There is a sea of so-called "Christian" blogs in cyberspace.  Over the last several years, a few have distinguished themselves as more consistently different than most.  Over the next several days, we will post some of the more thoughtful and provocative from the fringe in the first two weeks of 2012. 

I've never been to Canada, so all I know is that it's cold there.  Whenever I travel somewhere cold, my life-long assimilation to coastal humidity kicks in and I lose the ability to think clearly.  Some detractors might say that's what's happening at Geez magazine (a Canadian-based publication), which challenges all notions of what it means to publish a faith-based magazine.  Take for example, Geez' "Ask the Atheist" blog, which is featured among other provocative blogs from the faithful. Reading this week's post made me wonder whether the more traditional "debate the atheist" format has any real value to anyone.  It also reminded me of the time one of my religion professors announced to our class that Issac Asimov died, only to have one particularly obnoxious ministry student laugh out loud at the thought that Asimov might possibly be getting the eternal punishment he supposedly deserved (at least in the mind of this particular student).  Is it any wonder that Jesus was so hard on religious folks?  The folks at Geez seem to be looking for an alternative to the extreme "all or nothing at all" debate in a way that is consistent with their commitment to make "holy mischief."  I've only read the bloggers at Geez, so if you want to read the magazine, you will have to order a copy.  Check out his week's "Atheist" challenge to the faithful: Scrambling for high ground on both sides of the deathbed.

Closer to the home front (at least the Baptist one), check out Ethics Daily, which publishes posts challenging Christians to move beyond the religion of intellectual assent to a life of faith and practice (or faith in action).  In the age of the pop-Christian gospel of abundant health and wealth, Jim Hill reminds his fellow sojourners, "The Christian life is not primarily a list of things to believe. It is about a relationship with God through Christ that forever changes us." Check it out: Why God Expects You to Care for the Least of These. 

-JBM