The idea of the existence of a god fascinates me. A being that is so big, it spoke the big bang into happening. So infinite that it holds the “infinite” universe like I might hold a towel. So full of omniscience that man’s science looks like a toddler discovering his toes. Perhaps even more astounding is the notion that such a being would converse with me: someone who might put a few sticks or bits of elements together and spend the rest of his days amazed with my “creation;”

This is the root of politicians and pundits feeding the public “alternative facts,” “fake news,” and “revisionist history.” When people choose not to see, they have little choice but not to show, not to explain, not to admit, etc., lest they see and are therefore seen. Selective invisibility is one of the most effective tools of less than forthright clergy, politicos, and, by the way, terrorists. Who’s to say what’s real and what’s fabricated among these invisible things we t

So is it a good thing or a bad thing? I think it’s healthy but no more fun than a shot in the buttocks for a ten year old. Children seem to enjoy their illusions: Santa brings them presents at Christmas, a Bunny brings candy at Easter, a Fairy exchanges money for baby teeth (a little creepy when said that way), a huge ape with big feet lives in the woods, et cetera. Part of maturing is releasing these fanciful myths in favor of reality, but it seems to me that after releasing

(This is #11 and the final installment in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 by clicking on the numbers. It’s ok – they’re mostly short.) By the way, to be fair, it’s not just Christians who do it. I’m just more willing to point the proverbial finger at my own kind than others, for the sake of avoiding hypocrisy. But everyone from the LGBTQ community to the Islam community seems to do it. We all want respect and we all want others to see the truth of our ways. But

(This is #10 in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 by clicking on the numbers. It’s ok – they’re short.) Last night I laid out my view that Christ never encouraged public prayer among nonbelievers. I have also explained that U.S. Christians have been doing so ever since the Puritans anchored here. In a previous post I explained that there are usually consequences for “forcing it.” The Union Free School District No. 9 of New Hyde Park, New York was and is a public schoo

(This is #9 in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 , 7 & 8 by clicking on the numbers. It’s ok – they’re short.) Ok, let’s close with Prayer. I know that’s a common saying in church and bible studies, and sometimes in other more public, settings, but I mean it in a different way. I mean it in the sense of a – it’s time to wrap up this series and b. I need to address public prayer before closing. Because really, this bugs me. Imagine laying in bed at night. You’re nice and comfort

(This is #7 in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 by clicking on the numbers.) After the Declaration came the Constitution, and again, all they wrote in to it was “freedom of religion.” No specific religion, faith, creed, or doctrine. As a matter of fact, they went back and forth on how to word the idea that became “freedom of religion.” Look closely. At one point it was “Congress shall make no law establishing a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, nor shall the

(This is #6 in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 by clicking on the numbers.) Forced respect isn’t respect at all.            Forced respect leads to resentment. Forced love isn’t love in the least.            Forced love leads to a bitter loathing. Forced allegiance is far from loyalty.      Forced allegiance causes rebellion. Forced religion is bad faith.                      Forced religion stifles honest faith. When I refer to “forced” religion or faith, I’m not referring to

God is the inventor of free will.  He doesn’t force man to love Him, or obey Him, or respect Him. He could, but He doesn’t. Because He desires sincere devotion as opposed to forced submission. He knows that Forced respect isn’t respect at all; Forced love isn’t love in the least; Forced allegiance is a far cry from loyalty, and Forced religion is bad faith. So He doesn’t force it. To make the point, let’s look at some of His history: Why would He place the first man and woman

My last post, “Don’t force it,” created a mildly heated discussion on my facebook page. Sometimes that happens. The thing is, most people seem to agree that the players have a right to protest – the dissonance comes when the discussion moves to when and where the protest should happen. Under the caselaw interpreting our U.S. Constitution, speech as well as other basic freedoms may be regulated by time, place and manner, but that’s not even the point I was, and am, going for.

#politics #women #kaepernick #prayer #Christianity #violence #questions #Faith #progressive #football #religion #liberal #conservative

If blessings are a joy, and curses tear down or build strength, depending on the receiver, apathy allows rot. Blessings are good for the soul, and curses can be blessings in disguise, but apathy – indifference – even God doesn’t tolerate it. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 Let’s do it this way: If you ask

Sometimes I feel particularly blessed. As in much more so than I deserve. When I’m not being especially grateful, I often think this word is overused in today’s culture, but not today, for me, right now. God has given me a wonderful wife – M, who understands me and puts up with my crap. She recognizes my need for travel, and for two wheel therapy, and is generally gracious about both, to the point that I’ve seen some other guys be a little envious of my freedom. God and my wi

I’m confused about some things: People argue for the right to public prayer under the 1st Amendment even though Christ instructed us to pray humbly in our closets. Matt. 6:5-7 People argue that marriage should be redefined as between same gender, because the equal protection clause should not be hindered by 18th century definitions, but they maintain that the right to bear ‘arms’ should be limited by the 18th century definition of ‘gun.’ People argue that “bearing arms” shoul

Some days are like roller coasters; some days are like the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyworld, or the movie “Groundhog Day.” Like I’m trapped in a room with an annoying loop of some stupid pop song playing. Hit me Baby one more time, one more time, one more time, one more time, noe rmeo mtie. It makes you carazy. And what, pray tell, are we accomplishing? Saving the world? Nah. Too big, too wide, too deep. Save that for the Justice League or those “Avengers” people. Obl

In my experience, faith in the unseen has a natural and possibly unavoidable ebb and flow, like the tides of the ocean. My relationship with prayer, and to some extent God Himself, moves likewise. My last post on prayer addressed the idea of God always answering or, alternatively, sometimes ignoring, our prayers. I’ve hear several defenses of the idea that God does always answer, those defense again explaining that to say He ignores makes Him sound cold and insensitive which

Funnel 38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action[a] like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning

To listen, read and write more, and to communicate less words but more meaning. Each year for the past several, I have resolved to speak less but say as much or more. Hopefully I am making progress. Have a good year, however you define that. #parenting #politics #prayer #christian #zen #meditation #newyear #resolution #peace #Depression #Freedom #family #Jesus #Anger

I’ve heard a lot lately about sexual assault. Before that I heard a lot about bullying. I think these are two breeds of the same species and I dislike the species altogether. This species is commonly called “monster” by those who recognize it, but there are so many breeds and strains of the animal that they go largely unrecognized. They live among us; they stand in line with us at the grocery store and theirs were the last nasty paws on that dollar bill in your pocket. We con

I’m a Christian, not a Buddhist. But different religions have characteristics and practices  that are good ideas, and I reject the idea that one religion’s practice prohibits another  religion from a similar practice. If a practice helps me draw closer to God, I’m interested. I first realized this when I was searching for the Truth in college. (labo & christus) Different religions seem to acknowledge some characteristics of Jehovah under different names, and I concluded that