Our Founder and Our Flounder

"These are the times that try men's souls," Paine wrote then, and it's true again. Thomas Paine probably won't be highlighted in the ceremonies around the 250th, but he should be. As we try to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country's founding, let's remember this founding father, especially in light of our current embarrassing and dangerous plight. His nickname was Common Sense. His plain-talk pamphlet "Common Sense," published just six months prior to the 4th of July, 1776, sparked the momentum of sporadic rebellions…

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Hoax?

Rebuttal to the letter in Ashland, Oregon's Sneak Preview: Is Carbon the Culprit? (Please see the original letter I am rebutting and Dr. Alan Journet's reply to it, both pasted in below. The editor of the Sneak Preview declined to print this reply. He had so many replies, he is opting to sum them up in a future issue. I will add that summary to this post when it becomes available. As always here at Earthlyreligion, your replies, reactions, and further thoughts are welcome.) I…

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What’s the Good of Democracy?

Our precious, beloved democratic republic is an annoying chore. I praise and treasure it, and I'm sick of it. I believe in the goods that we're made of, not the fallen goods the subtle deceiver dangles before our eyes. The natural cosmos, the delicate and interdependent environment, the honor and hope in the people - these are good. We've forgotten our inheritance and responsibility. "These are the times that try men's souls," wrote Thomas Paine. He was nicknamed "Common Sense" for his pamphlet that sparked…

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Abundance Avoided

Two liberal pundits, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, raise liberals' ire by critiquing liberalism itself in their popular book, Abundance. They complain we're blundering into scarcity when we could be choosing abundance. While conservatives fought any governmental program they resented for being too socialist, liberals hobbled our governments with well-intentioned but bulky policies. We're stagnating because of this conflicted political landscape. We're like two parties in a foot race, but each one hops on one foot only, be it the right or the left. Worse,…

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Good?

What is or isn't good? We all evaluate this. Keep in mind your own take on this as I share mine. I'll briefly share the basis for my take on what is good as a way of considering recent violations, domestically and internationally, of what I deem good. What is good is at the core of my unusual humanistic, naturalistic, deistic religion, this website, and our times. If you're not interested in such philosophy, skip this first section. Those who read the sidebar here at…

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Stand Up

“Stand up, Bradley,” my mother used to say to me.  I slouched, my head hung forward.  I was a “lazy breather,” inhaling through my mouth.  At age 8, I felt timid, afraid.  Finally, at age 80, I’m standing up.  When I think of it, I tighten my lower belly, pull back my shoulders, and try to walk symmetrically.  Such a posture change helped rescue my hips from being replaced, and I feel more confident.  Thanks, Mom! Not that I am easily confident.  External forces –…

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Good Bye from the Edge

Goodbye, UUers.  Yours was a center of my life, while I was at the edge of yours.  I’m glad for our time.  I knew lots of good people, challenges, and fulfillment, if not much pay or collegial respect.  What I once championed has changed.  Time to regret what it has become lately and leave it behind.  Here’s why. I was born two hours before my country annihilated over a hundred thousand civilians in revenge and warning, an act I’ve seen rationalized many times in this…

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A Slave Became Our Prophet

Frederick Douglass, born a slave in 1818, escaped in 1838, and died a national and internationally renowned orator in 1895.  His was a life of daring, disappointment, and tenacity.  Many regard him as a prophet.  Prophets, always bold and usually reviled, convey God’s alleged will and warnings with exceptional moral insight in advocating for a worthy cause.  His was the freeing and incorporating of dark-skinned persons into America’s community and promise.  Such progress didn’t come easily, and it still isn’t complete. Our alleged president has…

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