This is a placeholder for people looking for a post on the “Church of the Founding Fathers” and the American National Religion.  Post is forthcoming.

I have finally gotten around to replying to the remarks made to my original “Perplexing” post (link). I have not approved any of the comments for several reasons.  To wit: one was from a Catholic, another made an unfriendly remark about a prominent Catholic.  And while I don’t judge my friends, neither do I facilitate flame wars – not that these two would flame up, necessarily; in fact I think they would be good friends.  I am just done with online conflict.  I am thus pulling the comments into a …

So I think I’m going to take a break from Facebook for a while. I walked into a minefield that was clearly marked. My bad. I am intrigued how the Persians invented using crucifixion in the 6th century BCE to hurt people. Those who have taken up the cross as a symbol often learn how to use it as a weapon as well. Which begs the question; why do so many Christians feel perfectly good about insulting people in the name of the Bible?
After composing a short recap …

In Humanism, our expectation is to act as if we were humans – and we succeed, every time.
In Christianity, their expectation is to act as if they were Christ-like – and they fail, every time.
How can the system be designed to fail and be expected to work for people?

This is taken from the Forum at the webcomic Questionable Content, but it is actually a paraphrase of a piece that Antony Flew wrote in 1950 called Theology and Falsification.
Anna and Kate are walking down the street when they come to an empty lot.
“Look at that beautiful garden!” cries Anna, “It must be tended by a particularly skillful gardener!”
“What are you talking about?  It’s an empty lot full of weeds!  It couldn’t possibly be tended by a gardener.” is Kate’s reply.
“He must tend it to grow that way.”
“I have never …

“This world is not my home
I’m just a-passing through”
- Alfred Brumley
Well, fine, but please hurry on through. Please be polite and leave everything like you found it.  Preesh.

I was just behind a person with a bumper sticker that read “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven” who passed on the shoulder right next to a sign that read “No Passing On Shoulder.”
Can someone explain again to me this “objective basis for morality” thing?

When I was a Christian, I was always ready to jump on any attempt to question Christianity or any assertion of one’s civil rights that ran counter to MY interpretation of the intent of the New Testament as “persecution.”  Now, when I see the word “persecution” – especially when used by those claiming to be persecuted – I immediately start forming questions in my head.  It’s pretty rare for them to include examples of what they’re terming as persecution.  Clearly, when you read of Christians and Jews being killed or …

What you come across when you surf a lot…..
Map of slave states (red) from WGBH’s “A Biography of America:”

Approximate map of the modern Bible Belt from Wikipedia:

Wow.