Author of the novel JACK.
I was listening to “Angel Down” by Lady Gaga. It’s one of my favorite songs, filled with sincere inquiry, true devotion, religious irony, and political satire–just my type of poetry and the music is awesome. I was feeling particularly satirical myself one day after listening to several talks in church about sacred bloodlines and cursed … Read moreRacism Defiles
Why does it appear that evil is overrunning us? With mass shootings, terror attacks, war, distress, theft, deception, oppression, and the trumpet of hate blaring constantly in our ears, sometimes it’s hard to believe that we’re winning at this thing called being human. Maybe humanity is a waste of space, a waste of life. We … Read moreThe Triumph of Good
John Taylor was no stranger to conflict. As an editor to several publications, he denounced rampant political injustice, social prejudice, and mob violence. As a gifted orator, he confounded religious oppressors with their own scriptures. As a close friend to the Prophet, he accompanied Joseph Smith on that fateful journey to Carthage, Illinois, where they … Read moreJohn Taylor’s Last Stand
The people of Nashville feel a little aggrieved today, and rightly so, for the name of their city has been hijacked by biblical terrorists. Religious nutcases are at it again, spewing their hatred and sanctioning it under the title of the “Nashville Statement.” The manifesto consists of a preamble and fourteen articles which affirm their … Read moreNashville Statement Is Garbage
I accidentally came across this recent post by LDS President Nelson today. Immediately I began experiencing a toxic reaction. President Nelson informs his audience that, “In a coming day, you will present yourself before the Savior.” He continues to give a play-by-play commentary of how this meeting will go down. Those who experience it will: … Read moreThe Holy Savior (rant)
Religion is an experiment performed on human subjects. The Belmont Report set ethical standards for conducting experiments on human subjects in response to some dreadful and possibly harmful studies (see this informative summary from SciShow). The report proposed three fundamental ethical principles to guide such research (taken from wikipedia.org): Respect for persons: protecting the autonomy … Read moreThe Ethics of Religion
I ❤ NY. It’s so common, it’s a cliche. Tourists buy T-shirts in airport souvenir shops. They crowd into long lines in order to ride ear-popping elevators to the top of the “empire state.” They pose for selfies in front of the Statue of Liberty and search for the names of distant relatives on Ellis … Read moreA Planet Called New York
Nihilism teaches that life is meaningless and that morality is a superficial construct of no importance. Consequently, personal behavior is driven by personal advantage if anything at all. Everything is nothing and nothing is everything. This philosophy resonates with some people. However, I live on the hope of something. There are degrees or types of … Read moreNothing
Planning is good, but nothing ever goes according to plan. It’s so true it’s a proverb. Unfortunately, we forget this when it comes to God. We say, “Everything happens for a reason.” Since the current placement and movement of galaxies, stars, planets, and all matter relies on the initial and changing states of an inconceivable … Read moreAccording to Plan
What is the difference and why choose? As a pragmatist, I evaluate ideas after making observations, weighing evidence, and drawing conclusions based on results. Therefore, in considering which is a better life, a virtuous or a religious one, I will approach the question pragmatically. Both terms often apply to people who express a desire to … Read moreA Virtuous Life Or A Religious Life?