Outside the Pigeon Holes

I enjoy listening to Alan Alda's podcast 'Clear and Vivid' . At the end of every episode he asks his guest seven quick questions. Here are my answers: 1. What do you wish you really understood? Why the universe was created in such a way that violent death or death, in general, was required for the sustenance of its living creatures. The food chain - I'm not a fan.... 2. How do you tell someone they got their facts wrong? Generally, if I am having an actual discussion with someone (that is usually not in a FB comment thread) I will ask questions about sources where the person got their information in case I missed something or to decide if the sources are quality. I will present what I understand to be true and why. 3. What is the strangest question anyone has ever asked you? It was more stupid/rude than strange, but someone once asked me why I was here if I didn't want to have children...As if the sole purpose of my existence is to breed. 4. How do you...

  This is what I have learned over many years in the age of information overload. I never would have believed that we'd be here where the conspiracies of QAnon are being increasingly accepted by usually reasonable people... 1. Check sources of every article you see come through your feed, know their slant...(for instance, The Atlantic has a center-left bias but high factual reporting. Knowing this, I know to look for corroborating information from sources with little bias - such as newswires, or even a center-right commentary for a different perspective). 2. Avoid questionable sources and extremely biased sources (even if the lean is in your preferred direction) - those don't want you to think critically or think for yourself and usually don't provide sourcing - or if they do, it's other questionable sources and hearsay. These outlets count on human laziness and human tendency toward confirmation bias. 3. If you see a Twitter thread that sounds like the person is kn...

If you have been reading anything on this blog you know that I am something of a 'Churchianity' renegade, so I had to review this title when it came up. If like me, you are a bit burned out on all of the hoops and tail-chasing that seems to come with most church-going, if you think there has to be something else, this book will be a good one for you. Richard Jacobson gives a compelling argument for retiring from brick and mortar supporting, program-based churching as we know it here in the States. He clearly lays out a Biblical foundation for what the early new covenant church looked like and how the church culture practiced today is based on Old Covenant law and practices. He successfully argues that these practices were never intended for the Christian community this side of the cross. Today there is supposed to be a 'priesthood of all believers' rather than one priest that everyone gathers around for instruction. We're intended to teach and serve one anothe...

I am proud of this project I am working on to honor and remember the victims and survivors of the 1977 fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Ky. It is the third worst nightclub fire in US history and the worst tragedy the state of Kentucky has ever seen. 169 people died. It is a work in progress but please fee free to visit and if you'd like to contribute, please contact me! Beverly Hills Supper Club Memorial Site 

Each day I am reminded why I have pretty much disengaged from the version of Christianity I grew up with. At its core it's one of the most depressing and anxiety ridden perspectives of Christ ever, no matter how pretty it is dressed up in faux-grace and quasi-mercy. If God is as helpless and powerless as he is construed (again, when you scratch beneath the surface), I'm better off without him. Thankfully, Christ has opened my eyes to the truth that this one perspective is not the only one in the world of Christendom (though some will try to scare you into believing that it is the only accurate one). Just 'being real' and sharing the 'hard truth', which this particular brand is fond of saying.