Religion – Postchristianity

God is Weak: If The Abortion Saga has Revealed One Thing…

Why would anyone want to be a part of an institution that can only unify behind controlling women?

I left the faith not because I wanted to go rape, murder, or have premarital sex and smoke the occasional organic matter. I didn’t do it so I could have an abortion. I didn’t leave the church because of its unholy matrimony with the Republican party which is a morally bankrupt and corrupt institution (although this one is true).

I left the faith because God is weak.

When I fell for Jesus, when I committed my life to it, I believed in a powerful God, one who could create galaxies and tapestries of life with a wave of his hand. I would rather believe in no god than a weak one; nothing proved how weak God is as much as what happened last week.

Why I am Leaving the US

A lot is pulling me toward England, even more pushing me away from America.

When I was young I remember watching episodes of “20/20”, journalists were exposing stories of toys that were choking kids. After one kid died and the 20/20 show aired, the toymaker recalled all of their products and released a new one safer for babies.

I recall having the feeling that adults would change their practices and lose a ton of money, all to save the life of one child; it was too costly for a company to appear ok with even one child dying.

The Farce of the “Home Defense” Argument: Gun Advocates Want Much More Out of Their Guns

Both the Rittenhouse and the Arbery cases show that gun rights people believe the second amendment authorizes them to do much more than shoot a home intruder.

In both cases the perpetrators BROUGHT their guns to the people they wanted to shoot. In both cases when a scuffle ensued DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF THE PRESENCE OF A GUN, they shot their weapons and killed unarmed people.

In both cases they used self defense as justification for their actions.

Multiculturalism and Sexual Assault Decimated My Conservative, Southern Christianity

My upbringing was idyllic, insular, homogenous, evangelical, Southern, and Christian.

School and church were the same place 6 days a week, 99.9% white, upper middle class, and the messaging was clear and consistent: Follow the script; We are disgusting, sinful, nothing; The ONLY good in us is because of God, and without Jesus we are horrible and condemned to hell. A real wham to the ole self esteem that one.

I babysat and wrote letters to raise support and pay my way on white savior mission trips. I had a purity ring and virginity pledge, I protested out on the street for the pro-life movement and cheerfully participated in fundraisers for the cause. I honestly enjoyed it all.

A New Faith: After Christianity

I thought I needed Christianity in order to be moral, in fact it was the other way around: my innate morality drew me to Christianity. Now, post-christianity, what do I do with it?

When I left my faith I didn’t immediately start raping and murdering and punching babies in the face… as I suspected I would when I was an Evangelical.

Sure, I started drinking more (well, anything is greater than zero), but significant parts of my Christian life remained: My priority of human connection/community, the belief that it’s a moral obligation to look after the poor and the alien… I still raise above all kindness, thankfulness, self-sacrifice…

Hence the term: Deconstruction. It means taking apart your faith, discarding the parts that don’t work, and repositioning the ones that still do.

6 Reasons Why Evangelicals Can’t Resist Conspiracy Theories

Insight from an Evangelical Insider

“T is President, Christ is King”

…was the phrase they were chanting while others prayed in front of a life sized crucifix. After beating policemen and breaking into the Capitol, they led a prayer from the dais of the senate. On Jan 6, 2021, the mob both embraced Jesus and the conspiracy theories that fueled their extremism.

Where did this unholy marriage between Evangelicals (Evies) and conspiracy theories come from? What is it about the church that make its followers fertile ground for believing wild conspiracies like Donald T**** won the election, QAnon, Covid is a hoax, and more?

I spent 18 years inside the Evangelical Church, leading bible studies, worship teams, going on short-term missions trips… the whole nine yards. I have an intimate insider perspective on these 6 constructs in the Church that make followers primed for brainwashing.

My dearest daughter,

When my 2 year old daughter looks back on this disgraceful moment in American history, I want her to know that although her baba failed, he tried.

Today was a dark day in US history. For the first time ever, there was not a peaceful transfer of power in the native country of your birth. And today we failed to convict the man whom the violence was for and we took a great step toward dictatorship. Today, you were too busy playing to notice, but the adults in your country failed to lift the heavy burden of democracy.

My hope is for you to read this letter in 16 years when you come of voting age. I want you to know that your baba tried, that he blogged and donated and voted and appealed to people personally… but alas my voice was not enough to persuade congress to do the decent thing. My hope is that when you can vote, your voice will be even more powerful than mine, that democracy will strengthen, and an informed citizenry will rule more powerfully than today.

But alas, your vote was deeply wounded today.

The Silver Lining

If anyone out there is looking for good news in this dark, dark hour, there is hope.

On this day, in a regular republic, the historic democratic win in Georgia would dominate the headlines. Martyred judge Merrick Garland getting the nod for Attorney General would be a prevalent article your eyes would browse over in your feeds.

But rather, our country was stabbed to its heart with terrorists defiling the senate dais, mocking the sacred power that We The People bestow on the body of representatives who rule there.

Live: Pro-Trump Terrorists Storm the US Capitol | Newsroom — Note how casually the intruder sits at that seat.

It is a tragic, devastating moment in American History, but there is good news if you just imagine this scenario:

After the riots, several senators still questioned and opposed the vote, pandering to the desires of the mob. Imagine for a second if, in the next senate, voters empowered these senators. If We The People handed majority power back to this group of senators who are unified in desire with these terrorists?

Jon Ossoff beat his opponent by only about 35,000 votes. Imagine if he’d lost. Imagine if this band of terrorists attacking our democracy was bolstered by the voter, empowering the GOP and its futile push to keep T**** in power.

The decision was made by Georgians before the chaos ensued, but at least they made the right decision. And one small consolation is we can all look back at this terrorist attack and know that we took power away from the party that invited it.

Perdue, Loeffler absent from Senate vote to override Trump veto of defense bill — Bye bye.

The Chicago 7: A Review… on American Culture

We’ve come a long way since then… for the worst.

I want to make out with Aaron Sorkin’s words. I love pretty much everything he’s done from the West Wing to Charlie Wilson’s War. When I heard about the “Trial of the Chicago 7” I wanted to watch it immediately, but I have a 2 year old, so I’m on a strict diet of Pixar movies.

I finally saw it last night and found an extraordinary film encapsulating the polarized nature of American society and its disdain for protest and civil disobedience… but I’m not here today to review a movie.

Watch this Movie

It’s a near perfect cast, with Sacha baron cohen delivering a career defining performance and michael Keaton somehow managing to steal the show despite the pedigree of the ensemble. Nearly all of the dialogue is true. The quick, balanced, and perfect dialogue is what you come to expect in a Sorkin release.

And yes, the most shocking event to happen to the founder of the Black Panthers actually happened. But this review is not about any of that.

Profile: A Man of Privilege, Loving His Neighbor (by voting blue)

Daryl is a good mate of mine (seen here with my daughter). He checks every box as a person of privilege, save his disability. But rather than reap the benefits of being an educated white male, he’s chosen to live and work among the poor and disadvantaged. His life is inspiring to me, and, after a bit of poking, I got him to share his story with y’all. Enjoy.

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“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

-Jesus (Matthew 22:35-39)

“It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?”

-Mr. Rogers

I grew up in a somewhat conservative Christian family in a small, conservative town in Colorado (or at least it was when I was growing up). I was a fan of George W. Bush and though I liked Barack Obama, the first ballot I cast in a presidential election was for John McCain.

“T**** is President, Christ is King”

Watch this Movie

“T is President, Christ is King”