The Naked Journal
Thoughts, musings, and meanings behind NakedPastor Art.
The Naked Journal
Why I Support Trans People and Why You Should Too
Not because it’s trendy.Not because it’s easy.But because it’s right! 1. People deserve to live as themselves There’s a quiet kind of violence in being told your reality isn’t real. In fact, the violence against trans people isn't always quiet. Trans people push back against that every day, often at great cost, just to live honestly. Supporting them isn’t complicated. It’s about respecting someone’s truth, even if it challenges your assumptions. I Just Want to Live Trans Sheep is available for digital download. 2. Harm has too often been justified as “truth.” Too many have experienced rejection, exclusion, or even spiritual abuse in the name of certainty. But when this kind of so-called “truth” leaves people isolated, afraid, or erased, it’s worth asking what kind of truth that really is. Support means choosing compassion over control, people over rigid systems, love over dogma. I Love You As You Are is available for digital download. 3. Dignity shouldn’t be up for debate Trans people aren’t issues to argue about. They’re human beings to know, love, and stand with. Basic things like safety, healthcare, and belonging shouldn’t depend on whether others understand or agree. Supporting trans people means refusing to make their humanity or our care for them conditional. This original drawing, "Do Not Fear Trans," is available for purchase. I support trans people because I believe authenticity is sacred. Because I’ve seen what exclusion does. Because love, if it’s real, doesn’t draw lines around who gets to belong. And because everyone deserves the freedom to be fully, visibly, unapologetically alive.P.S. If you liked this blog and cartoons, I've put together 3 wholesome and affirming trans cartoons too.
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The Best Way to Celebrate Pride Is to Be Yourself
Some of my greatest inspiration to be true to myself, to be and embrace my most authentic self, come from LGBTQIA+ people. With incredible and admirable courage, they desire and endeavour to be who they are, and that motivates me to do the same. Pride doesn’t start at a parade. It starts in the quiet moment you decide not to hide. Pride is refusing to wear the mask society requires you to wear in order to fit in. What Do You Want? is available for digital download. Authenticity is an act of courage For many, being yourself hasn’t been safe. It comes with risk: rejection, misunderstanding, even loss. So choosing honesty, even in small ways, is no small thing. Pride lives in those decisions. Pride lives in every step away from pretending and toward truth. It's about embracing the beauty of authenticity in others and ourselves. There’s no one right way to belongNot everyone celebrates loudly. Not everyone waves a flag. Some people are still figuring things out. Some are healing. Some are just surviving. Pride makes room for all of it. There’s no checklist for being “out enough” or “proud enough.” Being yourself, wherever you are, is enough. Your existence challenges the lieThe lie says you should be different to be loved. The lie demands that you be a certain way in order to fit into the prescribed box of so-called "love" that is being offered. The lie says that you have to edit yourself to belong. But every time you show up as you are, you disrupt that narrative. You remind others, sometimes quietly, sometimes powerfully, that authenticity is not something to apologize for. You can buy a print of You Don't Gotta Do Nuthin! You don’t have to perform Pride.You don’t have to prove anything. The best way to celebrate Pride is to be yourself. Not someday. Not when it’s easier. But in whatever way you can, right now, because celebrating pride is so important!
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Why Are Pride Celebrations Important?
The first time I attended a Pride Parade was several years ago in Dallas, Texas. I went with a church I was a guest speaker at that weekend. I had no idea what to expect. But what I experienced was an incredible sense of courage, joy, and community. I realized then that Pride isn’t just a party. It’s a protest. It’s a demonstration of unity in diversity. It’s a bold statement of courage to be our authentic selves. It was a joyful glimpse into what’s possible in this world. That's the reason I've put together a few pride cartoons to demonstrate just that! It's Always Pride Cartoon is available for digital download. Pride celebrations are important because: 1. Silence was never neutral For generations, LGBTQ+ people were told to hide… by culture, by family, and by the church. Pride is what happens when people refuse to disappear. It’s visibility as resistance. It says: we were always here, and we’re not going anywhere. Deal with it! Pride's a Sin is available for digital download. 2. Shame loses its power in the light Many of us were taught that who we are is wrong. Not just what we believed or how we lived… but who we are! I’m straight, but even I knew that I had to hide my truest self. Pride flips that script. For everyone! It’s not about arrogance. It’s about reclaiming dignity. What was once whispered in fear is now celebrated in the open. Shame depends on secrecy. Pride breaks that cycle. When you support NakedPastor, you get colouring pages like this one. 3. Belonging should never be conditional Too often, love has come with fine print: you’re welcome, but only if you change. Pride rejects that deal. It imagines a world where people don’t have to earn their right to exist, love, or belong. It believes that at a deep and fundamental we are all a part of the Oneness. A world where authenticity isn’t punished, but honoured. Love over dogma. Love over verses. Love is greater than all of that because it transcends it and subsumes everything in this world. Love Over Verses is available as a print, mug, sticker, and t-shirt. Pride matters because people matter! Until everyone is safe, seen, and celebrated, Pride will still be necessary. I've listed 10 inspiring quotes to celebrate pride, if you need some extra encouragement! And if you're looking for Pride Month gifts to show your support for an LGBTQ+ loved one, I have some ideas too!
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How To Heal Your Inner Child Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Healing your inner child is one of the most incredible journeys you can take. It might sound trivial to some, but those who truly feel what I’m saying will know exactly what I mean. It’s hard living your adult life when the little version of yourself that still lives inside you is hurt or bruised. Those wounds can last a lifetime if we don’t try to make amends with who we were as children. I began this journey many years ago and realized just how many people feel the same. Artwork: Inner Child I didn’t intend to write about inner child healing but after commissioning this inner child artwork for Rebecca, so many people resonated with it. So, I created a gender-neutral version as a print. It is a reminder that the younger you did what they could. They survived. These are three things that have helped me in healing my inner child, and I’m sharing them in the hope that they might help you too. 1. Allow Yourself To Feel If your inner child is hurting, sometimes you don’t quite understand the small ache you carry around in your chest every day. It’s not until we notice it, feel it, and accept it that we can begin to heal. That’s why it’s important to be vulnerable. What it means to “feel” will look different for all of us. Maybe it’s crying on your bed. Maybe it’s journaling. Maybe it’s getting angry and sitting with that emotion. A moment or moments of solitude can help your emotional health; it is important. Often we are afraid of anger, so we hide from it. But let me be clear. I don’t mean hateful anger, violent anger, or cruelty. I mean allowing yourself to sit with the feeling. What I’ve learned about anger is that extreme hurt often hides underneath it. Anger can feel easier to deal with than pain, but anger itself rarely brings healing. When we allow ourselves to feel the hurt beneath it, that’s when real release happens and the inner child work begins. 2. Mourn The Childhood You Never Had I think one of the hardest things is actually allowing yourself to feel sad and truly mourn. It’s easy to resent, feel sorry for yourself, or get angry, but truly mourning the part of your childhood you never got takes real courage. There’s power in vulnerability for healing. Maybe you didn’t have the loving parent or parents you deserved. Maybe you didn’t experience a joyful, warm Christmas, or even have a truly happy birthday. These feelings are valid. The younger version of you deserved all of those things. So mourn, my friend. Cry and feel the sadness. And then, ultimately, let it go. Mourning is an important part of the process because it allows you to recognize what you missed out on. But what matters most is that, through mourning, you eventually say goodbye to those angry, hurtful feelings. It’s about reparenting your inner child. Mourning isn’t linear, and it’s far from easy. But when you give yourself permission to grieve and choose to let the hurt go, it will gradually begin to fade. 3. Speak Lovingly To Your Inner Child When you’ve been told you aren’t good enough for as long as you can remember, those critical and self-deprecating voices can become deeply ingrained. Even if you’ve learned to quiet them, the bruises may still remain. One practice that helped me was speaking lovingly to my inner child.. In a gentle voice, I imagined telling little David that I shared his pains, the abuse, the struggles, the confusion, and the hardships. All the difficult things he was going to experience. But I also comforted him. I told him that although those experiences would shape his life, they would not destroy him. He would survive them. And one day he would even look back with gratitude for the strength they helped him discover. When I finished, my heart felt bigger. I loved myself more. And because of that, I found I could love others more too. Be Gentle With Yourself Healing your inner child is by no means an easy process. Some days will feel harder than others. Some days your younger self will need more love and patience. But look at the person you are today. Look at how you’ve grown and how you continue to grow. I know I can’t fix everything your inner child went through, but I hope this helps guide you toward showing your younger self more grace and care. You may not have received the love you needed growing up. But you can give that love to yourself now. You are here now. You are safe. You can take it from here. You can carry them to safety.
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4 Cartoons About Smashing The Patriarchy
A few years ago, I started a deep dive into feminist literature. I started with bell hooks, and went from there. I think once you start down that road, there's no going back. That is, if you have a brain and a heart and a conscience. The church was my playground growing up, and when I became an adult I served the church in many capacities, including as pastor for about 30 years. I saw firsthand the patriarchal bias of the church, Christianity, and all religion. Even culture itself! In fact, after all my experiences, observations, and research, I've come to the conclusion that the patriarchy, particularly white male privilege, is the problematic root issue in our societies. So, I've drawn a bunch of cartoons illustrating and challenging the patriarchy. Enjoy! 1. The Weight of the Patriarchy Cartoon This one illustrates how one man's opinion can outweigh the opinions of many women. I've seen this in action. In fact, if a woman's opinion is considered a good one, a man will figure out a way to appropriate it and claim it as his own. 2. The Patriarchy Never Hurt Me Cartoon Many men don't think the patriarchy exists, and if it did, it's not a bad thing, because they've always only benefited from it and never felt it inflict any harm on them. That's called the anecdotal fallacy... the belief that something doesn't exist because you've never experienced it. 3. Down With The Patriarchy Cartoon This one is another illustration of men dismissing the concept of the patriarchy, and instead blaming the woman who is protesting it for rocking the boat and upsetting the status quo. Victim-blaming at its worst! 4. The Patriarchy Cartoon This cartoon illustrates how men benefit from the patriarchy and up til now women must serve it in order to survive. But I'm seeing that change. And that's a good thing. It won't go down without a struggle.
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6 Of The Best Anti-ICE Cartoons
I'm often challenged to stick to religion and not get political. But one verse that has always stuck with me is "true religion is caring for orphans and widows" (James 1:27). Sounds like social justice issues to me: children, the poor, and the marginalized. So, when these people are persecuted instead of cared for, shouldn't that be a time for religion to speak out? I think so. In the wake of the terror ICE is inflicting on the public, I've drawn a few cartoons to challenge it. 1. I'm Not Mad At You This cartoon was done in honour of Renée Good. These were among her last words. I immediately thought of Jesus and his unjust execution as well. 2. FAFO This was the cruel response of many to the executions of innocent civilians. FAFO is usually used for people who do stupid or bad things and pay for it... like karma. It was never meant for people who do good things and are executed for it. 3. Pepper Spray Jesus It pained me to see innocent protestors exercising their rights being punished with point-blank pepper spray to the face. It's like it's the cruelty that counts, not our rights. Jesus said... whatever you did to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did to me. That's why I draw cartoons like this one. 4. No ICE In all the chaos in the world today,there shouldn’t even be an option for cruelty. No ICE! No hate! No thank you! 5. Fleeing the Country ICE’s terror is rampant. Not even he escaped it! When leaders have the power to control so much… I’ve made a whole cartoon series on Trump. 6. ICE Daily Affirmations Daily affirmations can be powerful and dangerous. Some aren’t good for you or anyone! Keep Going! I want to be among those persecuted for doing good, not punished for doing bad. We must believe small acts of kindness and little gestures of love eventually win. We must continually speak out against injustice because we believe justice will prevail in the long run. If you like my more political cartoons, I think you’d appreciate my best anti-Trump cartoons. Take a look!
Read moreHow Bethel (and other churches) use Spiritual Bypassing to Avoid Accusations
Many people have asked whether I've heard the story about what’s going on at Bethel Church in Redding, California. This is January 2026. Yes, I have, and I've seen this before. I want to give a few disclaimers before I share my thoughts about it: 1. The first is that I haven’t watched all the videos or listened to all the sermons and messages, nor have I read all the letters and statements. I have the gist of the story. So I’m not qualified to give a thorough analysis of the situation. That’s not what this is about anyway. 2. The second is that I was in that kind of church culture for years, not only as a member, but as a pastor. The culture I partially mean is one that practices prophetic ministry and adores charismatic leaders. So I know that this kind of stuff goes on, how it happens, how it often plays out, and how it often ends. I’ve been there, done that. 3. Finally, I’ve read the published apology. They say they messed up and are embarrassed. It’s hard not to feel suspicious that the only reason they are taking these steps is that they were exposed in such a publicly thorough and humiliating way. But I don’t know. That said, it’s important to look at stories like this so we can see spiritual abuse and coercive control unfolding in real time, understand how they work, and become more aware so we can help prevent them from happening again. A Common Pattern of Spiritual Abuse I don’t need to know all the facts of this case to say what I’m saying in this post. I’ve seen this pattern too many times before. This is not just about one church or spiritual leader, but a system that enables this familiar pattern. This kind of thing is happening all the time in the church and other spiritual communities and ministries. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it. When a church or spiritual leader uses spirituality as a way to avoid accountability and responsibility, instead of dealing with them honestly, that’s called spiritual bypassing. And it’s very effective. So I thought I would use the recent Bethel controversy as an example of how churches may avoid responsibility and cover up spiritual abuse, even sexual harassment, by using spiritual bypassing. The Bethel and Shawn Bolz Controversy A few weeks ago, Mike Winger, a theologian and YouTuber, released an almost six-hour YouTube exposé about how the ‘prophetic’ spiritual leader, Shawn Bolz, fabricated prophecies by mining social media accounts for information. While some of this information has been around for years, Winger pulls it all together and provides evidence to support it. What is new is the sexual harassment allegations. According to Winger’s sources and former employees, there are at least 12 known victims. Bolz has been accused of masturbating in front of victims, sharing explicit pictures and telling victims, “I’m a prophet. I need release,”. Winger shared evidence that the Bethel leadership knew about these concerns for years and slowly distanced themselves from Bolz without alerting the wider community. What caused further outrage was Kris Vallotton’s Sunday sermon, in which he seemed to protect the leaders and minimize the criticism. Using Spiritual Bypassing to Avoid Accusations Vallotton’s sermon is a good example of how spiritual bypassing works. In this case, it’s using spirituality to protect church leaders and silence their accusers. Let me explain what I mean: Using Spiritual Language to Avoid Responsibility Unfortunately, faith language is often used as a tool to avoid reality. Not honouring it. Bypassing it. Instead of taking responsibility for the harm caused, Bethel allowed Bolz to use spiritual language to rebrand his shift in ministry. In January of 2025, Bolz released a statement declaring that his ministry would change focus, but that he would continue his prophetic ministry. What he didn’t say was that Bethel and other leaders had raised serious concerns about his integrity and challenged him on it. Instead of dealing with the actual issues, perpetrators use the language of spiritual bypassing to rebrand themselves. We’re seeing that a lot these days. Aren’t we? Blaming Outside Forces to Deflect Blame Vallotton’s sermon focused on how challenging it is to lead in the age of social media, where opinions, accusations, and criticism spread wildly and widely. He basically blamed social media for the source of the controversy rather than the behavior of his friend, Bolz. He claimed that the global spread of unsubstantiated stories makes discernment more challenging and exposes leaders unfairly. This is how spiritual bypassing works: it leads your eyes away from the perpetrator and points them toward the public’s reaction instead. Essentially, he communicated that it’s the internet’s fault. Let me make this clear, there is no excuse for spiritual abuse! Enforcing Forgiveness to Avoid Responsibility A common theme I address often is how a culture of forgiveness can cultivate and protect abuse. Leaders plead for grace and forgiveness over accountability, justice, and responsible consequences. I’ve seen it over and over again where leaders get away with irresponsible, abusive, and even illegal behaviour because, as Christians, and as the Church, we are required to forgive and restore them. When someone preys on a congregation, reducing their predatory behaviour to a moment of personal weakness, pressures their victims to forgive and forget. How to Heal from Spiritual Abuse Once you recognize spiritual abuse, it’s the first very important step in your healing and freedom. It’s not only most of the cure, but most of its prevention. I’ve written many articles on spiritual abuse and healing from spiritual abuse, so that you can read more about it on my site. Remember, true spiritual growth doesn’t ignore real pain. It sits with it. It grieves. It asks hard questions and faces hard truths. It acknowledges the hurt, the pain, the trauma, and works towards healing from there. P.S. If you're a church or journalist wanting to write about spiritual abuse, you can license my cartoons by joining my monthly subscription to get access to thousands of cartoons or pay a one-off fee for the cartoon you'd like.
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4 Cartoons On the Fear of Hell
The fear of Hell is very real. Even though I spent years deconstructing my beliefs, the fear of Hell stuck to me like tar. Fear is very sticky, and it can take us a long time to get over it. Even when we don't believe in the things we're afraid of. How many of us don't believe in monsters, but are still scared of the dark and what lurks there? I tell people that when you stop believing in Hell, at first the fear of Hell will be a yell. But eventually it will fade to just chatter. Then that will eventually fade to a whisper. Then an echo. Then silence. It takes longer for some than for others. Here are some cartoons that I've drawn to address this fear. 1. Hell of an Art Show Cartoon I drew this one to show that even Jesus would be shocked at our cruel concept of Hell. It is unbelievable, shocking, and cruel. He doesn't buy it. 2. I Don't Think I Believe In Hell Cartoon I know a lot of people in therapy to overcome their fear of Hell. I've talked with some therapists who are pretty amazed at how deep this brainwashing on Hell goes. For some, it may take years to get over this irrational fear. But the work is worth it! 3. The Theology of Hell Cartoon Again, Jesus is portrayed as shocked at the horrible theology of Hell. I really do believe it was developed to terrify us into obedience. It's a method of crowd control. Plain and simple. 4. Kids Going to Hell Cartoon Many people think indoctrinated our children on the concept of Hell is child abuse. I tend to agree. To submit a child to such unbelievable terrors is typical of cults and other high-control groups. Let's end it now. They are too young for this!
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Tony Jones on Mark Driscoll: What came first, the thug or the theology?
This drawing is inspired by the Ouroboros Snake... of the snake eating its own tail. What came first? The chicken or the egg? What came first? The thug or the theology? I read Tony Jones' thoughts on Mark Driscoll. Jones has always admired Driscoll, maybe envies him a little, wants the best for him, believes he can be redeemed, and suggests that things can be restored. What I found most interesting though is that Jones believes the problem with Driscoll is theological. He titles his post is "Thoughts about Mark Driscoll" He talks about the "heady" days of publishing and speaking. He dismisses his disturbing personality traits by his use of the word "sure". He says it isn't a moral issue (evil) but that he is passionate. He says more than once that Driscoll is "extremely smart" or "brilliant". He suggests that he will "see" (as in "think"?) his way out of this. He writes that Driscoll has just embraced a toxic version of theology. He hopes that Driscoll will turn away from this toxic theology. He concludes therefore that Driscoll is not the problem, but his theology. But my question is‚ What came first? The thug or the theology? That is, did Driscoll become the focus of concern because of his theology? Or was it because of his behavior? I'm concerned that Jones' post reflects the refusal of the church to understand spiritual abuse. It neglects the pathology of its abusive leaders. I don't think this is being fair to the victims or the perpetrators of spiritual abuse. People are victims of not just a bad theology, but a pathological cruelty. I don't think Driscoll's theology made this happen. Driscoll "embraced" his toxic version of theology because it aligned with his moral compass. It fit his personality. It worked for him to achieve his goals. Then it manifested the worst in him. Then he continued to develop his toxic theology in order to make more room for his pathological behavior. Mars Hill Church too. Jones' sentence, "It could have happened to any of us." is true, because I believe we all participate in this dynamic. Theology is our creation. It is a reflection of our drives and desires. Then, not satisfied to only be the product of our drives and desires, it also becomes the producer of them. Theology is a vicious cycle of our desperate need to understand and control our universe. Step into this cycle at any point and you can see that we are both the root and fruit of our theology and pathology. And yes, it spins out of control by manifesting itself in toxic, controlling, and abusive behavior. Nothing can be done about bad theology because of free thought and speech. But we can do something when this manifests itself in bad behavior. Cruel theology is a nuisance. Cruel behavior is unacceptable. When Driscoll thinks bully to his people, we can say please stop. But when he actually bullies people, we can step in and say you will stop now! I don't think this is a theological issue. I think it is a pathological one. Not just for Driscoll and Jones, but for the entire church. If we would be healed, our theology would take care of itself.
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