Dan Foster

Australia

Writer / Poet / Blogger: I write about the complex intersection between life, faith, culture, religion, politics, and spirituality.

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Articles

From Fear to Love: Rethinking the Christian Message

5 days ago | goodmenproject.com | Dan Foster

I stumbled across a post on Twitter/X today that, back when I was an Evangelical, wouldn’t have caused me to bat an eyelid. In fact, the average Evangelical might have given it a cheery “Amen!”But, these days, for some reason, reading these words caused me to have an almost visceral reaction. Memories flooded back — echoes of sermons, Sunday school lessons, and fervent prayers from days gone by.
Why Resurrection Is the Worst Way to Win

6 days ago | medium.com | Dan Foster

What Easter reveals about the God who doesn’t need to prove anythingI remember one Easter Sunday morning, probably around age ten, standing in the front yard in a button-up shirt that didn’t quite fit, trying not to get grass stains on my good pants while my mum yelled for a photo. It was already warm — too warm for long sleeves — and the smell of roast lamb was drifting out from the kitchen.
The Faith I Grew Up With Died on a Sunday Morning

1 week ago | medium.com | Dan Foster

Losing Belief, Living the Gospel, and Learning to Begin AgainEvery Easter in church felt the same. The pastor would step up on Resurrection Sunday, beaming from ear to ear, and declare, “Christ is risen!” And the congregation, like clockwork, would respond with practiced energy: “He is risen indeed!”It was all very bright. Very certain. Very victorious. We’d wear our nice clothes, sing the “big” songs, and hear about how the grave couldn’t hold Jesus.
The Conversations I’ve Had with God in the Shower

1 week ago | medium.com | Dan Foster

Small Room. Big Questions. No One Watching. I don’t know what it is about the shower. Maybe it’s the hot water. Maybe it’s the fact that no one’s asking me for anything in there. No emails. No notifications. No one needing a ride to soccer practice, or a meal, or a conversation that I don’t have the emotional energy for. It’s one of the few places left where I’m truly alone — and maybe that kind of solitude has become sacred by default. I don’t go in intending to pray.
I Was Told I’m Going to Hell. Again. Here’s Why I’m Not Worried.

1 week ago | medium.com | Dan Foster

Thoughts on applying a 2000 year old religion to 21st Century lifeFollow publicationRethinking the Cross, the Wrath of God, and the Gospel We Grew Up WithI’ve just been told by another Christian that I’m going to Hell. Again. Honestly, it’s become predictable. Every time I offer a perspective that deviates from the conservative evangelical script — even slightly — the heresy police show up, clipboard in hand, ready to issue eternal citations.
The Most Misunderstood Saying in the Bible

1 week ago | goodmenproject.com | Dan Foster

As I walked down the hallway, head down, trying to avoid any kind of confrontation, I felt a shove from behind. My books scattered across the floor, and laughter erupted from the group of bullies who surrounded me. This was a daily occurrence. With shaking hands, I bent down to gather my books, and as I did, I counted to ten. This is what my Mom told me to do when I was angry. And I was angry. In fact, more than anything, at that moment, I wanted to stand up and punch the ring leader in the nose.
Why God Didn’t Need Jesus to Die - We Did

1 week ago | medium.com | Dan Foster

Rethinking the Cross, the Wrath of God, and the Love We’ve Always Longed ForI was fifteen when I got “saved” for the seventh time. It was a Friday night youth rally. The preacher had that look — half sweat, half fury — and he was shouting about hell like he’d been there that morning. He said if we died tonight without Jesus in our hearts, we’d wake up in eternal fire. That God was holy, and we were filthy, and someone had to pay. So I stood up again. Walked that aisle again. Cried the same tears again.
The Silent Damage of Christian Sexual Shame

1 week ago | medium.com | Dan Foster

Unlearning the Fear: Masturbation, Faith, and Finding PeaceThe algorithm knows me too well. Or not at all. This morning, while casually scrolling through Twitter in search of my daily fix of political outrage, celebrity scandals, and people arguing about coffee orders, I stumbled across a video that stopped me in my tracks.
Let’s Talk About the Afterlife We Actually Hope For

2 weeks ago | medium.com | Dan Foster

Why the Heaven We Imagined Isn’t the One We WantWhen I was seven, my Sunday School teacher — Mrs. Spencer — asked us to draw what we thought heaven looked like. She wore a floral blouse buttoned all the way to the top and always smelled faintly of mothballs mixed with stale church coffee. She always wore a blue, knitted cardigan and called everyone “sweetie,” even when we were clearly up to no good.
Understanding the Real Reasons Behind the Church Exodus

2 weeks ago | goodmenproject.com | Dan Foster

Are you among the growing crowd of church refugees who have abandoned institutionalized religion? You’re not alone. Around three and a half thousand believers walk away from the Christian Church every day in the USA. In fact, according to the online publication The Christian Century, an average of nine churches shut their doors for good every day in the USA.