Thoughts of a Freethinker

In the Arizona desert is an area, maybe there are several, where, in the 1600's, a priest spread the Catholic faith among the indigenous people living there. The locals had their own religion so apparently the priest made up stories to link Catholic dogma with whatever myths were already there at the time.  The Catholic hierarchy built expensive churches in this area where indigenous people were on the edge of survival. These churches still stand but are mostly without clergy. Priests come from large cities in AZ periodically to conduct rituals. In the link, a local man explains why he worships in the Catholic church whenever a priest is able to show up. He says it gives him a sense of his linage. Jesus' cousin lived in there in the desert centuries ago and baptized Jesus himself in one of the local rivers. Eating the ceremonial desert fruit is what Jesus did and is carried on by the locals today.  This is a reason to wonder why Christianity takes millions of dollars from its ...

  I don't want to overstate what I have learned in my long life; everyone learns things. What surprised me when I became a mayor and people made appointments to tell me their side of the story, were the splits in the business community. Looking at the community's business community from the outside as I had done up to that point, I had the impression it was of one mind. That is, it was united on the policies of taxes and the way the city spent its money.   Various factions came in to explain to me other factions were making too much money. The link makes the case there is a split between MAGA Republicans and corporation Republicans. About three decades ago corporate CEOs began paying themselves exorbitant salaries. I wondered when shareholders would put a stop to it. Instead it has been getting worse and worse. The link says the amounts corporate executives take for themselves has become a drag on the economy. Other business circles, like MAGA, see these salaries and the extra...

One of the frequent criticisms made by conservative Christians about "today's Christianity" is that it does not teach the "real" faith. That is, it goes light on the theology of sin and Jesus dying to forgive sins. By getting one's sins forgiven by Jesus one can spend eternity in heaven and avoid eternity in hell. The book I'm reading, Why Religion Went Obsolete, says the faith was about this theology almost entirely until about the 1950's.  Slowly another version developed. This other version was featured in what is called the "mainline" denominations. Such denominations are some Presbyterian, some Lutheran, some Methodist, Congregationalist, etc. The new version of the faith is one about being a moral person. It's about Christians being "good people." It teaches that Jesus was a moral person. It was this good-person-Jesus that is important instead of Jesus forgiving sin. This new version of Christianity was so popular these ...

Slowly but surely the popular press is catching up to understanding how and why people do not believe the tenets of Christianity, or, those of most other faiths. When I write about why people don't believe I cannot help remembering the hundreds of times I have been in atheist gatherings or discussing things on line with atheists. I think the most common explanation as to why people leave the faith is simple, they just cannot believe its stuff anymore. This simple explanation does not sell books or bookings on a lecture tour. Certainly, books and lectures which try to determine why people cannot believe are useful. But when all is said and done, people see bull shit. Game over.  Along this vein, an article summarized recently what it is the public now has trouble believing. I thought it would be worthwhile to review what are the scoffed at tenets Below are the 13 tenets listed in the popular press that are a hard sell in the U.S. today: 1. The Earth is the center of the universe. 2....

Clergy who take advantage of the mythology planted in the heads of the unsuspecting are everywhere. The mythology is we priests were named by Jesus to run the church. We are the ones with authority over others. A terrible example was one in the Diocese of Winona (MN).  In Winona a young man was befriended by a priest and sexual relations continued for several years. The young man suffered from the experience and sued the diocese. I don't know more details. Versions of the story, we know, have been repeated across the country. It happens in both Catholic and Protestant churches. I think the over-arching theme is that religion can have a hold on people and clergy can and do use that for their own selfish purposes.  While I'm sure the diose of Winona has some money stashed away and buildings that can be sold I also hope current members of the dioses will pay for some of the settlement. If you are a member of the church and do not use your influence to make it a law-abiding instit...

Federal troops and agents have been rounding up immigrants in churches. Children of illegal immigrants now are at risk as well. A priest in Los Angles reported a significant number of young people in his conformation class did not attend their conformation for fear of arrest. Los Angeles County is roughly 10% illegal immigrants and families. If you were a federal agent at the management level and those above you needed large numbers to appease the politics of the Trump Administration, what better place to arrest large numbers fast than at a church service. Spending time going to the kitchens of restaurant and running down dish washers who escape out a back door does not yield the big numbers needed. Neither does going into apartment buildings and having no one respond to knocks on the door.  One would think Christians in the Trump Administration would object to arresting people just because that came to church to worship Jesus. There are high level people who brag about the Christi...