Thoughts of a Freethinker

I read a piece by a couple of intellectuals about what is happening to Christianity (and other faiths) as young people are joining churches and identifying with organized religion less and less.  The link discusses polling which shows a majority of young people answer they have religious thoughts and values. There values do not line up with any religion nor any denomination within Christianity. The authors of the link conclude that because there is so much "spirituality" there is great potential for youth ministries. They discuss the old method of Christian and Jewish youth ministries. It is to show videos of how much fun it is to be a Christian/Jew. This is followed by modern religious rock, free pizza and soda along with much conversation and an attractive youth minister.  The result of this approach, however, has not been good. Numbers have fallen. The solution, say the authors, is a more ecumenical approach and mostly does not involve preaching or persuasion. As I underst...

A follower of current events can be entertained by the Christian right these days. While extolling capitalism as a Christian institution this group continually promotes laws inserting government into the economy. The group "One Million Moms" does not say specifically it advocated laws against gay couples in real estate ads, it only demands complaints and perhaps boycotts. According to the link, One Million Moms is against "normalizing" homosexual couples.  Even though homosexuality is not the majority, it is normal. It appears to happen in animals and gay people reports consistently they had no choice in the issue. Yet, "normalizing" couples living productive law abiding and successful live is not considered desirable or "normal." If one ever wonders whether Christianity in total causes more harm than it contributes to good here is an example of the deficit.  A couple of months ago, Donald Trump Jr. criticized Secretary of Transportation Pete But...

As the fighting in Ukraine continues, it is apparent Putin underestimated the resolve of Ukrainians and their elected President. It is said Putin is surrounded by yes men who thought Russian troops would waltz into Kiev the way the Taliban walked into Kabul.  We can only speculate about future events. What we know is leaders in Ukraine planned on their country being taken over by Russia and planned further a gorilla-type resistance once the Russians were there. It appears Russia thinks it can deal with any continued resistance. Now that Germany has committed to sending arms to the resistance Russia may have made yet another miscalculation.  When the U.S. went into Afghanistan, a high official in the Pentagon made a now-famous statement that a gigantic number of U.S. troops would be needed to establish and operate a democracy. This official was scoffed at and fired by then Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld was certain a small U.S. army could tip over the current governme...

When Christians encounters a Pagan they often say something like, "So you don't believe in anything?" or "How does a Pagan get to heaven?" According to this Pagan, these questions reflect the narrow view many Christians have of Paganism. Paganism has devotion to gods, it is not preoccupied with self interest like Christians who see the point of their faith as personal reward.  While I'm sure if you asked Christians, "Do you believe in science?" the majority would say yes. A basic tenet of Christianity, however, is anti science. A basic tenet of Paganism tracks with science.  This disagreement has to do with where humans came from. Paganism does not believe humans came from a sky god. Humans came from the earth. Thus, earth is where the super-natural power is located, not the sky. At this simple level, Paganism tracks science, even without science. Christianity goes off the track.  Maybe some reader could answer this question: Which is considered wo...

Use of medicines that cause abortions has been increasing. Just a few years ago medicines were used for about 1/3rd of abortions. Now it is over 1/2. It seems inevitable this will rise. The current experience with abortions is so much like this country's experiment banning alcohol consumption. With alcohol, as with abortion, it began with some holier-than-thou segment of the population spouting religious nonsense. Then they switched to something they thought would hide their religious and control motives. They said alcohol caused people to miss work. It ruined marriages. It had to be outlawed and prohibition was passed.  Shortly after prohibition was put into place illegal production and sale of beer and whiskey began to flourish. Crooks who had been in other schemes of crime welcomed prohibition and began to profit. In the Middlewest, alcoholic drink production in and around Winsor, Canada, next to Detroit, ramped up and was hauled to the big population centers like Chicago. Al Ca...

The Catholic gas bag, George Weigel, is at it again explaining why the anticipated German modernization of the Catholic faith is "apostasy." He believes the old Catholic church with its male only clergy had things exactly right by kicking out divorced and homosexual people and eschewing birth control and abortion. He sounds like the Southern Baptists back in the days of slavery and segregation, "The only good rules are the old rules." Politics within the Catholic Church are like politics everywhere. Always there is a faction trying to move things to the new era and a faction trying to stop all change. I must repeat my favorite metaphor, trying to stop change is like putting toothpicks in front of a bulldozer and expecting to stop it. The single biggest mistake Catholics are making is hanging on to the male only hierarchy. I know the old line, "Women are a powerful force in the denomination." That may be true, but women are not as powerful as men. Until tha...

Every few months another country in Central and South America decriminalizes abortion. Today it is Columbia . If anti-abortion operatives thought their notion of the fetus as a "baby" would catch on with such force it would eliminate demand for abortion it is not happening. Columbia has joined Mexico, Argentina and Chile in making abortion legally available. That is not to say it is always easy to get an abortion in these countries. There are still doctors who get away with refusing. Poor women there, like here in the U.S. have less access. These efforts by the church to persuade doctors not to provide abortions is countered by women's right organizations that operate in rural and poor areas. One in Mexico , started in 1990. It has been distributing abortion medication for decades. Such groups in Mexico are mobilizing to get these drugs to women in the U.S. border states such as Texas. This organization of women in Mexico which has been providing underground abortion drug...

As the work of critical Bible scholars, those who read the Bible as just another piece of literature instead of something more special or important, progresses new bits in the Bible are highlighted and examined in historical context. Archeologists keep coming up with artifacts that fill in a little more of the tale. They also put dampers on theories that were popular before. An interesting question is who were the very first people recorded as worshipping the mythical God now part of Christianity? From day one it is clear that was not just one god. There were many. If there was just one, he/she would not need a name. Since there were many the prized on needed a name to separate him/her from the others. We humans each have a name. It is commonly believed ancient Israelis worshipped one god, Yhwh. Modern information tells us the monolithic god concept is relatively modern. Ancients worshipped several of them. The word Israel was used first about 3,000 years ago and does not refer to Yhwh...

When I left the farm to go to college one of my first courses was called "The Sociology of Groups."  Looking back, I think the course was there to train future employees of the Agricultural Extension Service and local farmer leaders. One of the basics was that every group needs a purpose. The purpose needs to be summarized in a sentence or two. Today I think of it as an idea that can be displayed on a highway billboard, read and understood at 70 mph.  Christians use highway signs: JESUS LOVES YOU. PRAYER WORKS. GOD IS GREAT. HELL IS FOREVER. These versions of purpose about sin and heaven are losing their punch. A new version of purpose is being introduced from outside the old status quo. The "outside" is influential writers who have left, new denominations and revolts inside denominations.  A few denominations are changing on the inside. One is the denomination of my childhood, the Evangelical Covenant Church. The denomination claims to be the fastest growing in the...

Mostly after World War II a new religion developed in the islands of the South Pacific. Christian missionaries had been there preaching about sin but the islanders never really took to it. When soldiers arrived they passed out candy and gifts and slept in huts like the natives. They were all round friendly people the islanders decided they liked better than the dull missionaries. The gifts and wealth that came with the soldiers seemed unworldly. When they left the belief was they would return with their wealth some day.  Some locals saw a mythical white man who told them he would bring the wealth back to the islands. His name was John Frum . There is no record of such a person and those who say and heard him experienced it during the ritual drinking time. None of John's followers doubt, however, he did appear and will return. He now lives inside a volcano on the island.  There are worship services with John Frum music. The mystery that surrounds John Frum adds to the appeal. P...

First, branches of Christianity said, "We'll show you who is running things. We will not allow weddings of mixed-race couples." Later branches said, "We'll show you who is running things. We will not allow weddings of gay couples." As time moved along we found churches were not running things at all. The culture, society at large, is running things and doing as it pleases. Churches used to host 3/4th of weddings. Now it is a one-half and falling. On top of that, more couples form households without marriage. In the comments following the link several people asked if those who married outside their faith knew the Bible admonishes religious marriage is required in the Bible. That reflects the problem in Christianity, people in the faith do not understand what is happening. The Bible is growing less relevant as are the clergy who sell it.  From what we know of ancient cultures, it makes sense the church bow out. Marriages were part of survival of tribes and cla...

Details of the truck blockade in Eastern Canada has not been covered in detail in the U.S. The Christian press, however, has lots of information about the religion involved. In the link , a trucker believes he is carrying out Jesus' wishes by continuing to block the highway. The issue given in anti-mandatory vaccine. Behind it all is the belief there are instructions from Jesus.  In all the hype by some Christians about "religious liberty" there have never been boundaries as to how far the point can be pushed. The Christians blocking the highway seem to believe they fall inside an acceptable level of protest. Apparently, Canadian law enforcement is able to move traffic past at least some of the protests. My friend from ND who drives a regular run to Winnepeg passes through a blockade area daily.  We all know political protests are part of politics and will always be there. The left has done more of it than the right. We only need remember invasion of nuclear facilities an...

Defenders of clergy sex scandals often hide behind the fact sex abuse is everywhere. That sexual abuse happens in all professions does not mean clergy sex abuse is the same. It is different. It happens because religion plays with the minds of victims. Other professions do not present the same opportunities for terrible people. It is the one-year anniversary of charges against the preacher Ravi Zacharias. He was a mega star in evangelical circles. After some decades of professional life in public a young woman who had been abused sexually had a chance to ask Zacharias how he avoided the temptations of power and stardom. His answer , she said, was so perfect she knew for certain this man of God was able to avoid the fall to temptation experienced by so many others. She did not know that at the moment he gave such a perfect answer about his innocence he was already under investigation. His fall came not long after. A psychologist tells us humans are wired to believe "the big lie...

There is so much talk among conservatives about who uses what rest room and about how to "teach" gender to children. Some people are simply born without a gender. In our own family we have two such people. It is healthy for them and for our society to have the mystery discussed publicly so perhaps there can be more understanding of it.  In the Des Moines Register this morning is an op ed by a young person running for the state Legislature. The writer wonders what would happen if he/she were elected. The Legislature spends a lot of time each year solemnly discussing who should be allowed to use gender labeled rest rooms and whether books children read should refer to people who identify with both genders.  Always these legislators want an individual's private parts to determine what gender the person calls him/herself. As the writer notes, it is no one else's business what one's private parts look like. I got to thinking if I, myself, were in the legislature I woul...

An announcement recently of a new academic journal that will discuss religion and homosexuality should not be exciting. These types of journals abound discussing arcane topics of all kinds. There must be dozens of such journal in theology. For the most part, however, few read them and they make almost no impact on what people in the pews say or do. But this one is almost stunning, aiming its discussion at a topic preachers and those in the pews discuss, the Bible and homosexuality. While I'm sure there have been academic articles about the Bible and homosexuality none are well know enough to have made an impact. This one may be what is needed.  The entrance of academics into right wing religious issues already has had an effect on myths in abortion. A carefully structured study of women who had abortions and who did not have them took several years. Eventually, several academic articles and a book was written. The study skewered, among things, the myth that women who had abortions ...

A former police officer who prosecuted sexual abuse has been following cases against clergy. He thinks they are on the rise . This implies there is an increase in sexual abuse by clergy. It may be, of course, the amount remains constant and more cases are being prosecuted and publicized.  The link author's observation there are more cases is consistent with what I see in the publication of Freedom From Religion Foundation, Freethought Today . FFRF is the largest atheist organization in the U.S. with annual revenue of $5 million.   Freethought Today compiles only reports that appear in news publications. It is published six times a year and devotes several pages of small print to misdeeds of clergy including both sexual and theft. The volume seems to be slowly rising. In the last issue, there were several new cases involving Catholic clergy. While Catholic cases continue, we can hope the former practice of shifting known abusers from parish to parish is not as common. The ...

For years I have ridiculed anti-abortion zealots for their cold indifference to loss of life other than fetuses. They have no interest whatsoever in adults that die needlessly. Oh, they say they do, but the only money and effort they put forth is for fetuses. The number of preventable deaths to actual humans in the U.S. rivals deaths of fetuses.  Ways to save lives goes in and out of style. The category of lives saved is influenced by two things, money and votes. Right now there are money and votes to save lives of fetuses. There is neither for many ways lives are lost needlessly elsewhere. It was encouraging to read a about this in a nationally known publication. It is entitled "Stop calling them accidents."  This title fits perfectly the comments I receive whenever I write about needless loss of life. Some readers scoff and say the 30,000 lives lost every year in car crashes are "accidents." As the article says, "There are no accidents." If life were ...

  How did Trump get elected? Enough has been written to fill libraries and more is yet to come. But those who write about social status and about those wrongly rising in status surely are onto something important. Our own concept of self worth causes us to vote and do other things not in the national interest.  Another way of putting it is, "How could people who self identify as Christian vote for a politician whose behavior is the opposite of Christian tenets?" The answer is their status and social standing was, and remains, so injured they ignore actual religious teaching and vote for the candidate they think understands their falling status. Women have advanced while some demographic categories of men have not. Trump understands how much this hurts and plays with people's heads. Gays have advanced, straight men have not as much. Trump plays to this. When Trump said, "I will appoint anti abortion judges," those who have lost status heard, "Trump will stop...

Married priests is not a new idea. Priests and Popes were married back in time. What is new is that it is being brought up in a part of the denomination that has money. And, the source of the money has the political figure prints of government. A Cardinal in Germany says he is not opposed to celibacy but thinks it should not be a universal requirement of the denomination. He thinks some priests simply need the support and companionship of a wife and children and would be happier people with it. This makes perfect sense. Discussion of gay priests and gay weddings is also in play in Germany. Why Germany? It is a very wealthy branch of the Catholic denomination. Also, it receives much of its money from government. Government gives taxpayers the option of a including a donation when they pay their taxes. The amounts collected are turned over to the denomination. If the country's taxpayers are liberal voters and expect gay people to be treated as equals, they would expect the same from ...

I've been reading Free; A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi. Ypi grew up in Albania during the last decade of the old Soviet Union. Albania was a satellite of that empire. It was affected by its neighbor, the old Yugoslavia.  In school Ypi learned Albania's only political party was better than that of communists in Russia. Russia had been contaminated by generations of the pre-communist economic elite. The socialism of her country and its future communism would lead to a society of free people. Every citizen could develop skills, acquire education and grow into their ultimate abilities. If capitalism were allowed in all money and opportunity would be stolen from ordinary people by the rich. Her parents both came from ancestors two or three generations back who were wealthy. This put them at the bottom of the class structure. Even among relatives were spies who would turn in unfavorable reports.  Adults talked in code about their relatives' time in prison...

A Texas health agency released data that the number of abortions in the first month of the now famous Texas anti-abortion bill was 60% less than the month before. Anti-abortion groups cheered this as success. From the numbers I could find, however, it could be the number of abortions by Texas women had decreased very little. Possibly it has not decreased at all.  It will be about a year before we have numbers on abortion performed in states where Texas women have traveled to get abortion services. These states are Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Nearby states say they have doubled their abortions. The dark place for data is the number of medically induced abortions done at homes in Texas.  My calculations are the average monthly number of surgical abortions in Texas before the law was about 4,500. The number since is a little over 2,000. That leaves about 100 abortions not performed in Texas on each working day of the month.  Of course, man...

A European Cardinal, Bishop Hollerich, told a reporter that current teaching of the Catholic Church on homosexuality is based on views that have been overturned by science and sociology. He says current teaching is " wrong ." He also used the word "false." His comments give insight into what can be expected in a world-wide gathering to take place on Germany in 2023. It is given the religious term, "synod." Papers to be presented at the synod are now being written and will be discussed. The signals already out there tell us it will give justification to abandon the church's archaic prejudice against gay people. It may undermine anti-abortion as well.  The Cardinal's remarks make perfect sense. Material in the Bible was written in ancient times. Only by studying the context of those times can a reader surmise the authors back then had in mind. The Cardinal makes the point that homosexual acts were considered part of Paganism. That is why they were fr...

I've been saying for years, the marriage of right-wing religion and politics will increase liberal branches of the faith and shrink conservative branches. Leaving out Pentecostalism, which is a little different, this is happening. The sociologist in the link believes a significant portion of "nones" are refugees from right wing religious politics. Thus, while liberal denominations are growing only slightly, she is certain "nones" represent growth in the liberal branch of Christianity. It has become more difficult to label Christian groups so measuring what is happening to them is a little problematic. Self-labeled "evangelicals" include a large political group which considers only the politics but is not active in the organized Christian faith. These are referred to often as "Trump people." It seems to me the deep anti-abortion laws of Texas and Mississippi and their Supreme Court support is a product of this odd political twist. Anti-abortio...

I'm sure it's not possible, but I wish we could know how many people participate in the faith but really don't believe a word of it. The stories of those who left and openly declared their exit to friends and family are legend. I've heard them personally and there are public accounts .  Which path is more unpleasant? If you have lost belief or never had it and are headed to the periodic holiday family gathering, it is easier to fake belief and act like you agreed with whatever faith talk takes place, or, state that you no longer believe? Surely for a huge majority of people, it is to fake belief and get through the day that way. Admitting disbelief is a recipe in most faith families for a long and miserable day.  The black sheep of the family knows it. Parents and grandparents, I assume, are the most disappointed when a younger generation leaves the chartists faith behind. This is not always true, of course. I read a while back that author/preacher John Piper has a son ...

 I was going to write a blog tonight but am too bushed. Daughter and I drove about 250 miles at between 15 and 35 mph through an epic ice and snow storm in Illinois and Indiana. Crazy things one will do for a granddaughter's college visit. Thanks to all who look in on my blogs, back soon.

The electric amplified guitar service apparently is the fastest growing type of worship service. In between "the play list" are brief comments by preachers. According to commenters the comments focus on self-help themes. The link advocates leaving churches like this, even if it is the church has been part of your family for generations. Just say goodbye, he writes. Professor Roger Olson who blogs a lot recently retired and moved from Texas to another state in the South. He was looking for a church he and his wife could enjoy. They wanted the kind of service they were familiar with. Church after church held the new concert style service and it took him a while to find his preferred church. Eventually, he did. It's ironic the church I occasionally is part of the liberal wing, the United Church of Christ. Even though the service does not include the Apostle's Creed, it is "traditional" with reading some scripture, Hymes, prayers and a sermon. It would be logica...

Sure, people of all strips fall for bad ideas and bad leaders. What separates Christians is their insistence they are guided by an all-knowing power. Others who fall for bad leaders do not make that claim. It's understandable conservative Christians do not want children to be taught critical thinking skills. They are happy to have critical analysis applied to Shakespeare but not to the Bible. They can be skeptical of what a used car salesperson tells them but not what a clergy tells them.  The Bible and the Christian propaganda that has followed for at least the last century has had one central theme; men are in charge. Any challenge to this theme is to not adhere to the faith. Just now there is a big gathering of Catholics in Germany. It is called a Synod. The term synod is used a lot in the faith, usually to put the heavy stamp of authority on a gathering. Those critical of the German synod know it is stacked to use the Bible to endorse gays in the church and perhaps gay clergy. ...