After comedian Nathan Timmel witnessed a ceremony for a US soldier killed in Afghanistan, he had to perform for that soldier’s friends.
death
Posted inDeath & Dying
The incomplete picture of man
Reading Time: 2 minutes We often paint a picture of others inside our head, just as they do of us. Is that picture complete, or are we blinded by our own judgments?
Posted inFilm/TV
‘Memento Mori’: To live with the prospect of death (Strange New Worlds)
Reading Time: 9 minutes Like any self-respecting Trekkie, I learned the basics of gunpower from Star Trek: The Original Series. One of TOS‘s most memorable scenes comes from “Arena” (Season 1, Episode 18), when Captain Kirk, trapped on a planet with minimal resources, has to use his wits to survive an encounter with a brutish reptilian species called the […]
Posted inDeath & Dying
Death and the absent dancers
Reading Time: 5 minutes Fifteen years ago today, Reverend Jerry Falwell, Sr. went to his reward. Many of those who did not like Falwell were happy that he got this reward, while those who loved him were very, very sad. This is strange. At the time, many of his fellow religious believers shook stern fingers at the rest of […]
Posted inMeaning & Purpose
There is a secular afterlife
Reading Time: 4 minutes My family church here in Indonesia offers an online Bible study. One day, at my parents’ request, I helped them navigate to the page. The theme of the day was “Being brave facing death.” In support, a common proverb was offered: urip mung mampir ngombe—”Life is just stopping by to drink.” The proverb invites us […]
Posted inDeep Dive
No justice for the dead: Resisting martyr narratives in the struggle
Reading Time: 4 minutes On my 25th birthday, half a world away, a man not much older than me died after three weeks in a coma. Ninety percent of his body had been severely burned after he had lit the match that set himself on fire. His death, along with the circumstances that brought him to self-immolate on a […]
Posted inCritical thinking
How ghost stories helped me live my life to the fullest
Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a dark and stormy night. Really. A few weeks ago, we had a crazy storm blow through. I was snuggled up in my bed with the house to myself. My favorite gardenia scented candle was burning, my nose buried in a book, and a cup of chamomile tea on my nightstand. The only […]
Posted inDeath & Dying
I want to die like a dog
Reading Time: 3 minutes After my first nonreligious parenting book came out, the Minneapolis Star Tribune ran a brief profile on me. A few days later, I received a handwritten letter: Dear Dale,I’m sending these booklets to you so that you know God loves you. When you die, you don’t die like a dog. You will go on forever! I’m 74 & […]
Posted inReligion
Tim Keller and the Lies He Tells About Death
Reading Time: 10 minutes Christians promise up and down that their product can give people peace of mind about death. It does not. And Tim Keller found that out the hard way, though I doubt a single one of his followers will understand his recent confession.
Posted inDeath & Dying, Ethics, Politics
Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead!
Reading Time: 7 minutes Rush Limbaugh, the infamous conservative radio show host, has died of lung cancer. As I said elsewhere: So Rush Limbaugh has died. Not sure what to say that is appropriate. During his life, he was a truly horrible and dangerous human being. Or, as my friend said: “I’m not sad about this at all. He […]