This is the church. With all of its flaws. And with all of its glory ..read more

Given the magnitude of the recent election, I asked readers to share their post-election perspectives ..read more

In a world full of unrelenting and massive suffering, it is extremely difficult to defend belief in an interventionist, miracle-working, providential God ..read more

Mean-spirited Christianity is exhausting, both for those who practice it and for those who witness it ..read more

An interview with Martin Thielen about his new (free) book: My Long Farewell to Traditional Religion and What Remains ..read more

A Pickup Communion Service at a 1990’s AIDS Clinic By Martin Thielen June 4, 2024 [A fictional short story set in the early 1990s about Reverend Paul Graham providing pastoral care at an AIDS clinic. Paul, the pastor at Grace United Church of Christ, seeks to live out a grace-filled faith, and encourages his congregation to do the same. This story is adapted from Martin’s novel, An Inconvenient Loss of Faith.] After their daughters went to bed, Paul told Sarah, “That Tommy Branson is gay is the worst kept secret at Grace Church.” Tommy, grown son of Ted and Eva Branson, had been a memb ..read more

Why Some Doubt Traditional Beliefs Interview by Ben Hall, Issues of Faith, Channel 5 Nashville, TN With Martin Thielen NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Martin Thielen, retired parish pastor, joins this edition of Issues of Faith to explore the concept of doubt, and why it’s a normal phenomenon in modern religion. This interview was originally published on News Channel 5 Issues of Faith and can also be accessed here. AUTHOR’S NOTE To share this post, please click the appropriate icon at the bottom of the page. If you would like to communicate with me, feel free to send an email and I’ll res ..read more

The Antidote to Mean Christianity By Martin Thielen April 2, 2024 A Doubter’s Parish reader recently wrote, “How did Christianity become so mean? How did we get from Jesus’s message of love to relentless condemnations against gays, transgendered persons, women preachers, immigrants, scientists, educators, journalists, and public-school librarians?” She said, “When I look at American Christianity in 2024, I feel like I’m watching the 2004 film Mean Girls.” She vividly concluded, “If Jesus came to America and looked at the meanness in his church, he would puke.” This woman joins a multitud ..read more

Providing an Alternative to Toxic Religion By Martin Thielen June 6, 2023 This article was originally published by Baptist News Global. It’s no secret that the United Methodist Church is fracturing, primarily over LGBTQ issues. Thousands of UMC churches have already disaffiliated from the denomination. Large numbers of others are considering doing so before the end of 2023. And many more will likely join the exodus in 2024 after General Conference (the highest legislative body of the UMC) lays out final “divorce” guidelines for splitting up. Most of the disaffiliating churches are join ..read more

How the Religious Right Gets It Wrong and What to Do about It By Martin Thielen February 1, 2024 Photo by Tyler Merbler, part of a group of photos uploaded to Flickr on Jan. 6, 2021. When I was fifteen, I made a profession of faith at a religious right church in Oklahoma. The next Sunday I put on a white robe, waded into the baptismal pool of the sanctuary, and got plunged into the sacred waters of baptism. That afternoon at a special family luncheon, my relatives celebrated my newfound faith, baptism, and church membership (where all of them were lifelong members). When he offered grace ..read more