My most recent article: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/posts/though...
Pastor. Wesleyan. Writer. BA in Religion. MA in Spiritual Formation. MA in Theological Studies. Chronic student. Idahoan.
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My most recent article: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/posts/though...
My newsletter this Sunday is called “Thoughts and Prayers.” In it, I invite us to look at the context of God’s rebuke in Isaiah 1:15 and how it applies to prayer’s essential relationship to justice for the most vulnerable today. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
“Thoughts and prayers.” “There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.” -Miroslav Volf
When our Christianity makes the ultra wealthy and powerful feel safe and supported and the poor and powerless feel unsafe and unsupported, that is when we can be sure we are following someone other than Jesus.
My newsletter tomorrow is called “Nationalism and Patriarchy Go Hand In Hand.” In it, I write about how neither reflect the gospel of Jesus and provide resources to help navigate these topics in conversations with others. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
The reason I don’t want a “Christian nation” isn’t because I’m against Christianity. It’s because I’ve studied church history and learned about the horrors caused by the church crawling into bed with the empire. The separation of church and state helps keep Christianity Christian.
A Christianity rooted in patriarchy will always define women first and foremost by their relationship to men. A Christianity rooted in the gospel of Jesus will always see women first and foremost as fellow human beings created in God's image. May we understand the difference.
On a truck at the rage against the regime rally in Orlando Florida.
The truth will always be seen as a threat to those who profit from propaganda and whose power is built on lies.
Then I guess you’d better read my newsletter tomorrow.
My newsletter tomorrow is called: “Not Even God Demands Unquestioned Loyalty. Beware of Those Who Do.” In it, I invite us to reflect on the dangers of uncritical allegiance and how we can oppose such mindsets, starting with ourselves. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
Using Christ to justify cruelty is one of the oldest and most common forms of taking Christ’s name in vain.
One of the most successful deceptions of our time was getting so many Americans to fear diversity more than racism, equality more than misogyny, democracy more than fascism, immigrants more than authoritarians, the poor more than corrupt billionaires, and empathy more than cruelty.
This was announced as 150 million people across the country were under heat alerts. Fossil fuel interests spent nearly $100 million on Trump's re-election. Then the industry pumped $19 million into his inaugural fund. They're cashing in at the expense of the rest of us.
“The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.”-James Baldwin
My newsletter tomorrow is called: “Yes, I Am My Brother’s Keeper.” In it, I invite us to explore the biblical context of this phrase and why the answer is a resounding “yes” for those who claim to follow Jesus. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
Christianity is a religion.
When any Christian movement becomes convinced that it is the only authority on truth, that anyone who opposes it is evil, and that things will only get better if it is in charge of all positions of power, that is when we know it is no longer worshiping God. It is worshiping itself.
Believing what the rich and powerful say about the poor and powerless rather than believing what the poor and powerless say about their actual lived experience is the root cause of so many of our problems today.
Any political party that claims to represent Christianity should be held more accountable by Christians, not less.
Don’t let someone’s refusal to soften their heart harden yours.
My newsletter tomorrow is titled “From Insulation to Incarnation.” In it, I invite us to reflect on the pain of watching those we love respond with indifference to suffering and how we might engage them in more meaningful conversations. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
Any Christian movement that ties itself to a political figure will share the reputation of that figure in everything now and for generations to come.
The idea that some human beings should be treated as created in God’s image and some shouldn’t is the beginning of every kind of cruelty Christians carry out in the name of Christ. Every human being is created in God’s image and should be treated accordingly. Period.
We are being told to trust the government without question by the same folks who have been telling us for years that we should never trust the government.
You can’t support and celebrate mistreatment and cruelty towards your fellow human beings and follow Jesus at the same time. They are diametrically opposed to one another. You can follow cruelty or Jesus, but you can’t do both. You take Jesus’ name in vain when you try to.
My newsletter tomorrow is called, “Caring Without Crashing.” In it, I invite us to address the crucial balance of trying to stay informed and proactive without becoming overcome with despair. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
It will always baffle me how easily people will believe that the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and the immigrant are the cause of all their problems, rather than the people in the most powerful positions in their country who refuse to fix problems and exploit them instead.
We are living in a time where people are cheering at the idea of people being eaten by alligators and still demanding that we believe they are “pro life” and follow Jesus.
My newsletter tomorrow is called “Clarifying Our Moment.” In it, I wanted to share some distinctions I’ve found helpful in defining our current moment, share some practical ways we can resist, and offer hope. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
Cruelty has become the dominant politics and religion of our time and Christianity has been hijacked to justify it all.
It is moments like this that you begin to understand why so many have demonized empathy and compassion. They want us to care so little for others that we will ignore injustices being carried out against them. It is in moments like these that love for others is revolutionary.
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” -Proverbs 14:31
If our Christianity causes kids to go hungry, the sick to go without healthcare, the stranger to be unwelcome, and the needy to be treated as “parasites,” all while billionaires get richer, we’ve profoundly misunderstood the most basic elements of Jesus’ teachings.
My newsletter tomorrow is called, “The Stones in Our Hands: Misreading John 8 and the Sin of Condemnation.” In it, I invites us to explore how the phrase, “go and sin no more” is so misused today and what that misuse says about our time. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
It seems like people getting paid for their job is just common sense. It’s a weird thing to think people shouldn’t get paid for their job.
"To treat land, water, wildlife, and wilderness as mere commodities—up for sale to the highest bidder—is a violation of both Scripture and conscience. This is not stewardship. It is desecration." - @brcremer.bsky.social
If you need a mask to enforce the law, you don’t deserve a badge. Federal agents are snatching people off the streets—faces covered, names hidden. This isn’t safety. It’s secrecy. It’s not America. adamkinzinger.substack.com/p/why-are-fe...
How much do you think a writer’s working time is worth then?
The world feels heavy—divided, uncertain, and tired. I wrote a 30-day devotional out of a desire to help us reconnect with the love of Jesus and live with hope and purpose again. Daily scripture, reflection, journaling, and action. You can find it here → benjamin-cremer.kit.com/products/fol...
One of the oldest forms of religious hypocrisy is people using God to justify the kind of actions against others that they themselves would cry out to God in agony if those same actions were carried out against them.
My newsletter tomorrow is called: “This Land is Not for Sale: An Idaho Pastor’s Plea for Creation.” In it, I invite us to evaluate harmful theology that leads to disregarding the earth rather than caring for it and why we must advocate for it. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
For those who say “Illegal is illegal.” On this Juneteenth, remember: slavery was once legal. Harboring a fugitive enslaved person? Illegal. Black freedom? Illegal. “Illegal is illegal” has always been used to defend injustice. Legality ≠ morality. Justice calls us higher.
We will believe the worst kind of myths about the people we’ve already decided not to love.
Thanks, sorry about that. Replied with it above.
Here’s a working link: open.substack.com/pub/benjamin...
My most recent Substack. You can read the rest here: open.substack.com/pub/benjaminrc…
It’s such a harmful Christian theology that looks at wars and famine and says, “this might be the fulfillment of End Times prophecies!” and “Jesus might be retuning soon!” instead of “look at how much people are suffering!” and “how can we stop this injustice?”
When cruelty is seen as patriotic, compassion is seen as treasonous.
My newsletter tomorrow is called “The Heavy Yoke: Reflecting on Personal Responsibility in an Unjust World.” In it, I reflect on the impossible weight individuals can feel in working for change and how we can can manage it together. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
“No King But Christ.” What does this mean? Read my latest article here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/posts/no-kin...
The church has always been at its best when it stands with the crucified, not the crucifiers.
When you worship power, truth is defined by whatever secures and maintains power instead of actual reality.
When you worship power, compassion and mercy will look like sins. When you worship power, the harsher the treatment towards your "enemies," the more righteous it will look. When you worship power, the value and dignity of others is solely measured by their conformity to you.
My newsletter tomorrow is called “One person’s ‘compassion’ is another person’s ‘coddling sin’.” In it, I invite us to evaluate the root of this popular sentiment that “too much compassion coddles sin” and how we might respond to it. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
One of the greatest deceptions of our time is the false narrative that we should be more concerned about a poor person misusing the welfare system or an immigrant being here illegally than we are about the ultra wealthy abusing the system and cruel people having unchecked power over all of us.
You can read my most recent article on Substack here: open.substack.com/pub/benjamin...
Imagine being more concerned about people being too compassionate than about people being too cruel.
My response to the refrain: “It’s Not the Government’s Job to Help the Poor—It’s the Church’s!” benjaminrcremer.substack.com/p/my-respons...
benjamin-cremer.kit.com/posts/let-ev...
Notice how it’s “corruption” if the poor benefit from the government, but it’s “beautiful” when the wealthy benefit from the government.
My newsletter tomorrow is called. “Do Not Repay Extreme Binary Thinking With Extreme Binary Thinking.” In it, I explore my own journey through fundamentalist, either/or thinking and invite us to ponder a path forward in our world of extremes. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
Because that makes it all better.
Still have that unhealthy obsession with me I see.
Trump literally posted it on his own truth social page. So yeah, he’s referring to himself.
Also, don’t miss the white supremacist cartoon frog icon in this meme.
Meanwhile, 🔥🔥🔥 STOP SUBSIDISING FOSSIL FUELS STOP APPROVING NEW FOSSIL PROJECTS STOP BURNING FOSSIL FUELS ASAP
Whenever a politician claims that God is on their side, all they are doing is reducing God to a mere tool of manipulation in order to get people on their side. It is blasphemy. It is using God’s name in vain. Christians should be the loudest ones opposing such behavior rather than cheering it on.
One of the most blatant forms of Christian hypocrisy in our time is Christians holding all ordinary people accountable to the most rigid moral standards while simultaneously holding themselves and their preferred politicians accountable to no standards at all.
Jesus said he came to bring good news to the poor. Those in power who are claiming they want a “Christian nation” are only bringing good news to the rich and powerful while creating cruel conditions for the poor. They want “Christianity” without the inconvenience of Christ.
“I was hungry” and you cut SNAP. “I was thirsty” and you cut funding to ensure clean water. “I was sick” and you cut medicaid. “I was a stranger” and you deported me. “I was in prison” and you just left me there to rot. “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.”-Jesus
Notice how it’s always, “our laws must be inspired by the Bible!” until it comes to the +2,000 passages in the Bible that discuss the generous use of wealth and possessions in a way that prioritizes the needs of the poor, this sick, the stranger, the vulnerable, and the oppressed.
My newsletter tomorrow is called “Sparrows and Tomahawk Missiles.” In it, I invite us to consider the dangerous misuse of Matthew 10 at the Pentagon recently and urge us to continue to oppose our faith being misused to justify cruelty. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
We are seeing in real time what it looks like to claim to worship God while actually worshiping money and power.
Secularism isn’t what’s driving people away from Christianity. What’s driving people away from Christianity are those who claim to follow Jesus, but completely ignore his teachings and use his name instead to amass wealth and political power.
Imagine not wanting the government to infringe on your freedoms as a Christian while simultaneously working to have the government infringe on the freedoms of others in the name of Christianity and refusing to see this as a contradiction.
Oh cool! I’ll do that then! I’m not tech savvy so this is really helpful.
Thank you, I had no idea.
I don’t know what that means.
My newsletter tomorrow is called, “Called To Love In A World Of Hate.” In it, I invite us to reflect on Jesus’ “new command” to love one another in John 13:31-35 and the implications it has for us in our dark world today. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
If Christians in America were truly honest with ourselves, we would admit that far too many churches have become places where people are made to be disciples of the Religious Right rather than followers of Jesus and then we would collectively repent from this harmful allegiance.
My newsletter tomorrow is called, “Justice Without Borders.” In it, I invite us to examin America's current selective refugee response and contemplate how followers of Jesus can respond. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
A Christianity that is offended by someone advocating for the poor, the immigrant, the hungry, the sick, the marginalized, and the oppressed, is a Christianity that is offended by Jesus. Therefore, it is no longer Christianity.
When a politician claims that God is on their side, they are just using God to try to get you on their side. It is simply taking God's name in vain for the sake of their own pursuit of power. Turning any politician into some messiah like figure for Christianity is blasphemous.
Bravo, young man! www.comicsands.com/autistic-boy...
My newsletter tomorrow is called, “Love and justice is the way forward, not shame and revenge.” In it, I invite us to ponder Jesus’ response to Peter in John 21:1-19, who denied Jesus in his most desperate moments and what that means for us today. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
America is not a Christian nation. America is a nation where the rich and powerful have reduced Christianity to just another tool to exploit for their own interests at the expense of the very people Jesus called us to serve: the poor, the hungry, the sick, the stranger, and the oppressed.
If you’re wondering what actual “anti Christian bias” looks like:
“The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.” -James Baldwin
Here’s the link to my sermon for today: open.spotify.com/episode/40x9... It’s also available wherever you listen to podcasts.
My newsletter tomorrow is called, “Family Values That Don’t Value Family.” In it, I use my personal story to invite us to consider recent trends and policies that claim to center “family values” while reflecting on how Jesus valued family. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
My newsletter tomorrow is called “Unexpected Resurrection.” In it, I invite us to reflect on the resurrection of Jesus in the gospels and how impossible the situation felt to those closest to Jesus as we look at our own time today. Join here: benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile
Had to say goodbye to my dog Ripley this week. She has been by my side for 11 years. Even though I know she was in so much pain and it was right to let her go, it was still one of the hardest things. I’m just so thankful for her. She embodied the kind of love I wish we all would.
We want the war horse. Jesus rides a donkey. We want the eagle. The Holy Spirit descends as a dove. We want to take up swords. Jesus takes up a cross. We want the roaring lion. God comes as a slaughtered lamb. We keep trying to arm God. God keeps trying to disarm us.
A Christianity that gets offended at the idea of a society using its resources to care for one another is a Christianity that has abandoned Jesus a long time ago.