Thoughts of a Freethinker

A well-know pundit, Joe Carter, tried to reassure Christians the future is neither bright nor bad for the faith. He talked about the polls I discuss here often. He told believers there are polls and indexes that make it appear Christianity is failing and others that claim it is in resurgence. He advised Christians that polls can collect objective information and be accurate in their own way but various things can be happening at various places and times the push them in one direction or another. I agree with him on that. My thing goes back to money and I wish he would have gone there as well. While various cross currents are present at any time those who benefit from taking money from Christians will always be promoting the bits of data showing success. Honest Christian pundit should warn believers that those who promise growth in the Christian faith cannot guarantee success. If donors want their money to go some important successful goal experience shows money spent on growing numbers...

One of the most interesting books I have ever read was about six economists in history who, in certain ways, changed the world. In the intro chapter the author pointed out the power of the ideas. None of the economists in the book held political office nor fielded armies. They simple pitched simple ideas that cut through the chaos of the time and moved events in a better direction. I'll mention a couple of the famous ones. Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations  in 1776. While there were and remain evidence he was serving the interests of the wealthy, both then and now, he pointed out the problem with the prevailing religious of that time. The prevailing philosophical thought was that wealth was bestowed on individuals and groups by God. We should thank God for good crops and good prices for some goods. Religious leaders would guide political leaders. Smith went to an economic system. He gave an example of a man who made cut wires that then shaped into nails. The man had a hous...

All of us who follow the news is upset with the killing of a woman in Minneapolis. From what we can all see on the screen, it looks like the woman who was killed by an ICE goon was the victim. President Trump, VP and thousands of others are claiming it was the ICE agent with the gun who was, or was about to be, the "victim." While reading this link   I was reminded that all arguments in religion and politics are about who is the victim.  President Trump often talks of the criticize he receives, telling us he is the victim. The link is an essay by a preacher who wants readers to learn the evil social gospel, the doctrine of most liberal Christians, which focuses on Jesus' view the poor are victims, is incorrect. There is only one victim, the link preacher claims. That is Jesus who, as atheists joke, had a bad weekend being killed and all but came out OK. Shame on anyone, he writes, who thinks there is some victim in the entire course of history other than Jesus.  As I...

Trump told Republican lawmakers to "be flexible" on abortion when making a federal health care plan. This certainly is the opposite of what a large part of anti-abortion politics is all about. It is about absolutes, no abortions. It doesn't take a political genius to see that anti-abortion is a political loser. Most anyone can see, also, that the anti-abortion crowd has signed on to the death with the Republican Party. Party leaders like Trump know anti-abortion cannot leave the party so Trump can abandon rigid anti-abortion and still have its support. Why did anti-abortion leave itself in such a hapless position? I've pointed out before here the foolish strategy of anti-abortion. It should have stuck with its old practice of trying to add many harassing costs like ultra sounds to abortions. Instead it changed to total prohibition which has backfired. Trump is not interested in pictures of babies; the only technique anti-abortion has ever had.   

While the new Pope Leo issued a nice statement against armies like those of the U.S. charging across borders to arrest and/or kill other people, he felt the need to also condemn women who need abortions. He finds is egregious they acquire the abortions is any way available to them. In the case of Texas, it means crossing the border into Catholic Mexico. The strong dominating the weak is something the Catholic Church is against, unless it means women taking orders from men. It is, apparently, "Natural Law" women, the weak, take orders from male clergy, the strong. Pope Leo's way of developing policy is like that of President Trump. Trump has threatened the Ayatollah with some kind of punishment is protestors in Iran are killed. In Minneapolis it was OK to take out a protestor.  In Pope Leo's world, it is women who are expected to expose themselves to the dangers of birth, the decision is not theirs but is the Pope's. In the link, which reviews a statement from Pope...

When one reads about the individuals that were arrested in DC on Jan. 6th one sees, not a unified group of people with one cause, but a bunch of lost souls looking for meaning in their lives. The worst possible outcome was for someone, a preacher or a President, to get into their heads and tell them to head to DC. A book goes into depth with two such people. The two profiled seem like people adrift who wanted themselves to be, or wanted to be part of something, important. They traveled across country to attend what they thought was to be a rally and it turned out to be an illegal riot. A young man who lives not too far from me here in Iowa has small children. He had a wife and a job. It seemed like life was going OK for him. But his passion was right wing politics and when he heard about the "rally" he left for DC. After being arrested he petitioned to be under house arrest rather than in jail. A judge agreed but under the proviso he could not engage in any political activiti...