churchianity

Real Answers To Real Questions: Creed Of The Nons

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There are serious questions that should be asked over and over again until the Poohbahs of Churchianity can answer them with something other than “It’s a mystery we can’t comprehend, brothers and sisters…” nonsense.

The Bible Rebel blog is a free resource for those seeking original and curated content, including news and commentary, on faith, biblical studies and interpretation, and the intersection of politics, culture, and the Bible.

Our Mission

  1. To monitor current news and events related to faith and culture.
  2. To provide an alternative viewpoint to the world’s pervasive climate of darkness, nihilism, and hopelessness for those seeking truth, light, and purpose.
  3. To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.
  4. To present the Biblical truths which reveal God’s nature and purposes and proclaim the lifechanging, world-altering, radical message of Yeshua the Messiah – Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior, and to help regular, everyday folks understand the Bible and apply it in their lives.

I do not subscribe to a modern denominational creed or set of doctrines. I don’t think that modern-day Evangelicals, Baptists, Lutherans, or Catholics are going to burn anyone in the town square—it’s just that I don’t trust organized religion.

I’m non-denominational. I’m a “Non.” And there are a lot of others just like me. In fact, more and more folks are fleeing traditional “churchianity” every day. Why? More on that in future posts.

Here’s my one and only creed, which I’m happy to share with my brothers and sisters in the Fellowship of the Nons:

Creed of the Fellowship of the Nons

Our living God is a loving God, and the Bible is His revealed word and will.

Our hope and eternal salvation rely entirely on the work of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Rick Tryon, Bible Rebel

Demand Some Answers From Your Pastor/Preacher/Priest

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How comfortable is your brand of Christianity?

Do you just sit in a pew on Sunday, or do you stand on the Truth every day?

Do you ask hard questions of the pooh-bahs of Churchianity, or do you just accept the doctrinal traditions they are spoon-feeding their congregations?

Questions like these:

  • Does God send kids who don’t “accept Jesus” to eternal torture in a flaming hell?
  • If Grandma is alive and strumming a harp in heaven right now, why should we mourn her death?
  • Why does God allow so much pain, death, and suffering in the world?
  • If God has already decided everything that’s going to happen, why should I pray for my friend to recover from a disease?
  • Where does the Bible clearly and explicitly teach that God is three-in-one and one-in-three?
  • Why did Jesus have to die in order for me to be saved, and what am I being “saved” from?

Those questions, and many others, should be asked over and over again until the pooh-bahs of Churchianity can answer them with something other than “It’s a mystery we can’t comprehend, brothers and sisters…”

Remember, Jesus reserved some of His strongest words not for pagans or politicians, but for religious leaders.

What is Bible Rebel? Fresh content posted daily (except Sundays) for seekers hungry for truth and relevance outside the stodgy, lifeless confines of Churchianity and the dark, empty hopelessness of atheism and nihilism.

Saturday Watchdog Alert: Nihilism, Atheism, Churchianity

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Three recent headlines point to the same uncomfortable truth.

Atheism is quietly growing in America. – Medium

Researchers are tracking a rise in nihilistic, grievance-driven extremism among young people. – American University

And new data shows America’s religious landscape is shifting rapidly in conflicting directions. – WiFiTalents

At first glance, these stories seem unrelated. They’re not.

When people lose confidence that life has a Creator, a purpose, and a moral foundation, they don’t stop searching for meaning. They simply start looking elsewhere. Some chase politics. Some chase pleasure. Some chase outrage. And some eventually conclude that nothing really matters at all.

That’s the dark promise of nihilism: if there is no ultimate truth, there is no ultimate purpose. But the human heart was never built to live on a diet of meaninglessness. It’s like trying to run a pickup truck on maple syrup. Creative? Yes. Effective? Not so much.

Scripture offers a very different vision:

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

The Bible says your life is not an accident. You were created on purpose, for a purpose, by a God who knows your name. The growing confusion around us isn’t ultimately a political crisis or a cultural crisis. It’s a meaning crisis.

Take ten minutes today and write down your answer to this question: What am I living for? Then compare your answer to Romans 11:36 and see where the two differ.

Make sure you’re not putting maple syrup in your tank.

Tuesday Watchdog Alert: The Weak Glow Of Religion

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The World Hates The Light, Burn Brighter

While American Christians argue online about worship styles and coffee flavors, believers in places like Nigeria, North Korea, and Syria are risking prison, kidnapping, and death just for owning a Bible. Recent reports estimate more than 388 million Christians worldwide face persecution or discrimination for their faith — the highest number ever recorded. – Vatican News

Should we assume we’re not persecuted like that for our Christian faith here in America because we’re such great believers? Not on your life!

In fact, we should be asking some serious questions about why our brand of Western churchianity is many times so milquetoast and inconsequential that the Adversary doesn’t waste his time trying to destroy us or even silence our too often watered down message.

Tradition and the doctrines of men disguised as God’s truth are not a threat to darkness. As the world gets darker, people start looking for actual light, not the synthetic, weak glow of religion.

Remember, Jesus never promised that following him would make us popular. He promised truth.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” — John 15:18

Here’s the Bible Rebel reality check:
The modern world offers endless distraction but very little hope. Christians in persecuted nations know following Christ costs something. Many American Christians barely let it inconvenience their Sunday schedule. Ouch.

So What?

Today, pray for persecuted Christians by name if you can. Check your own faith – is it salty and full of light, or bland and ho-hum? Ruffle some feathers, speak the truth, and be a force for God as He moves through this time and place bringing His grand and awesome plan to it’s conclusion.

Is That Thief In Heaven?

Rick Tryon1 Comment

Most of us are familiar with this passage in Luke about the others crucified with Jesus:

Luke 23:40–43 (KJV)
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Many use this as a proof text that believers go immediately to heaven—or somewhere—when they die.

But is that really what this passage is about? Or is there something else going on here?

Let’s start by asking what should be some obvious questions if we are to assume the traditional theological narrative about Luke 23:40–43.

Is saying a few words, sticking up for Jesus, and asking to be remembered by him all that is required for thieves and malefactors to get into “heaven”?

Is being in “paradise” the same thing as “going to heaven”?

Did Jesus come into his kingdom on the day of the crucifixion?

Did the malefactor go immediately to “heaven” with Jesus after they died?

Did the malefactor miss Jesus for the 40 days or so that Jesus was carrying out his post‑resurrection ministry on earth?

Is the malefactor in heaven right now with Jesus?

What was the point of Jesus being raised from the dead after three days if he and the malefactor crucified with him were already alive together in paradise or heaven on the very same day they died on crosses?

We should all be asking questions like this, and many of the other things we’ve been taught from religion and churchianity, to see if they make sense and if they are actually biblical.

Stay tuned as we start examining the questions raised here in detail.

Tuesday Watchdog Alert: Empty Religion

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Gallup’s latest numbers show what you already feel in your bones: fewer people are showing up, tuning in, or identifying with any religious tradition. Engagement is drifting and labels are fading. The old structures don’t hold like they used to.

But here’s the twist: the hunger hasn’t gone anywhere. People aren’t rejecting God — they’re rejecting churchianity: the noise, the politics, the performance, the plastic spirituality that never delivered.

Because the doctrines of men and religious traditions are empty cisterns that hold no water. So the thirsty start going elsewhere.

If that’s you, welcome. You’re in good company. Jesus built His movement with people who didn’t fit the religious mold. Outsiders. Questioners. The spiritually allergic. The ones who said, “There has to be more than this.”

Scripture puts it simply: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” — James 4:8

Not “draw near to a denomination.” Not “draw near to a system.” Just God. That’s our mission at Bible Rebel.

Maybe the decline in religious engagement isn’t a crisis — maybe it’s a clearing. A chance to rebuild faith from the ground up, without the baggage.

Churchianity And Politics

Rick TryonLeave a comment

The folks who hated Jesus most, and the ones he leveled his most scathing rebukes at, were the religious leaders of his time and culture.

Followers of Yeshua the Messiah shouldn’t be surprised or discouraged by the ridicule and snarky attacks on us because of our faith, or by the tiresome and faithless virtue‑signaling and false preaching and teaching coming from the poohbahs and “leaders” of organized churchianity.

Just remember what the religious and political leaders of that time and that culture did to our Lord over 2,000 years ago, and to the faithful in subsequent generations.

There’s nothing new under the sun.

This present age is not our friend, but there is a day certain when this present age ends and the suffering Servant becomes a reigning King.

Question Everything – Especially Churchianity

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Churchianity and the theological status quo should be scrutinized by all people of faith regularly. That is exactly how we got the Reformation.

Is there a New Reformation brewing? It seems so. There is a difference between truth and tradition.

Man-made Christian creeds and doctrines are no longer being blindly accepted as biblical truth just because the Protestant clergy or the Catholic Papacy say so.

The nature of God, heaven, hell, sin, the apocalypse, predestination or free-will, the Rapture, the origins of the universe – all of these ideas and more need solid reexamination to see if the commonly accepted doctrines of men used to explain them measure up to the message of scripture.

The Bible Rebel blog is a resource for those seeking original and curated content, including news and commentary, covering faith, biblical studies and interpretation, and the intersection of politics, culture, and the Bible.

Our Mission

  1. To monitor current news and events related to faith and culture.
  2. To provide an alternative viewpoint to the world’s pervasive climate of darkness, nihilism, and hopelessness for those seeking truth, light, and purpose.
  3. To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.
  4. To present the Biblical truths which reveal God’s nature and purposes and proclaim the lifechanging, world-altering, radical message of Yeshua the Messiah – Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior.

At Bible Rebel, this is our one and only creed:
Our living God is a loving God and the Bible is His revealed word and will.
Our hope and eternal salvation relies entirely on the work of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

So, expect some controversial viewpoints and uncomfortable ideas in some of the coming content from Bible Rebel.

You can find all of the current Bible 101 episodes and One-Minute Mini Messages here on our YouTube Channel, and you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

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Watchdog Alert: Churchianity News

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on news and events from the world of faith and religion and brings that content to our readers.

Trump Establishes Faith Office & Religious Liberty Commission

Former President Donald Trump has inaugurated several faith-based initiatives—such as a White House Faith Office, a Religious Liberty Commission, and a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias. While his conservative Christian base applauds the move, critics warn it risks violating the First Amendment by privileging politically aligned Christian factions over broader religious pluralism. From Milwaukee Independent

Southern Baptist Convention Advances Conservative Resolutions

At their 2025 annual meeting in Dallas, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)—the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.—voted to endorse several conservative social resolutions. These include advocating a legal ban on pornography, opposing same-sex marriage (seeking reversal of the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision), restricting sports betting, and encouraging childbirth. Internal debates also continue on issues like women pastors and the denomination’s policy arm. From the AP

AP-NORC Poll: U.S. Adults Embrace Religious Chaplains in Schools

A new AP–NORC poll finds about 60% of U.S. adults support allowing religious chaplains in public schools to provide support—though not teacher-led or compulsory prayer. Support is split along denominational and political lines: White evangelical and Black Protestant adults are more favorable than Catholics, mainline Protestants, and non‑religious respondents. There’s broad concern (80%+) over church–state separation and funding issues. From apnews.com

Ecumenical Christian Leaders Condemn Hate Speech in Dallas

Over 30 Christian leaders and churches—including groups from Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, United Methodist, Evangelical, and Congregational traditions—have publicly denounced a planned “Hindu supremacist” event in Dallas featuring Kajal Singhala. Organized by Hindu nationalist groups with histories of anti-Christian rhetoric, the event has drawn strong opposition from an ecumenical coalition underscoring religious freedom and the Christian gospel. From clarionindia.net

The Dismal State Of Churchianity

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Is traditional denominational church attendance and membership an indicator of the spiritual health of a country or community?

Maybe. But if it is, then America and Western Europe have been are in need of an urgent diagnosis and prognosis, because the patient hasn’t been looking so good in recent years.

According to churchtrac.com, “Church membership and attendance have been on a steady decline in the United States for almost 25 years. A recent (2021) Gallup study discovered U.S. church membership has dipped below 50% for the first time in 80 years.”

In addition, according to a recent Pew Research Religious Landscape Study, “The latest RLS, fielded over seven months in 2023-24, finds that 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christians. That is a decline of 9 percentage points since 2014 and a 16-point drop since 2007.”

That study also indicates that study also found that, “…for the last five years, between 2019 and 2024, the Christian share of the adult population has been relatively stable, hovering between 60% and 64%. The 62% figure in the new Religious Landscape Study is smack in the middle of that recent range.”

So, it’s possible that the decline in traditional churchianty’s attendance and membership has leveled off in recent years, but it seems to be only getting worse in Western Europe.

Catholic Membership in Germany Falls Below 20 Million for the First Time

In a March 27, 2025 piece, The Munich Eye reports that:

“For the first time in history, the number of Catholics in Germany has dipped below the 20 million mark, according to preliminary figures released by the German Bishops’ Conference in Bonn. As of 2024, the Catholic population now accounts for just 23.7% of the total German population, translating to approximately 19,769,237 members.

This significant decline comes despite a slight decrease in the number of individuals formally leaving the Church. In 2024, 321,611 Catholics exited the institution, a reduction from the previous year’s figure of 402,694.“

Why?

Well, you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, as the saying goes.

Anyone who has been paying attention to such things knows, both statistically and anecdotally, that Americans and Europeans alike have become increasingly skeptical of, and even hostile towards, denominational Christianity.

This doesn’t mean folks aren’t interested in or craving spiritual matters less, it just means that religiosity has lost much of it’s appeal and credibility.

There are a variety of reasons for this exodus from churchianity, but here are some of the reasons I have observed and noted over the years:

  • Denominational and creedal doctrines are confusing and contradictory, often not even biblical, and fail to provide direct answers to direct questions about God and the Bible.
  • Clergy and spiritual leadership are often seen as being too focused on raising resources for new buildings, administration, and church functions.
  • Church and worship services are too often centered on denominational ceremonies and traditions, which are mostly devoid of spiritual power, or on emotional experiences which are short-lived.
  • Teachings from the pulpit that are either boring and irrelevant or are focused on cultural, political, and social issues rather than on the power of the living God and the literal resurrection and literal apocalyptic return Jesus Christ to judge the world, establish His Kingdom, and bring about the everlasting reign of God.

Bible Rebel’s Creed and Mission

The purpose of the Bible Rebel ministry and blog is to provide an alternative resource and connection point for those seeking something more than stale, powerless religion.

Here is our one and only creed:
Our living God is a loving God and the Bible is His revealed word and will.
Our hope and eternal salvation relies entirely on the work of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

You can find our Mission Statement here.