The penultimate episode of The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill is a frustrating investigatory experience. The show presents to the listener the evidence of an abusive pastor in a permissive church system, building the case that this was an ongoing problem within the organization that eventually collapsed under the weight of the trauma dealt within. What I believe the episode fails to do and has continued to do throughout the series is to follow that evidence to its obvious conclusion, despite the pretense of seeking answers for how it all happened.

🎧 Continue reading “We aren’t asking the right questions”

I grew up in an Evangelical Christian culture. I was taught that the primary life purpose of a Christian was to propagate the message of Christianity through evangelism, sharing the story of Jesus to people who did not know or believe what was written in the Bible. Through this effort, souls would be saved from eternal damnation and more people would be prepared for the return of the savior of humanity. This mission was time-sensitive, because the return of Jesus was possible at any moment, and that event could potentially seal the fate of all living on Earth.

🦸🏻‍♂️ Continue reading “An identity crisis”

Life during the COVID-19 pandemic has been lonelier than I expected. My introversion has been useful in this time of isolation, but it did not prepare me for the simultaneous crushing ideological loneliness that has come from watching others respond to the demands of the pandemic. I feel more disconnected from my peers now than I ever have before.

🧠 Continue reading “We know less than we realize, but that’s okay”

The current state of skepticism about scientific studies is reaching a dangerous level. How did the support of vaccines degrade so much? Why did we start to believe conspiracies instead of the consensus from people more educated and intelligent than our neighbor?

💉 Continue reading “Vaccine hesitancy is putting us all at risk”

I had grown up in a culture that spoke of Ronald Reagan almost with reverence, believing him to be one of the last great leaders of the country. I had never felt a reason to question this thought, so I never investigated the history of the presidency. This interview caused me to doubt the narrative I had heard throughout my life.

🇺🇸 Continue reading “The time that I learned about Ronald Reagan”