Recently in a post I made through Facebook about Voter ID laws in North Carolina, a rather puzzling exchange took place with a friend of mine. Puzzling to me at least. After Section 4 of the VRA was dismantled, North Carolina Republican Lawmakers took advantage of their new freedom from Department of Justice oversight, and put forth new voting laws. Already being angry at the GOP/Conservative SCOTUS Justices who overturned the section, I blasted off a link to a ThinkProgressive.com article on it. I don’t usually use them because of their angry and  purely anti-Conservative tone, but I was pissed and it was the first thing I saw on the subject. I ended the post by calling the lawmakers “Damn evil GOP bastards”. Which given what they were trying to do I thought was merited. Evidently, I didn’t make it clear as to who I directed my insult towards. I didn’t understand why my friend (who lives in North Carolina) go so upset and took my insult personally. I wasn’t talking about her at all, but the actual people who submitted and voted for the legislation. I tried to argue the points of why these laws have nothing to do with fraud and everything to do with suppressing opposing voter turnout. My brilliant wife explained to me that my friend most likely thought I was referring to either Republicans in general or NC Republicans in particular. My brilliant explanation didn’t work even though my facts are sound on the subject. When she thought she was being insulted, none of that mattered a bit. This led to a conversation with said brilliant wife, and some thinking on my part as a result. I wanted to first and foremost apologize to any and all my friends that I have offended in the past over posts, especially on Facebook. If you are on my friends list and can see a post, then deep down inside I do not want to offend you.  My goal is to make people think. I firmly believe that a combination of facts and inspiring words can change the ideas and hearts of people. This, IMHO, is how we progress society and see love and justice for all. It is why I post things that are not just personal updates and geekiness. At the core of my personality, I am an activist who needs people and ideas to fight for. I often think this is what attracted me to “Professional Ministry” and the whole church leadership gig. That, however, is the subject of another post. I firmly believe with all of my heart that any and everyone is entitled to their views and...

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Here is a good read about one young Christian woman’s journey into and out of the “Pro-Life” movement. With all the crap going on in some Red states nowadays (Texas, Ohio, and North Carolina), this article is very relevant. I’m not going to say much about it, because she does a great job of telling her story and pointing out the inherent self contradictions of the movement. I have not been a fan for many years of Pro-Life techniques and tactics. Since leaving the Church, I see little to no value in what they are doing. Keep in mind, there is a huge difference between opposing abortion and being “Pro-Life”. In many ways, the two are not even related because of how the Pro-Life movement interacts with the political landscape. Like most Progressives, I believe that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. What is the best way to prevent an abortion? It’s to stop unintended pregnancies before they happen. Study, after study, has shown that where contraception is available, inexpensive, and coupled with proper sexual health education the abortion rates are lower. So why do so many in the movement oppose these proven methods if their real goal is to “save babies”? Libby Anne reveals why in: How I Lost Faith in the “Pro-Life”...

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Marriage equality is an issue I wholeheartedly support. I’ve been advocating for it through social media for years now. The fact that Christianity seems to the be biggest enemy of the LGBT community is sad, frustrating, and a huge reason why I am no longer part of any church. I was so proud of both my home and adopted states, when their voters became the first to approve the right for same gender couples to marry last November in America. In Seminary, I was also told that a Liberal is defined as a someone who believed women could be pastors and that homosexuality is not a sin. I kid you not, dear reader, that was the answer the teacher gave me when I asked them define “Liberal Christian”. I guess I am guilty as charged if that is your metric. So along those lines, the Conservative Christian Church (CCC) has a long history of stating the Bible demands that God CLEARLY SAYS marriage is between one man and one woman. Having done nearly 15 years of academics focused almost solely the Bible, Theology, Church History, Exegesis and several other boring Greek/Latin terms spanning five distinct denominations, this baffles me. Are these people actually READING the Bible or just one or two passages that back up a preconceived notion? Or, as they like to call it, using  Eisegesis to determine meaning.  Evidently, I am not a alone in my puzzlement. Three Biblical Scholars in Iowa wrote an op-ed on the subject. I track with everything they said with the exception of this quote of course: So, while it is not accurate to state that biblical texts would allow marriages between people of the same sex, it is equally incorrect to declare that a “one-man-and-one-woman” marriage is the only allowable type of marriage deemed legitimate in biblical texts. If the Bible doesn’t give a one-size-fits-all definition of marriage throughout time (or a list of acceptable ones at the very least) then there is no reason to believe that the “text” wouldn’t allow for same sex marriage. It just doesn’t address an issue that didn’t exist a couple of millennia ago. Nitpicks aside, they make a very good point that I have been trying to make for years. If you want to oppose Marriage Equality, then that is your right, but you simply cannot say that: “The Bible says marriage is only between one man and one woman.” It is just not true. You MAY be able to make a case that certain authors expressed that sentiment, but it is NOT consistent through the whole of the Bible. You certainly cannot state that “GOD SAYS marriage is between one...

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Here is a good write up about the impact the Exchange is having on California as well as some basic “Obamacare” information. Bottom line, exposure and a transparent marketplace are making Health Insurance Cheaper for most of the people. A single Payer system would be preferable of course, but this is a good sign for those without coverage. It also dispels some persistent assertions that the ACA will make healthcare more expensive through the Exchanges. Krugman also points out that those states with Republican governors resisting the implementation of the law, are doing nothing but screwing over the uninsured in their states. As the law is implemented and the positive impact outweighs the challenges, these governors will look like even bigger heartless asses. They will come off even more as concerned with making a political stand over the well being of their states citizens. The Obamacare Shock –...

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