Reading Time: 4 minutes The Man of the Dart. The Man of the Javelin. Sacred texts say he was the oldest person who ever lived… His name was Methuselah and—in spite of the fact that he is a well-known figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—he is still a largely an enigma centuries after his death. Or at least… he […]
bible
Posted inCulture, Religion
Why I’m glad I didn’t read the Bible until high school
Reading Time: 3 minutes When I look back at my childhood, I guess I was a bit of a heathen growing up. My parents didn’t make me attend any kind of religious education, and they weren’t too into it at home, so I grew up without a holy book in my life. And honestly, I think it made me […]
Posted inReligion
3 examples of reality confounding Christianity
Reading Time: 4 minutes Here are 3 examples where Christians were torn between dogma and reality. First, should the church claim that prayer works? Second, should prayer work as Jesus promised? Finally, should science support Christian claims?
Posted inReligion
Hosea was no hero
Reading Time: 7 minutes Yahweh promised them they wouldn’t have to develop advanced weaponry or curry the favor of neighboring nations because he himself would protect them. Their primary weapons were thoughts and prayers, and for some reason those weren’t enough to keep Israel from being invaded and taken over again, and again, and again.
Posted inSpirituality & Ritual
Crystal clutchers and Bible thumpers: Birds of a feather
Reading Time: 4 minutes An unsettling CBS News article I read recently—“How conspiracy theories ‘infiltrated’ the wellness community”—reminded me of the inherent kinship between such seemingly divergent believers as, say, crystal clutchers and Bible thumpers. Profound truths and transformative powers are widely and loudly proclaimed, without solid evidence, for both New Age-y silliness (crystals) and ancient texts (The Good […]
Posted inEthics, The Secular
Of faith and fetal cells, COVID and cannibalism
Reading Time: 5 minutes The Catholic Church has been surprisingly nuanced in weighing fetal-cell use in coronavirus vaccines vs. life-saving vaccine efficacy in advising faithful.
Posted inGeneral, Philosophy, The Secular
U.S. Christians decrying public shaming are pots calling kettles black
Reading Time: 5 minutes Public shaming is as Christian as crosses symbolizing the crucifixion. So Christians condemning public shaming in other contexts is hypocrisy.
Posted inReligion, The Secular
Ross Douthat offers this dubious tip for finding faith: Stop thinking rationally
Reading Time: 5 minutes New York Times conservative pundit Ross Douthat believes that if you believe hard enough in the divine, even without evidence, it becomes real.
Posted inPolitics, Religion, The Secular
New Florida “moment of silence” law a stalking horse for school prayer
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s not what they say. The new Florida law requiring a daily “moment of silence” at public schools is just a sneaky way to promote student prayer.
Posted inCritical thinking, Education, The Secular
Texas GOP, education still in throes of medieval Christianity
Reading Time: 5 minutes The Texas GOP Legislature really, really doesn’t want the state’s school kids to learn to think critically. Welcome to medieval Europe in the 21st century.