Thoughts of a Freethinker

A Christian writer I enjoy is Karen Swallows. She has been, or maybe still is, a professor. She was a Southern Baptist and still opposes abortion but has interesting critiques of her Southern religious community.  In the link she laments the many clergy who use honorary titles as if they are titles earned through academic accomplishments. A common one is "Doctor." Many who stand behind pulpits use or abuse honorary degrees. Christianity has an almost impossible task is establishing credentials of preachers or authorities. This comes from the lack of proof or even evidence of the tenets of the faith. The claim that God created the universe is a good start. The Bible begins with a far-fetched creation story and quickly morphs into an impossible world-wide flood. After the Old Testament the not believable stories show up of virgin birth, walking on water and coming back to life. Anyone preaching or teaching this stuff may be tempted to say, "Gosh, if people believe Jesus ca...

The decision of Presbyterian church that has only 25 or so attending Sunday services made the pages of the largest Christian internet site in the U.S. This church needed a pastor, their pastor retired. A credentialed woman was looking for a post as a pastor. They found each other and things are going fine.  Other Christians, conservatives, are piling on criticism on this Anderson, South Carolina, church. The new pastor previously identified as a male. Why is this something for others outside of this church to get all riled up about? There are small churches across the U.S. like this one who are not large enough to pay a preacher or even share one. When someone comes along who wants to help and the church likes this person why not keep the church open? What difference does it make is the person who wants to help is gay or trans? Certainly, it has no effect on any other church or society at large. It's just a local problem with a local solution.  Across the country, probably aro...

The pattern I've seen is that there are two camps inside the faith studying and commenting on its future. One is actual analysts. The other is promoters. None of the analysts in the faith  see a "revival." All of the promoters claim there is one. There are now, and probably will be for a while in the future, churches that are growing. These are pointed to as models for how all churches could grow if the just did the right things. Some of those attending growing churches, of course, are from churches that closed.  The link points out surveys which have seen an uptick in questions like "the importance of religion". Some churches claim more young single men are showing up. This is offset by a decline of young women.  While the numbers attending church can be counted it is not so easy to measure what goes on at the church service. If some of the growth is at services that feature popular Christian rock music and very brief sermons with light content, should that be ...

Women who hear while growing up their role is to support a husband and raise children have also come to realize their own economic security is not part of that deal. They realize they can be left poor it they have no career outside their home. This is both self-interest and in the interests of children. Liberal and conservative women can see that depending on a man who might disappear, be disabled or lose his job/career is risky. Conservative women are criticized by their own people. Thinking about one's own economic security  not welcome. I wish I had tallied the number of times Christian critics of this blog have said I did not understand God's plan and intent for the genders. They repeated to old adage, "Men were created to reason. Women were created to feel." Besides being endowed with emotions, women were designed by God to have children. Their inability to reason, which men possess, is why they do not understand abortion is murder and men must be the ones with e...

Two professors asked lots of Christians questions about religious freedom and about groups Christian dislike. They found people who believe this is a "Christian nation" hold a variety of religious views on what religious views should be tolerated. These Christians had no use for groups they dislike, especially groups that criticize Christianity.  People who believe we are a "Christian nation" also claim to believe we are a country open to all religions. They do not, however, believe all religions are treated fairly. The one not treated fairly is Christianity. Many articles in Christian Post tell us the most persecuted religion in the world is Christianity. Have any of them noticed the "In God We Trust" on our money? My impression is that one is not an acceptable Christian is one does not believe Christians are beset upon. This is like the common version of history many deep evangelicals have told me about themselves. They were "sinners" before th...

Poland is a country identified with the Catholic Church. While Italy is home to the Vatican, Poland has a long history of devotion to the faith. Recently, however, a conservative publication sounded the alarm that religious instruction in public schools is being lowered in importance and resources. When one reads the statistics of Catholicism, one can see why.  Only 1/3 of Polish adults say the attend weekly mass. As with all polling asking, "How often do you attend mass?" many, thinking no one keeps track, no doubt overstate how often they attend. The number of priests and those entering priesthood training is falling. The same thing is happening in Italy, home of the Vatican. Lots of tricks have been used to get people to church. Decades ago it was the guitar mass. In Protestant churches it was Christian rock and/or adding a contemporary service with little preaching and lots of music. While apparently are some exceptions, attendance keeps falling. The peculiar thing is tha...