Roger Olson, Author at

Oh, Lord! Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

| February 25, 2020

When writing on controversial subjects for the public, it’s easy to be misunderstood. No matter how hard you try to make your thoughts clear, if the subject is controversial, you will be misunderstood by some. Case in point. […] Read More

Why You Should Be Afraid When Gov’t Abandons Democracy

By Roger Olson

| February 20, 2020

Be afraid. While fear shouldn’t rule us, we should have reasonable fear of the reasonably possible. Reckless drivers, human-caused climate change or active shooters. And of government leaders turning our democracy into an autocracy. […] Read More

‘The Two Popes’

By Roger Olson

| January 10, 2020

Much of ‘The Two Popes’ on Netflix consists of Pope Benedict XVI and pope-to-be Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio talking to each other. Neither one is portrayed as stick figures or cartoonish figures. They come across as real people. […] Read More

When Can You Bend Christian Ethics? Historically, It Depends

By Roger Olson

| October 31, 2019

Although many fundamentalists rail against situation ethics, they often do blatantly unethical things in a rule-based ethics but justify them given the circumstances. So when is it ethically OK to violate a rule? It’s complicated. […] Read More

The Fatal Flaw in Christianity That’s Culturally Relative

By Roger Olson

| October 25, 2019

Is Christianity culturally relative? The most frightening part, if that is true, is the unintentional license it gives to US Christians to develop ‘our own version of Christianity’ based on our deep-seated American exceptionalism. […] Read More

Trump’s Rhetoric of Tyranny Undermines Our Democracy

By Roger Olson

| October 11, 2019

Can a democracy, a free country, slide down into dictatorship and tyranny? If we continue to allow the rhetoric of tyranny to rain down unchallenged, it will undermine our freedom and liberty of speech. It’s happened before. […] Read More

How Christians Can Sway Social Order of Post-Christian Society

By Roger Olson

| April 9, 2019

How can Christians be an influence in a post-Christian society? We can build bridges with secular and pagan people by proposing ethical principles that, while not specifically Christian, are compatible with Christianity. […] Read More

5 Weaknesses Illustrate Dark Side of Evangelicalism

By Roger Olson

| April 1, 2019

Anti-intellectualism. Hero worship. Spiritual elitism. These three weaknesses among others lurk within the evangelical ethos. However, are they so rife within evangelicalism that they can’t be overcome? […] Read More

Why Your Church Should Oppose Taking Migrant Kids from Parents

By Roger Olson

| February 8, 2019

Forcibly separating families unnecessarily – especially as a deterrent to cause fear among would-be immigrant families – is cruel. U.S. churches must stand against this crime against humanity. […] Read More

How U.S. Evangelicals Became Their Own Worst Enemy – Part 2

By Roger Olson

| January 8, 2019

U.S. evangelicals have rightly gained a reputation for being against things, rather than being for Jesus and the gospel and compassion for the weak and vulnerable people Jesus cared for. They are their own worst enemy. […] Read More

Author Roger Olson