God of the Storm (reblog from Godless in Dixie)

We're hearing a lot about storms these days - first Harvey in Texas, now Irma and potentially Jose on the East coast. In addition, dozens of devastating wildfires are burning thousands of acres in the western part of the US. Communities are experiencing catastrophes, business are disrupted, homes are damaged or destroyed, people and families …

Honesty…. a lonely word, or what I need?

I've been reflecting on and recovering from the encounter detailed in my last post. Thank you to everyone who posted and emailed your helpful and supportive messages. It's wonderful having a community of people I have come to admire, who understand this journey and who have blazed this path ahead of me. And who care.Walking …

Send In The Clowns

Nothing has made me want to be a bold activist like the events of the past year. And yet, when I try and then meet resistance, my boldness dissolves and I creep back into my little tent alone. Very alone. The election of the Clown in Chief, the knowledge that people I know and love …

life as a pizza box

Since coming out of religion, specifically fundamentalist Christianity, I've been constantly surprised by the changes in the way I view life, death, purpose, other people, and myself. I used to struggle mightily with a poor self image. My parents never understood this. To them I had every reason in the world to be confident. I …

Redefining prayer

I'm not sure why it's been eight months since I posted on this blog, with the exception of last weeks post on pornography and masturbation. Such savory topics, those. But undeniably human and relevant. As to the reason for my absence, the only thing I can come up with is that I was busy shifting …

Beliefs I do not miss: Thanking the god of parking spots, plumbing and hygiene products

One of my constant struggles right now is deciding whether or not to admit to my friends and family that I no longer believe like I used to, or like they still do. While it has been a difficult journey, there are certain beliefs that I always had a problem with and am glad I …

American Jesus: The “Real” Story of the Halloween Pumpkin

Two posts in one week? Apocalypse must be upon us! Actually, it's just Halloween, a holiday I enjoyed as a kid (even as a Christian kid), then loathed as a stick-up-my-butt Christian parent (thankfully a brief period), and now enjoy again. And because it's Halloween, I'm seeing all sorts of ridiculous stuff online that I …

a woman without a country

For me, losing my faith is not just about a change in my personal life. It is about all of the relationships in my life, about my identity and my place in the society where I have grown and belonged my whole life. It is tantamount to renouncing my citizenship in the country of my birth - by choice - and therefore losing all of my alliances, all of my protections, all of my security, and all of my privileges. And that is the part of deconversion you can't possibly understand if you grew up outside belief.

in which i give up

I used to think life would be easier if I believed all the stuff I used to believe. Not believing has been damn hard. So I've tried. Really I have. Tried for the sake of my family, my marriage, my community, my sanity. I've tried to re-believe what I thought I knew, what I was …

a million tiny doubts

On the way home from work recently, I saw a bad accident near my neighborhood. Apparently a truck cut across 4 lanes of traffic and a median, hitting several oncoming cars and ending up in the woods. I'm not sure of the details. I try not to be one of those rubber-neckers that stop to stare …