It’s easier to sit through a mindless movie than slog through a bad book. After all, most movies and TV shows demand little active brain involvement, so it’s possible (desirable, actually, from the perspective of the Media Myth Makers) to … Continue reading
For a nation that considers itself filled with maverick individuals, the U.S.A. is increasingly a land of followers: we follow the leader, we follow fashions, we follow The Influencers, we follow trends. And in doing so — coolly repeating lines … Continue reading
Christ’s words are challenging for us to believe, as is evidenced by the number of sermons attempting to explain away statements that seem fairly straightforward, like, ask and it will be given to you; or, don’t be anxious about what … Continue reading
For years I struggled to believe two opposite statements that cannot possibly be true at the same time. But because they are standard teaching in evangelical church Christianity, and since for too long I believed that these statements reflect what … Continue reading
Too many Christians believe that they are unsatisfactory to God, and His primary purpose is to punish them for wrongdoing — in order to make them “better.” Why kind of father thinks like this? Continue reading
Do you remember What Would Jesus Do? It was a pop culture phenomenon in the 1990s, still limping along today, that prompted Christians to question their every action and thought, with the goal of aligning it to Christ’s message. And … Continue reading
Years ago, in the efforts to “grow” my blog, I participated in blog carnivals. These involve a host site setting up a single page where other bloggers leave a link to one of their articles, with the idea that the … Continue reading
Maybe it’s because we live in the country and don’t have a proper lawn, but I really like dandelions. To most (urban/suburban) people focused on keeping that living carpet pristinely green, dandelions are a scourge, a pest, an abomination that … Continue reading
The other day I ran across a Precious Moments/Norman Rockwell style meme of a little boy — looked like some child in the 1950s — with his hands folded and head bowed, saying grace in a government school lunchroom. In … Continue reading
The peculiar thing about living in a mass media culture is that we feel as if we know people we actually know nothing about, like Don, or Hillary, Barack, George Jr. and his good old dad, Ron, Bill, Beyonce, Oprah, … Continue reading
