“Religion is the opiate of the masses.” Karl Marx Recently, we interviewed Cindy Wang Brandt on our podcast, The Desert Sanctuary. Don’t blame her for anything I say, but her suggestion inspired this thought process. She stressed that everyone should take a gap year off from church. Although I agree with this now, I could not have imagined that for the past 25 years. This got me to thinking about why I had never imagined this before. I had a... Read more
Last year I started watching The Curse of Oak Island television series. It is a reality show that combines myth, legend, some history and quite a bit of mystery. It centers around finding a treasure that seems to always be just out of the reach of the treasure seekers. Like most reality shows, there is a certain level of believe-ability and a certain amount of showmanship. It’s just fun to kind of get lost in the uncertainty of the treasure... Read more
The period in my life where I dealt with my shadow issues was an interesting time. I had previously walked away from a denomination that I had been associated with most of my life. I am grateful for many of the lessons it taught me. I can honestly say that I was loved and cared for many of the years I spent there. I have a deep appreciation for many aspects of the faith. And, even though I was wounded... Read more
Like most of my writing, this is only my opinion. I don’t expect anyone to take what I say at face value. I hope they will do their own research and come to their own conclusions. I’m not trying to convert anyone; I just hope my thoughts will inspire others to have thoughts of their own. With that said, I have come to understand that there are no spirit beings like we think of as demons. I also do not... Read more
Two of my best friends ever no longer talk to me. I cannot say that it is all their fault, but here is what happened. Two things have changed significantly in the past few years for me – I went Vegan and I deconstructed my faith. Both individuals became irritated when I talked about these things online. Again, I am assuming partial responsibility – I still have some proclivities toward preaching, but the difference of belief systems (how we should... Read more
Today we walked through the King of Prussia mall in Pennsylvania. I’m working here and Laura is here for a week keeping me company. The mall is so big that we kept getting lost in the mall. Being an introvert and because of my background, I have some default responses in large crowds of diverse people. Mainly, I just want to find something to buy so we can leave, but recently some of my default responses have changed. Jesus also... Read more
Occasionally, I have a deep, contemplative thought during my day. I can’t really write about these things while I’m at work, but I think about it all day and then I usually write it down or just post it as a meme on the way home from work on Facebook. I sort of still believe that the Spirit of God inspires us. So, these are the top 10 things I’ve been thinking about recently. I’m not claiming they are absolute... Read more
I have identified as a Chrstian for most of my life. Until recently, I would have proudly defended Christianity on some level even though I always admitted that nobody is perfect and we all have flaws. But once I got outside of organized relgion, I have been able to see with new eyes and I think Christianity, especially in it’s organized form, has some real problems. Here are some of my observations — they are not scientific — just what... Read more
“Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means for escape.” Anonymous We are currently experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. It has required us to practice what is known as social distancing. Americans seems to resist any thing that we believe limits our freedom. Even when the limitations can save our life, we like to think we know what is best for us (even... Read more
While I was raising children, I always felt good for just a second when I was retributive. When they would disobey my commands or lie to me or sneak around behind my back, it felt particularly good, for just a second, to lose it and shame them or embarrass them into submission. However, almost immediately, I felt remorse for it. Although it got immediate results, it sometimes caused more damage than it did good. It was not me at my... Read more
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