Author of the novel JACK.
Ariel Hammon As modern life demands that we grow more specialized in our careers, the temptation to outsource our personal responsibilities may be tempting, but we risk selling ourselves in the process. Selling to whom? To those who take the responsibility, even if by fraud or deceit. Most likely the exchange will leave us feeling cheated because … Read morePersonal Responsibility
Cowboys and Indians I grew up in Short Creek straddling the Utah/Arizona border. For reasons which I will describe, I do not think fondly of this town. I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy my childhood. I did. The mountains, the creek, the skies, and the dirt were a child’s dream. My family life was … Read moreThis Is Short Creek
The title of this piece references not just one thing that I love, but two: God and Science. Science is the premier tool that we humans have developed to actually read the mind and will of God. This is important because he’s not talking to us. Instead, he surrounded us with mysteries and subtle clues … Read moreGod, I Love Science
Unsettling Questions Years ago (and throughout my spiritual journey), tough questions began percolating to the surface of my mind. These questions took different forms, but they all fell into a few simple categories: God, his holy nature, and my relationship with him (if indeed there was one). Some of these questions were so unsettling that … Read moreMaking Satan
Music is therapy, but rock music is high octane healing. Not only is it meaningful, but it helps us process our experiences in powerful ways. Rock ‘n’ Roll has accompanied me through some troubled times. Perhaps the hardest thing to endure is deception, but when you must endure it from a person you love, it … Read moreFavorite Rock ‘n’ Roll Quotes
I recently watched Tucker Carlson’s Men in America. It’s a series playing Wednesdays, of which he has currently published two episodes. The bleak picture that he painted of American men shocked me to the core. Some of the stats that he related didn’t particularly surprise me such as men’s shortened life spans, drug addiction, suicide, … Read moreThe Demise of Masculinity
In the context of God, the term “agnostic” is often misunderstood. Unless this is something that a person has really thought about extensively, one might think that it means undecided, uncommitted, or unconcerned. To compound the difficulty in understanding this term, we must accept that the meaning of language is determined by usage. Nevertheless, I … Read moreIntelligence & Agnosticism
My Dear Children, Today I want to share some thoughts with you on one of life’s most critical topics–Health. Life has a way of overwhelming us with nonsense that seems really important. We start dipping our feet in the waters of adulthood and before we can make much sense of this new sensation, ten years … Read moreOpen Letter To My Children (part 2)
The statement that “Jesus was not Christian” means that many of the doctrines and beliefs held by mainstream Christianity cannot be traced to Jesus. Furthermore, the statement is not trivialized by the fact that he was a Jew. No one was ever more Christian than Paul and he was a Jew, too. Jesus actually departed … Read moreJesus Was Not Christian (part 3)
Jesus was certainly a great hero and lovable beyond compare. He brought a message of peace and love that deeply resonated with people. He healed the sick and consoled the broken hearted. He rested the weary and filled their hearts with the hope that their troubles and sorrows would be recompensed with immeasurable joy. People … Read moreJesus Was Not Christian (part 2)