Not use any human creed.
  • Follow the 10 commandments.
  • Attend church on the first day of the week.
  • Attend church on the last day of the week, (the day God rested).
  • Attend prayer meetings.
  • Use only a cappella music without instruments during church services.
  • Not dance.
  • Abstain from liquor and strong drink.
  • Abstain from the use of tobacco.
  • Abstain from swearing and using harsh language.
  • If you’re woman you must abstain from wearing jewelry and other adornment.
  • Under no circumstances should any church members initiate or seek a divorce.
  • And most importantly, you must not be gay.

To further illustrate the systemic toxicity of religious beliefs, consider the words of a christian blogger in a blog entitled, “The uncomfortable truth about the wrath of God.” He writes,

“How is it possible for God, who is love, to show wrath toward His children? (Clarification — as you will read, God loves mankind, the world, His creation. But not all mankind are children of God. God’s children are the people who believe in Him, have been born again, and accepted Jesus Christ as (their personal) Lord and Savior. When I use “Children of God” in this post, I am refering (sic) to born again believers).”

Excuse me! When he says that God loves mankind, he’s really means that God only loves those people who have joined the exclusive Jesus Club. Seems to me that according to that blogger, God does not actually love “all mankind, the whole world, nor all creation”. But rather, God’s love is reserved for an elite few and comes with conditions. He continues,

“God is love. He is not a God of wrath. His wrath is a secondary attribute, not His nature. His wrath is the required response of a holy God to sin…”

Required response? Yikes!

From Where I Stand.

A different POV from a different kind of believer.

Of the over 80 church mission statements I have read, only a small fraction of them actually mentions love (at all), even fewer mention God’s love and fewer still profess God’s love to be unconditional. The following statement is taken from one such church.

“We belief that when God created the world, and human beings in particular, God said, “This is good.” Our origin story is one of goodness. We believe this goodness applies to all of humanity, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, abled or differently-abled bodies. We cannot create our union with God. It is objectively already given. There’s nothing we can do or not do to increase or decrease God’s love for us.  We believe that we belong to God long before, or even if we never believe in God. God’s love is eternal, always welcoming, and does not require any transaction on our part.  As a faith community, our call is to accept that we are already accepted by God, and to live a life imitating God’s love by doing justice, loving kindness, and walking in humility with God.”

Meaning (for them) that God’s love is not based on whether a person claims to be “born again”. Since mankind’s union with God already exists, people cannot create that union by joining the Jesus club and saying that they have suddenly become a child of God.

(I feel the need to point out that I am no longer affiliated with any church, nor do I attend church. However, I do believe that this church’s view of God does away with Toxic Faith #1 and thus, is a healthier way to live.)

Unfortunately, because of their beliefs, this church receives hate mail from other christians. Perhaps the haters are threatened by this church offering God’s unconditional love to everyone. “How dare they! Don’t they know that the Jesus Club is an exclusive for members only club. We don’t want “those kinds of people” in our club.”

Is it any wonder christians believe that God’s love depends on their behavior? It’s what has been, and continues to be, taught in almost every sector and denomination of Christendom. It’s not an individual’s faith that is toxic; it’s their religion.

 

From Where I Stand

April 12, 2026

Eastern Orthodox Easter

Dale Crum

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22 Mar, 2026

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Toxic Faith

a book by Stephen Arterburn & Jack Felton

Its toxicity goes much deeper than the title.

Recently I picked up a book entitled Toxic Faith with the intent of critiquing it. Spiritual abuse and more specifically, churches that abuse, has been a topic that has interested me for several years. I suspected that Toxic Faith would be just another one of the many books covering that topic. One might wonder why so many books have been written about Spiritual Abuse. Many christians… too many in fact, know precisely why.

My first impression of the book (the 2001 edition), just from the 1,800-word introduction, was that it was not very well written. It lacked clarity and its ideas about religion were simple-minded and full of christian clichés. I spent (wasted) four days and easily wrote more than 1,800 words critiquing the errors I found just in the introduction alone. I wisely decided to do some research on its authors. What I found suddenly started to make sense why the book was so poorly written. Arterburn, as it turns out, has a dubious educational background.

An on-line article I uncovered about Arterburn was very enlightening. It was entitled The Porn Hustler: Evangelical author Stephen Arterburn says porn ruined his life. Did he lie about everything?

The Story of a Christian Con Artist

According to that article, Arterburn himself tells that he discovered in the 5th grade that it was easier to cheat in school than to study. In his own words, he told how he cheated in school all the way through college. He wanted to get a degree in music, but when he was unable to learn a foreign language, he was forced to drop out. In addition to cheating his way through school, he also touts credentials that he clearly has not earned. (Surprise, surprise!)  He claims to be a respected christian psychologist and a licensed minister, but he has no educational degrees matching those claims. He sometimes adds “M.Ed.” to his name. That would represent a master’s degree in education, but it appears that we have no record of that degree. Sometimes he promotes himself as Dr. Arterburn. He admits that his Doctorate degrees were honorary. Clearly, he certainly didn’t earn them through the arduous process of higher education. The article shows that he’s a fraud, plain and simple, saying that Arterburn’s history is “a story of a Christian con artist”. And yet, his book Toxic Faith became a best seller, and he is considered (in christian circles) as a respectable expert in his field. Now that’s what I call TOXIC.

I immediately stopped critiquing the book. It was becoming too taxing anyway to expose his simplistic ideas about a complicated and real issue like spiritual abuse.

The fact that Toxic Faith became a “best seller” when it was released in 1991, speaks more to the brokenness of religion than to the skill and expertise of its writers. We will examine in future blogs why many “wounded” christians supposedly found hope in their book.

In the introduction of Toxic Faith, Arterburn talks about his grandmother, who he calls Nany. According to him she was “an amazing woman of faith” who gave away almost half of her income because she wanted to give back to God a portion of all that he had given her. Her motives were pure and set a great example for all who had the privilege to watch her. “When she gave a dollar, she knew how that minister was going to spend it. At least she thought she did.”

Unfortunately for Nany, she gave her money to the unscrupulous televangelists of the 1980s. Charlatans such as Jim and Tammy Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, Oral Roberts, and others took her hard-earned money and promised that they would do the work of God in the world. Instead, they cashed her checks and lined their own pockets. Thank you very much! Arterburn says that his Nany “turned off her heater at night so she might be able to save a few dollars and therefore give more.” Turns out she was giving her hard-earned money to religious frauds. What kind of example was she actually setting? Perhaps, what not to do.

Knowing what we know about Arterburn it’s ironic that he talks about his Nany being duped by christian charlatans who weren’t what they publicly appeared to be. It seems likely that the “wounded” christians who spent their hard-earned money to purchase a copy of Toxic Faith, (while Arterburn became rich and famous), might actually be suffering the same fate as Nany.

But this story doesn’t stop there.

Let’s see how deep the rabbit hole goes!

I also looked into his co-author, Jack Felton. I could only find two references to him in a google search. Both of them are similar to what might be found on a book jacket. “Jack Felton is a licensed therapist and an ordained minister at New Hope Christian Counseling Center and is president and founder of Compassion Move Ministries. Jack Felton is a frequent lecturer in the Southern California area and has numerous local and national television and radio appearances to his credit.” 

I find it interesting, however, that Mr. Felton specializes in recovery from addiction and has co-authored a book about the toxicity of religion. There is, in fact, a chapter in their book entitled Religious Addiction. As someone who has made a full recovery from religion, I’ll have something to say about that in a future blog.

This is what Jack Felton’s bio on the New Hope Christian Counseling Centers website says about him.

“He sits in an advisory board capacity to Dr. Daniel Amen, the world’s leading expert on Spect Scan Imaging (a nuclear medical approach to brain function). Jack is well suited in supervising the integration of this cutting-edge technology into marriage family and child counseling.”

So, the next question was “Who is Dr. Amen?” (Great name, isn’t it?) Let’s find out! The following comes from Wikipedia.

Daniel Gregory Amen is an American celebrity doctor who practices as a psychiatrist.

Yes, you read that right: “celebrity doctor”.

“Amen has built a profitable business around the use of the controversial practice of SPECT imaging for diagnostic purposes. His marketing of SPECT scans and much of what he says about the brain and health in his books, media appearances, and marketing of his clinics have been condemned by scientists and doctors as lacking scientific validity and as being unethical, especially since the way SPECT is used in his clinics exposes people to harmful radiation with no clear benefit.”

“Neuroscience professor Martha Farah calls such use “profitable but unproven” and says, “Tens of thousands of individuals, many of them children, have been exposed to the radiation of two SPECT scans and paid thousands of dollars out of pocket (because insurers will not pay) against the advice of many experts”. Professor of psychology Irving Kirsch has said of Amen’s theory: “Before you start promulgating this and marketing it and profiting from it, you should ethically be bound to demonstrate it scientifically in a peer-reviewed, respected journal”, as otherwise, “you’re just going down the path of being a snake oil salesman”.”

Let’s connect the dots.

Felton works with addiction issues at a christian counseling center. He also sits on Dr. Amen’s board of directors. It seems highly likely that Mr. Felton might be counseling his patients (which include children) to subject themselves to these dubious and very expensive SPECT scan procedures, of which the only guaranteed and verifiable benefit is that Dr. Amen has become exceedingly rich and famous. I think another question that needs to be address, is whether Felton has profited from referring patients to Dr. Amen’s clinics. I truly hope not, but the dots are there.

It’s important to note that Dr. Amen received his MD degree from Oral Roberts University. We do not know, however, from where Mr. Felton got his MA degree.

But there’s more…

For that, we need to go back to the Medium article.

One of the people who left a comment after the article is Arterburn’s current wife. She doesn’t seem to dispute the claims made in the article but says that her husband is a man who “gets it wrong many times but is genuinely trying to learn and offer something helpful to others who struggle as he has. I invite you to step back from offense and instead consider wishing someone well who has suffered in life like you or anyone else has.”

Let me paraphrase. “He might be fibbing on most of his credentials and fleecing gullible christians in the process, but he’s a really good guy.”

Another woman for whom the article hit close to home, gave her perspective of SA’s story. She wrote…

“Sadly, my ex’s story is much like SA’s. He went to a religious college. Religious legalism and teaching warped him. He despises women. All of the years of hearing how women are responsible for men’s transgressions, twisted him into something horrible. He is a bigot. He is weak and feeble. He is abusive. He is a narcissist. He is a Christian.”

My favorite comment from the Medium article goes like this, “It’s funny, but from the first few paragraphs of this, I figured I’d write a comment about how the story of a degree-less, uneducated person can be elevated to therapist is something only to be found in the Christian Right. My second thought was how this is exemplified in reparative/conversion therapy, where people with no formal training call themselves religious leaders and counsel teens.”

Final thoughts!

Arterburn writes that the unscrupulous people who took his Nany’s hard-earned money to line their own pockets had a Toxic Faith that poisoned many who trusted them. He writes, “As a result, many today believe that all ministers are charlatans out to fleece the flock.”

It appears that the flock just might be justified in their distrust.

 

 

From Where I Stand

March 22, 2026

Dale Crum

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8 Jan, 2026

Blog

Moving the Goalpost

“It’s becoming increasingly common to hear people say things like, ‘It’s all about the Kingdom. The church stinks. The church is old and outdated … it’s convoluted and unnecessary. We don’t need it”.

“This is the thinking of exclusive sects who think they are the only ones REALLY doing it correctly. These kinds of arrogant and ignorant comments show that Viola sees his brand of faith as superior to that of everyone else.”  R.A. Baker, Ph.D.

” The problem with changing the rules of the game is that the meaning of the result is changed, too.”

Jeremy Hobbs, New York Times.

_________________

In the previous blog we examined two ideas, 1) Viola’s teachings that much (if not all) of what happens in church is based on paganism, and 2) the uniquely human tendency to look down on others who we believe are inferior. This week we’ll examine the arrogance of Viola’s followers and next week we’ll see if their arrogance is based on anything other than historical ignorance.

Moving the Goalpost

What’s remarkable about Viola new christian movement is that he has managed to move the goalpost for what used to be considered acceptable christian behavior. For the longest time good christians from all denominations have attended church on Sundays (mostly). Viola has convinced his followers that the idea of “church” is not only unbiblical but also based on paganism and not worthy of “true christians”.

He teaches that modern day christians should model the behavior of first century christians. They didn’t attend church. They gathered together in someone’s house. So, in order to be a true follower of Jesus, modern day christians must follow suit. So now, (according to Viola) true christians should no longer attend church, but rather they should meet in someone’s home. Church going christians are viewed as “hapless victims” who are practicing a pagan form of christianity and thus are not real members of God’s kingdom. How’s that for arrogance?

Taking Piety to a New Level

Viola has created a new splinter of christianity that (as it turns out) is even more pious than its predecessors. They have placed themselves on top of the religious totem pole and not only do they get to look down on non-believers and apostates like me, but they also get to look down on church going christians. And thus, they have taken the “holier than thou” attitude to new heights. It’s remarkable if you really think about it. Christians looking down on other christians for… (wait for it) … attending church.

Who’s looking down on whom?

Near my house there is a Baptist church. They call themselves, Tri-City Baptist. In their mission statement they make this proclamation.

“We believe Christians are to be personally separated from all worldly practices that hinder spiritual growth and stability. We will be separated from all forms of apostasy and religious inclusiveness.”

What an amazing thing to say. Not only are “worldly practices” dangerous to spiritual growth, but so is religious inclusiveness. For this congregation, it’s dangerous to believe that people of all faiths (or no faith) can be respected, valued, and accommodated. There must be no open dialogue, no understanding, and there can be no harmony with people who believe differently. Tri-City is on top of their religious totem pole. Their message is, “We are an elite group of church going christians and other christians (with differing beliefs) are a danger to our religious purity and we must protect ourselves from interaction with them.”

No longer on top.

The message from Viola’s followers is, “We (not you) are the only ones doing christianity correctly, and thus we are ‘the true church’ and therefore more pleasing to God.” (Sounds a bit familiar to me, perhaps it does to you too.)

Sorry TriCity Baptist, you’re no longer on top of the religious totem pole. This is the most extraordinary and ironic part of Viola’s teachings. While Tri-City Baptist is looking down from their ivory tower and feeling very confident in their “church” and secure in their disdain for other christians, Viola’s followers are looking down on them simply because they are an “organized church” with a pastoral staff who delivers a message each week, and with a choir that sings from time to time during the service.

Pastors, and sermons, and choirs. Oh my! Pastors, and sermons, and choirs. Oh my!

From Where I Stand.

Like I said before, this feud between differing christian sects is really none of my concern. I left the church decades ago, but not for the reasons Frank Viola gives. I didn’t leave because the church had pastors, or sermons or a choir, nor because the pews had cushions (all of which are unbiblical according to Viola).

I left when I realized that the message from the pulpit was faulty and that christian dogma was mostly based on falsehoods.

Daring souls

Viola says that those people who have left organized church to become part of a home church are “daring souls who have taken the terrifying step of leaving the safe camp of institutional Christianity.” But I don’t see it that way. They’re christians living in a christian nation, criticizing other christians who they believe are below them. That’s not daring. It’s more daring, in a christian nation like ours, to confess that you left the church because you no longer believe in christian dogma. It’s also more courageous to be that rare congregation that embraces diversity and actually welcomes others with different beliefs. They’re the ones showing true courage. Needless to say, I am not impressed with Viola’s “daring souls” who have placed themselves on top of the religious totem pole.

Jeremiah 5

I’m not really into quoting scripture, because I no longer believe it has authority over me. But I’m pretty sure Viola’s followers do believe in the authority of scripture. With that in mind, these verses from Jeremiah 5 seem to fit nicely here.

“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land.”

Oh no! What could it be? Gay marriage? Liberalism? Secular Humanism? Turns out, it’s none of those.

“The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority…”

Wait, what? Someone who claims to be speaking for God, actually isn’t? What a surprise!  And added to that, what they are teaching is based on falsehoods. Hmmm, where have we heard that before?

Viola’s followers have taken piety to a whole new “holier than thou” level. They are even more pious than Tri-City Baptist. And here’s the kicker (still from Jeremiah 5). Why have Viola’s followers enthusiastically embraced such an overly pious attitude?

“And my people love it so!”

There you have it! Christians love feeling superior to others, especially other christians. So what, if it’s based mostly on falsehoods, it feels good being on top of the religious totem pole. Funny thing is, their religion also teaches “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” Not quite sure how they sidestep that little nugget. Anyway, Jeremiah 5 is not done yet. There is one more line to end the chapter.

“But what will you do at the end of it?”

How does this end? Has Viola really created a better form of christianity? Does it matter that it’s based mostly on ignorance and arrogance? Why have none of Viola’s followers taken the time to ask the right questions? Was the first century church really the perfect model for modern day Christianity? Are they really emulating first century beliefs or are they just pretending? Are they really the only ones doing christianity correctly? Is what they are doing really based on historical and biblical accuracy?

This willful naiveté of Viola’s followers is a simple case of “ignorance is bliss.” As we’ve addressed in a previous blog Viola targets their emotions rather than their intellect.

“And my people love it so!”

 

 

From Where I Stand

Jan. 8, 2026

Dale Crum

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1 Jan, 2026

Blog

Holier Than Thou

Taking piety to a whole new level.

“It’s becoming increasingly common to hear people say things like, ‘It’s all about the Kingdom. The church stinks. The church is old and outdated … it’s convoluted and unnecessary. We don’t need it”. 

“Viola presents the “church” of the first century as ideal – it was not. This premise is what his entire movement is based upon: ‘we do things the way the early Christians did it.’ This is the thinking of exclusive sects who think they are the only ones REALLY doing it correctly. These kinds of arrogant and ignorant comments shows that Viola sees his brand of faith as superior to that of everyone else.” R.A Baker Ph.D.

__________________________

In a previous blog we explored the emotive language of christian influencer Frank Viola. From where I stand, he perfectly embodies the definition of a charlatan. He claims to be privy to what God’s plan for humanity has been since the beginning of time. His (made up) stories of God’s eternal plan remind me of another such religious man who made similar claims. All that’s missing from Viola’s teachings are the golden plates.

Even though I no longer call myself a christian, I could easily see through Viola’s “special knowledge” and was not moved by his emotive language. This blog was initially intended to expose Viola’s faulty theology and historical inaccuracies (of which there are many). However, while researching the topic I discovered a number of blogs written by christians (some of them with Ph.Ds.) who were also questioning Viola. Seems I wasn’t the only one who was concerned about Viola’s causal (and many times faulty) relationship with theology, history, and scholarship.

After reading their reviews, I realized that Viola’s ability to hoodwink christians is a family affair. As an apostate, who is no longer aligned with christianity, this is not my battle. It’s not my job as an outsider to expose the falsehoods of a charlatan like Viola. What christian would listen to me anyway? The only people with any chance of effectively refuting Viola’s falsehoods are other christians.

Of the many books that Viola has authored the one that has drawn the most attention is a book entitled Pegan Christianity. Let’s see what christians are saying about that book.

___________________

“It appears that the major theme and conclusion of the book is that current churches are unbiblical. The author has concluded that the church cannot adopt any form of worship that is not specifically stated in scripture. His message is that the church is currently shallow, hollow, and dead. This has occurred because we are following pagan customs in our churches.” neverthirsty.org

“If you’ve never heard of the book, I’ll warn you right now that it is one of the most controversial, I have come across in quite a while, and for good reason. The book makes some very bold accusations and statements that need to be inspected and evaluated very carefully.”

“The premise of the book is that much of the way we ‘do church’ today (according to Viola) was not birthed from logical interpretation of the scripture but was borrowed from pagan religions and culture. Viola mentions that nearly everything associated with church today… we are doing wrong. What’s more, he claims that things have been wrong for at least a thousand years.” Brandon Collins.

___________________

So, let’s see what some of those “wrong” things are.

The “church building”: Its use of light, color, and excessive height cause people to regard it as a “sacred space.” Gothic cathedrals foster a sense of mystery, transcendence, and awe and sends a message that God is “transcendent and unreachable.” Chairs and pile carpets have no biblical support.

The order of institutional church services: Sunday morning services are shamefully boring, without variety or spontaneity and they do not lead to spiritual growth.

Sermons: They discourage active participation and interruptions by the audience, and also “creates an excessive and pathological dependence on the clergy.

Pastors and other trained clergy: Far too many of them are either insufficiently educated or take on too much work or both. Having pastors divides the congregation into first- and second-class christians where parishioners become muted spectators. A specially attired clergy is an affront to the spiritual principles that govern the house of God, because it separates God’s people into two classes: professional and nonprofessional.

Dressing up in your Sunday best for church: Dressing up for church is a leftover from paganism and hypocritical for Christians. Yet, if you can dress well with pure motives, you ought to do so.

Church choirs: Everybody should be allowed to sing, not just a special group, and parishioners should write their own songs and bring them in.

Tithing: Is completely unbiblical and now serves to prop up the unbiblical institutionalized church and the salaries of unbiblical clergy.

The Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been coopted by pagan mysticism.

Christian education: Sunday School is ineffective. As are Bible colleges and seminaries. Seminary graduates have no real-life experience to handle a church. In addition, highly educated christian who study scripture methodically and logically are seen as above other christians. Logic is a secular construct and is not from God.

It’s Just Human Nature

Before we get into what makes Viola’s ideas so remarkable and extraordinary, we need to spend a minute talking about human nature. Stay with me here. It is a basic human trait to look down our noses at people who we feel are inferior to us. This feeling of superiority seems to be a uniquely human trait. We don’t see other members of the animal kingdom practicing such behavior, (with the possible exception of French Poodles and cats).

You could probably come up with tons of examples on your own, but I’ll give you some anyway. Nationalities look down on other nationalities. As do people of differing races. Economics seems to be a big reason to look down on others. There’s always somebody worse off or better off than we are who deserves our contempt. Generational gaps give good reasons for people to feel a sense of superiority. Us baby boomers feel a bit of superiority to the generations that followed us. We didn’t spend our lives attached to some device like they do now. We went outdoors and actually lived our lives. When we were growing up, the whole neighborhood would play hide-and-go-seek together. That doesn’t happen anymore. My children, who are millennials, look down on Gen Xers. Gen Xers look down on those from Gen Y and all of them look down on those entitled Gen Zers. (By the way, what comes next? Do we start over again at Gen A? Maybe the next generation will be called Gen A-eye.)

The point is that seeing others as inferior is a common human trait. Although they might want to think that they are exempt from this, christians have not escaped this practice. In fact, Christians like (love) to look down on other people. Most christians have no qualms about looking down on non-believers, especially apostates like me. But it doesn’t stop there.

Even though they are supposedly part of the same Body of Christ (as they would say) the different denominations don’t really like each other very much. Catholics look down on Protestants. Protestants look down on Catholics. Most christians look down Mormonism. Mormons believe that Joseph Smith created the one true church, so it’s only right that they look down on non-LDS christians. Jehovah Witnesses look down on everyone who is not JW. Evangelicals, (especially Baptists) look down on other denominations because they’re too liberal. Fundamental evangelicals look down other evangelicals, for the same reason.

This kind of christian piety will certainly never end, and as we shall see, Viola has taken it to a whole new level.

Coming Next:

We’ll explore the real reason why Viola’s ideas are so extraordinary. Remarkably, he has managed to move the goalpost for what used to be considered acceptable christian behavior. Going to church is no longer the christian thing to do. Viola’s followers have placed themselves on top of the christian totem pole by saying that they, and they only, are doing christianity right.

 

From Where I Stand

Jan. 1, 2026

Dale Crum

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25 Dec, 2025

Blog

All You Need Is Love

But what kind of Love?

Christmas Day, 2025

“The truth is, ‘All you need is love’ was NOT Jesus’ central message. That belongs to another person whose first name begins with a ‘J’.”  Frank Viola

“All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.” John Lennon

Love according to christian influencer Frank Viola.

“Jesus’ teaching about love was given (only) to those who already submitted to His absolute lordship and who became part of His kingdom. Love – the way Jesus defined it (which isn’t the same way the world understands it) is how the kingdom of God operates.”

“The concept that Jesus came to teach humans on Planet Earth to be nicer, kinder, and more loving toward each other sounds good to twenty-first century ears, but it makes Jesus out to be someone he was not. Love always requires losing your life, laying it down, denying self.”

“However, a person cannot love in the biblical sense unless they first forsake all (repent), entrust their lives to Jesus (faith), and receive His own divine life into their beings (the new birth). Why? Because the nature of divine life is love, and one cannot receive this kind of divine love outside of receiving Christ and having His Spirit indwell them. Sure, they (non-believers) can be nice, kind, pleasant, and even giving. But they are incapable of the divine love (agape) that the New Testament talks so much about.”

According to John Lennon

Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love

There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say, but you can learn
How to play the game
It’s easy

Nothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothing you can do, but you can learn
How to feel in time.
It’s easy.

Nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where
You’re meant to be.
It’s easy.

All you need is love (all together now!)
All you need is love (everybody!)
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need.

Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.

According to The Jackson Five

Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?

People making lists, buying special gifts.
It’s time to be kind to one and all.
It’s that time of year when good friends are near.
And you wish you could give more than just presents from a store.

Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?
Even the man who has everything
Would be so happy if you would bring…
Give love on Christmas Day.
No greater gift is there than love.

People you don’t know, smile and nod hello.
Everywhere there’s an air of Christmas joy.
It’s that once a year when the world’s sincere.
And you’d like to find a way to show the things that words can’t say.

Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?
The man on the street and the couple upstairs
All need to know there’s someone who cares.
Give love on Christmas Day.
No greater gift is there than love.

What the world needs is love.
Yes, the world needs your love.

Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?
Every little child on Santa’s knee
Has room for your love underneath his tree.
Give love on Christmas Day.
No greater gift is there than love.

What the world needs is love.
Yes, the world needs your love.

Why not give love on Christmas day?
Tom, Dick, and Harry, and Susie too
Need love everyday as much as you.

Give love on Christmas Day. No greater gift is there than love.

According to Burt Bacharach

What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
No, not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don’t need another mountain.
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb.
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross.
Enough to last until the end of time.

Lord, we don’t need another meadow.
There are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow.
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine.
Oh, listen Lord, if You want to know.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
No, not just for some but for everyone.

According to James Taylor

You can play the game
You can act out the part
Though you know it wasn’t written for you.
Tell me, how do you stand there
With your broken heart
Ashamed to playin’ a fool?

One thing can be to another.
It doesn’t take any sacrifice.
Oh, Father and Mother
And sister and brother
If it feels nice
Don’t think twice.

Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna be just fine
If we only will.
What I really mean say is…

Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna be much better,
If we only will.

You can run but you cannot hide
This is widely known.
And what you plan to do with your foolish pride
When you’re all by yourself alone?

Once you tell somebody
The way that you feel
You can feel it beginning to ease.
I think it’s true what they say
About the squeaky wheel
Always getting the grease.

Better to
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna turn out right
If we only will, if we only will now…

Shower the people you love with love.
You gotta show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna be much better, if we only will…

Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way you feel.
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.

According to Jackie DeShannon

Think of your fellow man
Lend him a helping hand
Put a little love in your heart
You see it’s getting late
Oh, please don’t hesitate
Put a little love in your heart

[Chorus]
And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Another day goes by
Still the children cry
Put a little love in your heart
If you want the world to know
We won’t let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart

[Chorus]

Take a good look around
And if you’re looking down
Put a little love in your heart
I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart

[Chorus]

People now
Put a little love in your heart
Each and every day
Put a little love in your heart
There’s no other way
Put a little love in your heart
It’s up to you
Put a little love in your heart
C’mon and
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

_________________________

It’s Christmas day, and you get to decide what kind of LOVE the world needs now, (actually you can do it any day). Does the world need Viola’s highly conditional kind of love that is reserved only for an elite group of christians? Or does the world need the kind of LOVE that is “not just for some, but for everyone”?

To borrow a verse from my former church going days (with a few changes),

“But if practicing unconditional love seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day what kind of love the world needs. But as for me and my household, we will choose a love that is nicer, kinder, and available to all.”

Viola is correct when he says that even us non-believers and apostates can be nice, kind, pleasant, and giving. But he is mistaken to teach that we are incapable of a selfless, unconditional, sacrificial, agape kind of love.

This kind of LOVE seeks the well-being of others without expecting anything in return. It teaches us to focus on kindness, patience, and service to others. This is the kind of love the world needs now. This is the kind of love that will make the world a better place, not just for christians, but for all of us. So why not choose to give love this Christmas?

Turns out, John Lennon was right, “All you need is love.”

 

 

From Where I Stand

Dec 25, 2025

Dale Crum

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24 Nov, 2025

Blog

Rudderless

 

“The gospel of the kingdom includes a radical call to forsake the present world system – its values, its ways, its philosophy, its language and style of speech, its pleasures – and even one’s own life.”

“When I started preaching the gospel of the kingdom, I refused to lay down any rules. I didn’t give a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ or ‘thou shalts’ and ‘thou shalt nots.’ That sort of thinking belongs to the old covenant dispensation.”  Frank Viola

In the previous blog we explored the emotive language of christian influencer Frank Viola. We saw that he exclusively used emotive language to convince his audience that he had discovered a better form of Christianity; one that required them to turn their lives up-side-down. In order to enter into his “gospel of the kingdom” they needed to completely change their lives. It’s one thing to have an emotional upheaval, and quite another to translate that experience into the real world. In this blog we’ll see how (and if) Viola equips them with the cognitive tools they will need to deal with the emotional upheaval they had just experienced.

In his book Insurgence, Viola says that when his audience left that conference they were all fired up to become members of the “kingdom of God” and he called them to “severe their ties to the world system”. That seems like a pretty tall order. Did they know exactly what it meant, because I don’t. Read what Viola actually expected from his new converts.

They were called to “forsake the present world system” –

  • its values,
  • its ways,
  • its philosophy,
  • its language and style of speech,
  • its pleasures –
  • and even one’s own life”.

WOW!!! Did any his new followers have the slightest idea exactly what that might entail? I seriously doubt it. More than likely not one of them actually thought through what that means. Remember, Viloa had turned their lives upside-down and instructed them to forsake their life, to follow Jesus, and to live for his kingdom. Those first century apostles “left all to follow Jesus and live for his kingdom”. Could anything less be expected of Viola’s followers? And like those first century apostles they must be “resolutely, totally, and utterly” devoted to Viola’s newly created gospel of the kingdom.

To become part of Viola’s “gospel of the kingdom” thinking was not required. But what he was asking them to do would undoubtedly require quite a bit of thinking.

How exactly does someone forsake the present world system?

Do they stop paying their mortgage? Do they quit their jobs? Do they stop watching TV? Do they have to start speaking differently? Do they stop celebrating holidays? (That sounds vaguely familiar.) Even religious holidays? Remember, all religious holidays nowadays have been taken over by “this world’s systems of entanglements, distractions, and counterfeits”. Do they deny themselves all kinds of pleasure? No more morning cups of coffee? No chocolate, chocolate chip ice cream? No more sports? No more supporting the home team? How exactly are they supposed to forsake their own life? Perhaps the answers to those questions didn’t matter to Viola’s new converts. They believed that they were becoming truer and better christians, just like those early apostles, and for that they would be willing to pay any price.

When I started preaching the gospel of the kingdom in 1998, I refused to lay down any rules. I didn’t give a list of “dos” and “don’ts” or “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots.” That sort of thinking belongs to the old covenant dispensation.

Let’s see how Viola helps them navigate this separation from “the world’s systems”. He writes,

“For those who have left the old world behind and stepped into the kingdom of God, there are certain things that should be taken care of at the very outset. I will give you the general principles on what those things are. However, I refuse to be specific. The reason is simple. When preachers and teachers get specific on what God’s people should and shouldn’t do, they have moved into legalism.”

Viola has turned keeping God’s rules, regulations, laws, and expectations into a thing that lesser christians do to please God. He would have nothing to do with such legalism. It was something lukewarm christians did, and Viola told his followers that the world already had enough lukewarm and halfhearted Christians.

Take a minute to grasp the gravity of what Viola is asking of his followers. Not only is he asking them to forsake everything that has to do with the “world systems”, but he is also asking them to forsake any ties they might have had with traditional church hierarchy and leadership. It’s as if he has set them adrift in a rudderless life raft and instructed them to untether themselves from anything that might have given them some sense of stability.

World systems? BAD. Church leadership? Bad. Now what?

“Under the new covenant, we have been given the Spirit of God who teaches us what is according to Christ and what is not. And the leading of the Spirit will always conform to the general principles of Scripture. Those who are completely devoted to the Lord will know within their hearts where they need to make adjustments, what to let go, when to make a change, and so forth. Their spiritual instincts will lead them in the Lord’s direction. They don’t need to be told by a human. Devotion to Christ does away with legalism and legality. Spiritual people are those who live by the Lord’s life that indwells them. They know by instinct what the will of God is.”

Under Viola’s new covenant, they will get their direction solely from the spirit of God. No more dealing with those pesky commandments and creeds that were so important to Martin Luther. No more church leadership. No more elders, bishops, and deacons. No more Westminster Confession of Faith. Those were all under an outdated covenant dispensation. Viola is offering a new and better covenant. It’s not all that surprising when you realize that we’ve seen this happen before.

When the above-mentioned Martin Luther made his break from Rome, he believed he was establishing a better form of Christianity. So much so, that he even suggested that the Pope be excommunicated. Calvin was so convinced that his version of christianity was correct that he had a fellow reformer burned at the stake for disagreeing with him. LDS lore tells that Joseph Smith once asked God which christian sect was the true one. The answer from God (obviously) was that none of them were the true church and that he, Joseph Smith was to create a new one. Jehovah Witnesses are so convinced that their religion is the only true religion, that they are willing to come ring your doorbell or stand on the street corners just to share it with you. Now we have Viola, whose new and improved christianity is based solely on “spiritual instincts”.

 

 

“Warning! Warning! Danger Will Robinson!”

 

 

 

However, this idea of the spirit always conforming to scripture, doesn’t happen to be the case with Viola. His followers might think that he is being led by the “Spirit of God”, but much of what he teaches does not conform to the general principles of scripture. In a future blog we’ll explore Viola’s questionable theology. Much of what he says (and his followers believe) is not at all based on scripture. He might be a very charismatic and motivational speaker, but his theology is questionable at best, and heretical at worst. It surprises me how Viola can be so popular in certain religious circles when his theology is so faulty. But that’s a topic for another time.

No longer under the law?

“A person who lives by the indwelling life of Christ through the Holy Spirit is a person who is under a law. But it is not the Law of Moses. Nor is it a law that some preacher created from his own personal standards. No, the law I’m referring to is “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”. This law is like the law of gravity; it’s a constant force or power.”

You’ll notice that he never actually says what the law is. Nevertheless, it’s a constant force of power and is as sure as the law of gravity. How incredibly silly. But remember, thinking is not required to be a part of Viola’s new covenant. Just look what he says next about this law.

“The Law of God has been written in our hearts. (We) know by instinct what the will of God is. The external Law, then, is no longer an outward thing full of dead letters and cold commands. It has been transferred into the indwelling life of Christ.”

Wow! Is Viola really saying that the bible is just a collection of “dead letters and cold commands”? Excuse me for a minute while I grab my 50-year-old, leather bound, marked up collection of “dead letters and cold commands” and toss it directly into the trash. Won’t need that anymore. Anything christians need to know about God, humanity and life has already been written on their hearts. No reason to waste time memorizing scripture. They already know everything they need to know about the general principles of scripture because it’s written in their hearts.

I asked the AI gods to give me a summary about the importance of the bible for christians. This was the reply.

“The Bible is important to Christians because it is considered the inspired word of God, serving as a guide for their faith and life. It provides a foundation for understanding who God is, his character, and his plan for humanity. For Christians, the Bible is used to gain knowledge of their faith, grow in their relationship with God, and be transformed by its teachings.”

Toss that all out the window. Viola has found a better way. Untether yourself from the world. Untether yourself from your church. Untether yourself from scripture. You don’t need any of those, because you will instinctively know the will of God.

“When the Spirit leads them, they yield to it (for the most part)—no matter what the cost. And life and peace are the results.”

From where I stand:

Viola’s teachings are a recipe for disaster. If you’re a follower of Viola, it might be time to put your emotions in check and start using your God-given brain. Look carefully at what he is saying and actually think about it. You have been set adrift without anything but instinct as a rudder to guide you. I might be wrong, but this does not sound like the way to “life and peace”.

I don’t put much confidence into what the gospel writers tell us that Jesus said in his lifetime. All four of them were written decades later by people who never actually met Jesus in person. However, I know that christians do consider the gospels to be inspired by God and every word attributed to Jesus is 100% accurate. With that in mind, forget what Viola has been telling you about your place in the Kingdom and heed this verse from Matthew.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you.” Matthew 7

Let’s change it just a bit.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not forsake the present world’s systems, did we not cast out legalism and the scriptures that are full of dead letters and cold commands, and did we not follow our hearts and know by instinct what your will was?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you.”

Coming next: At the age of 17 Viola made a conscious decision not to attend bible school or seminary… and it shows in his theology.

Endnotes:

Become a Kingdom Citizen

I googled the expression “Kingdom of God’ and found an interesting array of websites. One in particular is a mega-church in the Philippines whose leader is currently being indicted for having sex with underage girls, (something none of his followers seem to have a problem with). On their website they provide a link where you can apply for Kingdom Citizenship so “you can begin your spiritual journey to become a bonafide son or daughter of the Father Almighty”. All you have to do is complete the on-line form and a Kingdom Minister will reach out to you as soon as possible.

On a whimsical note:

I have in my possession the “smallest Bible in the world”. All 1245 pages of the bible can be found on this incredibly small microfiche. Perhaps I could find a cardiologist who would surgically implant it near my heart so I could literally say that I have the Bible written on my heart.  It would be more accurate than what Viola is suggesting.

 

 

___________

 

From Where I Stand

Nov 24, 2025

Dale Crum

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16 Nov, 2025

Blog

Thick as a Brick

The Emotive Language of Frank Viola

“I may make you feel, but I can’t make you think.” Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull.

“Emotive language is word choice intended to provoke an emotional response in the audience, making them feel a certain way, in order to influence their perspective or create a stronger connection to the topic.”

Unlike the highly educated authors of Answering the Music Man, who base their religious convictions on philosophy and higher thinking, it’s clear that in Viola’s book Insurgence, he isn’t trying to make his readers think. Instead, what he writes, and even the way he writes, is intended to invoke emotions, not thought. Viola’s use of emotive language is dramatic, evocative and, in a sense, somewhat dangerous.

Viola’s exclusive use of emotive language makes me wonder, “why doesn’t he want his audience to think?” Perhaps, it’s because he wants them to feel so deeply that they are willing to make drastic changes in their life that they would never make if they stopped to actually think about the consequences? So, let’s look at portions of his book Insurgence to see if we can determine what he wants his readers to feel, and why he doesn’t want them to think.

What is the insurgence? “During the conference, I did my dead-level best to unleash the titanic, explosive, cataclysmic, earth-shaking, life-altering gospel of the kingdom that was preached by all the apostles in the first century and that turned the world into a mad rage.”

Wow! That’s a lot of emotive language in one sentence. First off, it’s important to note that Viola is not talking about the traditional gospel and its message that salvation is a free gift from God through faith in Jesus. This traditional gospel has been the core of christianity for millennia, but Viola has created a new gospel that he calls the “gospel of the kingdom”. According to him this version of the gospel isn’t just about salvation from eternal judgement, it’s more about (in his words) “the joining together of heaven and earth and establishing God’s kingdom on earth”. Let’s see what he says about his new gospel of the kingdom.

According to that one sentence it’s…

  • Titanic – of exceptional strength, size, or power.
  • Explosive – able or likely to shatter violently or burst apart, as when a bomb explodes.
  • Cataclysmic – a momentous and violent event marked by overwhelming upheaval and demolition.
  • Earth-shaking – of great importance.
  • Life-altering – having an effect powerful enough to fundamentally change a person’s life, for better or worse.

And it sent people into a…

  • Mad rage – extreme, violent, and uncontrolled anger, a state of frenzied wrath that can lead to aggressive actions.

Now, how’s that for emotive language? No thinking required. Didn’t anyone at the conference take the time to ask an obvious question. Did the first century apostles actually turn the world into a mad rage?

Not surprisingly, his emotive language had the effect on his audience that he was hoping for.

“The second night of the conference, something incredible happened. A number of people pulled me aside after the meeting and said things like, “I’ve not been so shaken by the Lord through a message.” Another said, “What took place was electric. Something very special happened in that room that I can’t fully describe.” Others said they were deeply stirred and rocked by what took place.”

Notice that Viola didn’t report that people said he had really made them think. That wasn’t his goal anyway. His goal was to make them feel, and he was successful at that. So much so, that a number of already baptized christians expressed a desire to be re-baptized into Viola’s new gospel.

“We didn’t plan this nor foresee it, but the next morning, a number of people expressed their desire to be baptized. So, I asked a brother and a sister in Christ to baptize anyone who wanted to respond to the gospel of the kingdom. Those who responded were baptized in the hotel pool where the conference was held. Each person being baptized gave a moving testimonial about making their entrance into the glorious kingdom of God. More than half the conference attendees came out to witness the baptisms and rejoice. Many who attended wrote me testimonials of how their lives were turned upside down.”

“Turned upside down – inverted, overturned, capsized, flipped, upended, reversed, topsy-turvy, disordered, chaotic, messed up, confused, and jumbled.”

One of the newly re-baptized followers wrote this,

“By my baptism today, I publicly declare my intentions to…  forsake all that gets in the way of me fully coming into the kingdom of God—into the Lord Jesus Himself. I sever my ties to a mixture of lies and half-truth, which resulted in a lack of seeing the power of the pure gospel’s effect in my life.”

It’s funny that I’ve been saying that very same thing for years; “christianity is a mixture of lies and half-truths”. Every blog I’ve ever published has focused on exposing those lies and half-truths.

Like Viola’s rebaptized follower, I also chose to severe my ties to the “mixture of lies and half-truths” of christianity. However, I replaced them with Secularism. Conversely, Viola’s followers, after having discarded the falsehoods of traditional christianity, chose to replace them with Viola’s falsehoods about the “gospel of the kingdom”. Why would they do that?

We’ll come back to that but first let’s examine some more of Viola’s emotive language.

 None of his new converts thought to question Viola’s falsehoods.

Recovering a High-Octane Gospel “With rare exception, the gospel that was preached in the first century doesn’t exist today. The gospel that John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, Peter, and the rest of the apostles unleashed on the world was…

  • so titanic,
  • so overwhelming,
  • so radical, and
  • so utterly uncompromising
  • that it made the strongest of men quake.”

Did it really make the strongest of men quake? OMG! He’s boarding on downright silliness now. And it continues.

“The early apostles ripped the earth apart by the seams bare-handed, by the power of the gospel they preached and lived. They were firebrands, rare breeds, unlike anything that most of us have ever encountered. They left all to follow Jesus Christ and live for His kingdom. Their devotion was resolute, total, and utter.”

Did the early apostles actually “bear-handedly rip the earth apart by the seams”? Of course not! But it appears that none of his new converts thought to question that fiction. Remember, they weren’t thinking at all. That was not Viola’s objective. But here’s where it gets dangerously cult-like. Viola reminds them that those first century apostles “left all to follow Jesus Christ and live for his kingdom”.

Viola writes,

“The gospel of the kingdom includes a radical call to forsake the present world system – its values, its ways, its philosophy, its language and style of speech, its pleasures – and even one’s own life. And to surrender that life to Jesus of Nazareth, this world’s true Lord. Then to live out this kingdom life with others who have embraced the gospel of the kingdom.”

From where I stand.

After having been “deeply stirred” by his emotive language, these converts to Viola’s new gospel, were then sent home (to the real world) with a conviction to “severe their ties to the world system”. It’s one thing to have an emotional upheaval, and quite another to translate that experience into everyday life without any cognitive tools to deal with what they had just experienced. How exactly would they do that? Perhaps, now we might be able to understand why Viola doesn’t want his converts to think. Look at what he’s asking them to do.

 

 

Just because something is “Titanic” doesn’t mean it’s foolproof.

 

 

Cataclysmic isn’t always for the good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming next:

As we’ll see in the next blog, Viola doesn’t give his converts much guidance about how to “forsake the present world system”. He was all too eager to turn their lives upside down with his emotive language, but they’ll need more than emotions if they choose to follow his radical “gospel of the kingdom”. Plus, we’ll explore what kind of person might be attracted to the idea of forsaking traditional christianity and embracing Viola’s new gospel of the kingdom.

“I may make you feel, but I can’t make you think.”

 

From Where I Stand

Nov 16, 2025

Dale Crum

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