Sweet daughter has been reading a story about a family of four girls having to deal with the death of their mother. It's set in Mexico, mid 1900s. It's a story written by a woman, for girls about the age of ten, as mine is. As a manly man (ahem) nearing 40, this does not … Continue reading Gone

Some months ago I decided to no longer post on Facebook my thoughts that I record in this blog. The impetus for that had two components.First, from perusing Facebook, I had collected over time a well of frustration relating to various religious, political, and deepity type mental emesis that was threatening to overflow. That would be healthy … Continue reading Price

I speak of love. You hear anger.I talk of encouragement. You hear argument.I encourage empathy. You hear "too soon."I challenge your views. You hear nothing.So I become angry.I argue.I harden.I turn into nothing, a nonevent. No voice, unworthy of attention. A burr in the sock, a goad in the side, a blister on humanity. Dismissed.But … Continue reading Dismissed

Just learned that an old friend lost her young boy. Her only child. Kid was about the age of my son, maybe 6 or 7 or so.Car accident. An all-of-a-sudden thing. Everyone else involved is apparently ok, physically. Organs donated. Someone's life possibly saved by this child's unwitting sacrifice. God's hand at work, I guess.But here's the … Continue reading Almighty

September 2001. The wife and I are looking forward to a fishing trip in Montana, just a month away. Smith River, wilderness. The scent of spruce needles, fish scales, and B.O. wafting merrily about as we and friends match wits with small-brained icthyoids. But you know what happened. Deluded zealots crashed some planes and shut … Continue reading Ornery

To my readership (both of you):I may deviate from the topic of religion and belief. Why? Because I want to. And because I don't want to go through the trouble of setting up another blog. I hope you don't mind.That is all.

Dear friend wrote a book. Well-written, superbly researched. Short, to the point, dense with insight yet highly readable. Get Low by Jack Wisdom is impressive......and disappointing.Here is what I mean. The book presents a wonderfully refreshing take on Christian thinking and theology. Jack knows his stuff, too. He's as wonky as they come but has the … Continue reading On Getting Low

My boy started quite the conversation with me yesterday. It came out of nowhere, just as were leaving the house to go for an evening stroll on the beach. "Why do some people believe in God?" "Well," I hesitated, searching for the right way to explain this to a seven year old, "people tend to … Continue reading Inquisitive

From time to time it hits me just how relieved I am to have relinquished faith. My lovely bride and I were chatting about this the other day. For years she was plagued by guilt. She tried everything she could think of to assuage, dispel, or otherwise properly deal with such guilt. It wasn't guilt … Continue reading Relief