Author of the novel JACK.
An Open Letter To My Children (part 4) My Dear Children, About the TitleI borrowed the title of this letter from a book written by Charles Darwin titled On the Origin of Species and from an article published by John Taylor titled Origin, Object, and Destiny of Women. Although this piece is nothing like either … Read moreOn the Origin and Destiny of Man
My Dear Children, A parent carries a heavy burden. For instance, my decisions impact not only my own life but the lives of my children and likely multiple generations after them, as well. The thought shakes me to the core. There are minor decisions and there are major decisions. In spite of the unavoidable consequences … Read moreOpen Letter To My Children (part 3)
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
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
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)
Christianity is a religion, but Jesus was not religious, at least not by most standards. For instance, Jesus relied on observation and reason, not visions and revelations, to form his ideas and philosophies. This characteristic was so striking with him that people reportedly were astonished at his teachings, saying that he spoke as one having … Read moreJesus Was Not Christian (part 1)
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