A wise man (who may have been either a fictional or composite character) once said, “the thief is come to steal, kill, and destroy, but I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” Before I unpack this, a little backstory… When I was a young minister of “the gospel,” I was taught that this thief was “satan,” or “the devil.” This was my working understanding of this for many years and it made sense —... Read more
Mainstream — and even much of “off-the-beaten-path” — christianity is centered around the concept of worship. I was taught — and taught others, myself — that God desired worship and that it was essential to your christian life to worship. But, like most things christian, I found a problem with this. Believers in christ love to ascribe anthropomorphic characteristics to god but only when it’s convenient. Like “god is a good father” but “he must punish sin.” Or, “god is... Read more
Last week I wrote about how I believe god isn’t good. This week, I’ll double-down by saying god ain’t just. I believe if god were just, justice would be a concept that all people could grasp because all people would experience it. I also think that if god were truly omnipotent and omniscient — which this is predicated on whether god is even real — justice would be both ubiquitous and diffuse. I remember the day Dr. Martin Luther King,... Read more
When I was a pastor, I loved the old call and response. You know, when the preacher says something and the congregation says something in response, like: Preacher: god is good Congregation: All the time Preacher: And all the time Congregation: god is good This sort of thing used to get the pew-fillers warmed up for a good sermon. A sermon that often talked about sin and the consequences of it. It was also good fodder for testimonials — where... Read more
The human body is a marvel of design and engineering. A variety of elements come together in chemical compounds to produce cells and tissues that make up organs and components that are manifested in human life. What’s really awesome is how some every component of the human body has a different function but comes together for a common purpose — that is, to sustain life. Quick point of housekeeping: even though I’ve moved on from the bible as an authoritative... Read more
Everyone loves a superhero story. The world is in imminent danger of either being destroyed or overcome by evil and the hero rushes in to save the day. By virtue of superhuman strength and moral fortitude, the world and humanity lives on until the next crisis mounts. In his book, “The Hero’s Journey,” Joseph Campbell outlines what is commonly known as the “monomyth,” or a story template that involves a hero who goes on an adventure, overcomes a crisis, and... Read more
It’s Good Friday (observed). This means it’s time for religion to trot out “The Great Lie” — that Jesus (Yeshua) did something to remove the sins of humanity. Blah, blah, blah. Before I continue, let me say that, going forward, I will refer to “Jesus” by his proper name, “Yeshua.” One of the big problems with christianity is its western interpretation, including the names of the major characters of the bible. Just had to get that off my chest. Meanwhile,... Read more
I haven’t written anything in awhile. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t been inspired. The events of the presidential election and the pandemic have been, frankly, life-sapping. But I’m a writer and, even though I don’t feel like it, I need to write. Not only does it allow me to see my thoughts, it’s also therapeutic. To borrow from the late, great, former coach and owner of the Las Vegas (Oakland, Los Angeles, ???) Raiders: Just write, baby! As many... Read more
The song, “The Greatest Love of All” actually had it right. When religion was the guide of my life, I was told to love God first. However, I’m going to share with you one of the most important things you’ll ever learn — if you haven’t learned it already: You cannot give what you don’t have. How can you share something experientially with someone that you, yourself, haven’t experienced? I cannot over-stress the importance of self-love. I believe it is... Read more
When I was a kid growing up in Detroit, one of my greatest joys was the Auto Show season. This was when the convention center downtown was converted into an automotive dreamscape. Besides all the cars available for the new model year, this was the time when automakers rolled out their concepts and prototypes. Concepts are artworks that look like cars but have no powertrain. They are designed to visually stimulate and evoke an emotional response. They also are used... Read more
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