Folks, We NEED To Be Uncomfortable To Learn

March 27, 2023 By Christy Thomas

A human universal: We learn and grow the most when we are uncomfortable, when our current ways of thinking are challenged. My husband exploded with rage across the breakfast table. He was reading the Sunday Telegraph, a British newspaper, and had just learned that HarperCollins publishers are “rewriting” most of beloved British mystery novelist Agatha Christie’s books to remove “objectionable language.” See the story here. As in “God forbid that anyone become even the slightest bit uncomfortable by reading fun mysteries... Read more

Religion And The Oppression of Women

February 22, 2023 By Christy Thomas

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If the oppression of women is what Allah demands, then that conception of Allah deserves nothing but contempt. Let me elaborate here. That Afghanistan is a nation of starving people barely makes the news anymore. The suffering was horrible two years ago, and appeared to worsen last year. They are now deep into their cold, cold winter months with a large percentage of the population down to absolute zero in resources. On top of being ruled by the Taliban, a group... Read more

The Mending Kits Of Grace And The Torn Pillowcase

December 26, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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The mending kits showed up first as I searched for thread in the same color family as the pillowcase. Perhaps they are metaphors of grace, ways to redeem everything we do. Fevers and chills Illness has invaded here. My husband spent the night alternately sweating and freezing. He felt a bit better this morning, and I’m somewhat recovering from whatever I have, so decided to strip the bed down to the mattress and give everything a good wash. As I... Read more

My Morning Ritual: Pondering Religiously-Backed Genocide

December 12, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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With the privilege of retirement, I awaken slowly many mornings and enter my morning ritual. I stay quietly in bed, beginning the day with prayer and some moments of meditation. These days, I particularly consider the fact that, daily, that morning ritual is accompanied by the comfort of a decent bed, comfortable bed linens, and a quiet, temperature-controlled environment. My thoughts then move to the people of Ukraine, with innocent civilians relentlessly bombarded by Russian ruthlessness and subhuman cruelty, coupled... Read more

6 Reasons Why There Aren’t More Liberal Christians

October 28, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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The big question: Why aren’t there more liberal Christians? I remember when I begin my own move from the very conservative religious world into a progressive, more liberal, freer religious world how terribly frightening it was. I couldn’t find a roadmap. The rules were unclear. I had to make too many decisions. It was exhausting to have to think for myself all the time. Agreeing to disagree is a truly terrifying stance as one has to let go of absolute... Read more

Religious Beliefs Matter: Stop Stereotyping, Start Understanding

September 24, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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The research was thorough and worldwide and the results clear: Religious beliefs matter AND religious people hate to be stereotyped. As in, stop doing that. It doesn’t help. Why religious beliefs matter so much The Faith and Media Initiative conducted the study using an impressive set of participants from countries around the world representing multiple faith groups. The full report can be found here. But the summary is fairly simple: for multiple reasons, the media does a truly awful job... Read more

Don’t Want Your Kids To Experience Discomfort? Ban The Bible

September 18, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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If we really want to protect children, for heaven’s sake, ban the Bible! And, for sake of consistency, keep those kids away from church. There’s a lot of talk these days about removing certain books and restraining teachers from speaking of various subjects that might cause “discomfort” in their students. Most of these restrictions are driven by a group of people who generally identify as Christian. From what I can discern, these parents don’t want their children to have the... Read more

Queen Elizabeth: A Model Of Integrity, Fortitude, and Faithfulness

September 8, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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I was in London when Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, ten years ago. I never stopped admiring her. At that time, my oldest son, now a British citizen, had an office on the top floor of a six-story building that overlooked St. James Park and the Thames river. We gathered there for snacks and Pims, waiting for the royal regatta to pass while watching the TV footage of the celebration projected on a large screen. It was a typical... Read more

What Does The Bible Say About Politics?

July 26, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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What Does The Bible Say About Politics? Absolutely nothing . . . and absolutely everything. If we want to use a narrow definition, i.e., the politics of democracy with a secular government elected by the people in the 21st century USA, then the Bible has zip to say about the current situation. Certainly, the idea of a democratic system of governance has been around a long time—the Greeks tried it in the sixth century B.C., managing to keep it going... Read more

Women: The Future Of Humanity

July 3, 2022 By Christy Thomas

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I treasure life and think the female role of being the bearer of the future of humanity is a position of unbelievable privilege. Note: see the first part of this post: Women Who Abort Are Murderers: Lock Them Up. So, should we label women who undergo abortions as murderers and properly prosecute them? This is the sad but logical conclusion of the anti-abortion stance that any product of conception, even in the earliest zygote stage, is fully human and should... Read more