Thoughts of a Freethinker

Ancient Babylonians meticulously recorded movements of planets and stars before telescopes. They interpreted what they saw as their god moving them around. They did not need a telescope to know their god was real. During another ancient time, wise and prominent Incas and Aztecs stayed up all night watching the same stars and planets. They know for certain a god was guiding them and communicating to them personally a message. Perhaps the message was, "I'm making too much rain (or not enough) because I'm angry with you."  The Babylonians and Incas were watching the same stars but the gods guiding the stars were entirely different. In fact, neither god had heard of the other. If they had not met or knew the other god even existed how did they come to agreement on where to move? And, were these gods angry or pleased at the same things? Of course, the ordinary Christian believes about the Inca god the same thing the Babylonian would have thought about the Inca god if the B...

A preacher has started a business, Cannabis for Christians. He testifies use of marijuana helped him deal with physical pains and with the death of his father. Using it before prayer, he says, helps you become closer to God. If "marijuana for medical use" is legal why not "marijuana for religious use." Alcohol for religious use was legal during prohibition.   It is inevitable drug use in religion will increase. The so-called Freedom of Religion is said to have started when native Americans were given legal rights to use peyote in their religious ceremonies. The drug is not part of native American ancient history but started not that long ago. Nevertheless, users said they had sincere religious experiences while using peyote and needed it for their worship.  It is well known hallucinogenic substances were used even in prehistoric times. We all know of those which are accepted as OK, alcohol, and those that are sinful, evil and criminal. Maybe someone else can recall ...

A professor of functionalism wonders why it is so maligned. Idealists get the headlines and some success in politics. Yet, after idealistic notions stumble it's back to being practical.  Let's start with gay marriage. Homosexuality happens but we don't really know why. Some people are born the something different or unexpected. In either case, the practical approach is to accept, provide the public rights and services and carry on. Why decide something else on the basis of ancient religious belief. An easy solution called acceptance is at hand. Idealistic anti-abortion people insist they can use laws to stop abortions. Such laws would be "right" and they know for certain abortion is wrong. There are two ways a practical and functional idea would help. First, those who "know" what is right in an absolute sense and what is wrong see the issue exactly the opposite way. No matter which side "knows" it is right will not convince the other. "Rig...

A while back, a Christian author wrote that Christians should contemplate the "Benedict Option." It was an idea originated by a pope named Benedict hundreds of years ago. The faithful would no longer engage with the secular and political world but circle the wagons and keep the faith among themselves. While the idea was scoffed at by public figures in the faith it keeps coming up again for discussion. It comes up because there is good reason to believe numbers will keep falling. Europe has fallen further than the U. S. and there is good reason to believe the U.S. will look like Europe eventually. As the analyst of a recent poll said, The younger you are the less likely you are to believe in God, describe yourself as spiritual or regularly pray.   The author of "The Benedict Option," Rod Dreher, was asked how well churches are doing in preparation for the continued decline. He replied they are not prepared nor making preparations. Instead, they talk of a revival or l...

Some wealthy Christians will spend $100 million to emphasize the " human " elements of the Jesus narrative. Perhaps this is part of the "Jesus only" branch of the faith that is talked about. The thrust of the ads will be that Jesus understands contemporary society. Of course, this assumes there is a "living Jesus."  This ad campaign sounds a bit similar to one funded by a wealthy Catholic. His deal was "Come home" (to your old Catholic faith). I have not heard of much success from that though I still hear the ads occasionally.  A more honest ad would say, "Leave reality and rationality behind, believe there is a Jesus." Or, "Want to escape what you face, escape to the fantasy of Jesus." No matter how cozy and friendly the church is presented, it requires one to jump from reality to unreality. If you are a person looking for "community" or new friends, the church is presented as a place make for that. You may not care...

Billionaire Mackenzie Scott has given Planned Parenthood the biggest donation in its history, $275 million. Reports are donations to clinics and patients have been phenomenal ever since some states passed laws mostly prohibiting abortions. With enough money, all woman who want abortions will get them. There isn't enough money for that yet, but it is moving in the right direction. I believe it was California who has opened it vast treasury to help women from other states.  I could see abortion clinics opening or relocating to be more convenient for out of state women. The harassment laws will still hurt women, but I predict ultimately there will be only a small number of women forced to give births they did not want.  If this Supreme Court overturns Wade, it is almost inevitable some court in the future will have a majority to put abortion rights back into national law. Certainly, there seems no increase in anti-abortion political numbers since those backwards states outlawed i...

If you want to find crooks in politics, first start looking at conservatives. Maybe this is not always true but during the Presidencies of W Bush and Donald Trump we find plenty of skullduggery. One of them is the association of Gini Thomas to a large group of people now in prison and her husband, Judge Clarence Thomas, of the Supreme Court.  He was the lone vote to not open up documents about the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol. Gini was there and had been actively promoting the event in texts. To make matters even more suspicious, he was the lone vote on the Court no keep the documents secret. If this does not smell like a conflict of interest, I don't know what does. Right after the November election of Joe Biden, Ms. Thomas seems to have linked up with the infamous Sidney Powell. You may remember Attorney Powell appeared often with Rudy Guliani saying approximately, "We know there was fraud, we just don't have evidence. As soon as we get into court you will see the evid...