Author of the novel JACK.
By chance I sat with a woman at lunch. We were both attending an educational conference. I remembered her because she was attending the conference from a distant African location, Zimbabwe. This was the main reason that I took notice of her. Many years later, when I was much more into world events, I noticed … Read moreI Have Nothing To Hide
My whole life I’ve heard religious folk claim special knowledge of divine TRUTH. They often speak of it expansively and in exaggerated verbal tones in order to add greater weight to their use of the term. For instance, some recognized authority may attempt to quell a spiritual rebellion by admonishing the subversive sinners not to … Read moreTRUTH vs. truth
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
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
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?