213 Which ‘Retired’ are you?
Our language, in many instances, is very imprecise. I’m retired. So are most of my friends and acquaintances. We use the word to mean those of us who are no longer ‘working’. We’re no longer spending time doing a task for which we are paid. But look at the word, the spelling. What should […]
214 The Insidious Evil of Sexism
In the news yesterday there was a story of a Ugandan female Olympian runner being killed by her ex-boyfriend. He had doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. She lasted a few days before her organs finally shut down. This has to be among the worst ways to die, the most vile […]
241 Trump leading to a renewed democracy?
History shows us that the main threat to democracy comes from within. Things start great. Then people become increasingly complacent. The rich, over time, take over. Democracy becomes a shell, in paper only. The people become increasingly unhappy and eventually revolt or place themselves under a tyrant who promises them better times. In the U.S., […]
I almost went to church today
Every Sunday there’s a tug-of-war within me. I was born and raised ‘in church’, was the youngest elder in United Church of Canada history, attended seminary, was ordained into the ministry and served for twenty years before burning out, trying to change things from within, trying to get people to follow Jesus instead of merely […]
244 Trying To Have Fun In Serious Times
I don’t know about you, but it’s harder to be positive these days. On top of what’s going on around me, my book, “And Jesus Wept” – How Christianity Abandoned Jesus-of-Nazareth, comes out in a few weeks. I’m working with the publisher on the marketing and stuff. Very stressful for me. So I had to […]
The Overlooked and Tragic Story of Jesus-of-Nazareth
You may think you know the Jesus story. No doubt you’ve heard many parts of it, from many different sources. I’m not talking here about what you’ve heard in church, about any Christ-figure, any half-God, but the story of the real person who was, without a doubt, the most pivotal man in history. And probably, […]
Try to Imagine
149 October 17, 2023 You live in a crowded wasteland. It’s so dry that you can’t grow a garden without extra water, if you can find it. Your family and neighbours are crammed into houses and apartments with over two million others. Mainly in two cities, squeezed into a strip of desert about six miles […]
The High Price of Ignorance
October 20, 2023 For four years I’ve taught a ten-week course at the Seniors’ Center titled How We Got the Bible. It’s been a great way for me to stay sharp and in-touch with reality. There are usually about a dozen folks, varying in background from atheists to Christian fundamentalists. A wonderful challenge. It’s fact based, […]
Try to Imagine
149 Oct. 17, 2023 You live in a crowded wasteland. It’s so dry that you can’t grow a garden without extra water, if you can find it. Your family and neighbours are crammed into houses and apartments with over two million others. Mainly in two cities, squeezed into a strip of desert about six […]
Grandma’s Universal Secret to Survival
150 (Oct 22, 2023) There’s a story in today’s paper about an Israeli grandmother who’s being hailed as a hero for fooling the Hamas invaders long enough that the army could to arrive and kill them. She had gone to the shelter with others in her small town but went back to her […]
