2012-05-10T06:09:22-05:00

Doctor Daniel Paul Schreber complains of the compulsive thinking that he is forced to endure, a process of “having to think continually,” in opposition to “man’s natural right of mental relaxation, of temporary rest from mental activity through thinking nothing.” Never a moment in which not to think and feel. Machines within me, engines in hyperdrive, factories in constant overproduction. Bataille argues that nature and capitalism alike are driven not by scarcity, but by excess, a superabundance that we are... Read more

2012-05-06T20:56:11-05:00

Ok, I have to admit I’m a history nerd. I read it, I watch it and I teach it professionally. Given the constant intersection of history and politics, I’m also quite interested in socio-political movements, trends and events. And I should say right up front, politically, I’m “all of the above”  on different issues, having voted on both sides and also for independents. But, in full disclosure, and this is a big ‘ol “but” for some of you; because of... Read more

2012-04-29T22:11:26-05:00

I am an amateur poet. Well, more precisely I scribble on paper and end up throwing it next to my bed in my ever growing pile of papers, or if it’s lucky it ends up in a binder. Whatever that is called, that is what I do. The majority of my poetry focuses on nature, philosophy or love. However, I have long desired to write a poem that would reflect the inner emotions I feel toward God. Unfortunately, any time... Read more

2012-04-24T22:54:15-05:00

The first casualty of war is the truth. Tell a lie often enough and it becomes your truth. Urinating on dead bodies; cutting off fingers for sport; murdering women and children; night raid home invasions on civilians; and the most recent embarrassment of soldiers posing with dead body parts, are all possible during times of war because of the original lie that starts the war, which must include dehumanizing the enemy. It goes against human reason, after all, to kill... Read more

2012-04-25T15:40:05-05:00

A few weeks ago I was a guest on a local (Minneapolis) Cable TV show hosted by the Minnesota Humanists. It was a really interesting conversation. One of the comments that struck me was the host mentioning that he had looked around the internet and had noticed that there were some people who were not, shall I say, “big fans” of mine. I mentioned that Christianity is a big family with many squabbles. He said, (my paraphrase) yes I have... Read more

2012-04-22T17:36:54-05:00

    Desire is the Desire of the Other – Lacan Love your neighbour as yourself – Jesus Imagine a cupcake sitting on a table in front of you. The cream topped pastry tempts and haunts you with its delectable experience. Its voice beckons you: consume me. eat me, whole. in that moment the cupcake became your other. now, the other is that which has the ability [and most of the time does] tells you what you think, how you... Read more

2012-07-21T20:36:49-05:00

In a recent reading of Erich Fromm’s To Have or to Be, I’ve once again confronted an identity crisis. Am I a Christian or have I merely had faith? Christianity’s Eastern roots would demand the prior, but the American Christian world at large bellows the latter in 3D Dolby Digital surround sound. Fromm’s emphasis upon two modes of existence epitomizes all that I love and hate about twenty-first century Christianity. I love the possibility of a new way being. I hate... Read more

2012-04-16T11:21:05-05:00

  God hates fags, really? I have been told this is true. But what does God have against cigarettes? I mean, OK, maybe the carcinogenic properties probably aren’t that healthy, but who doesn’t have their addictions? Is this enough to merit people standing in the streets, making placards (using a full spectrum of variegated coloring, much like the “rainbow”) and promoting violent behavior against smoking fags? I mean that is simply ludicrous. Why are so many people justifying their words... Read more

2012-04-11T09:15:36-05:00

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ! -Gandhi Christians in America are infamous for being so unlike Jesus. I like the bumper sticker that says, “When Jesus said love your enemies I think he probably meant don’t kill them.” Ever wonder how Christians went from loving their enemies to killing them? We love to blame it all on Constantine, and true enough, he contributed to the problem, but I think the... Read more

2012-04-11T05:12:56-05:00

INTRO: the other is that which is different to us. that which is foreign or even monstrous to us and our sensibilities. historically, the church has struggled not only to engage with the other, but also to allow the other to maintain that which makes them other. this video is about why that needs to change (Turn your speakers up!)   Quote at the beginning of the Video: As opposed to the official feast, one might say that carnival celebrated... Read more


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