Tolerance

The difference between tolerance and respect

My UU minister brought up the topic of respect a few weeks ago, saying that it went further than tolerance. I’d like to examine this subject up close. First, a couple of definitions (from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition, 1976): tolerance: The capacity for or practice of allowing or… Continue reading The difference between tolerance and respect

Church-State Separation

Kim Davis

Well, why shouldn’t I weigh in on Kim Davis? Everybody else has an opinion. Actually, I wasn’t seeing the need to clutter the Internet with my view, but she finally made the mistake of reminding me of my high-school self, which is probably why I can’t stand her. I believe I have stated before on… Continue reading Kim Davis

Kemeticism

The validity of religious experience

I’m going to say something that I think some of you monotheists might have trouble with. But here goes: All religious experiences are valid. Hang with me a minute. No one has the right to tell me that I didn’t have an experience with Isis, Hathor and Nephthys nine years ago – any more than… Continue reading The validity of religious experience

Church-State Separation

Church-state separation in Wakulla County, Florida

I feel like, just as other bloggers do, it is my duty to bring things to the attention of my readers when those things are slightly askew. Not much goes on in this rural corner of north Florida, but a couple of things have been bugging me since the beginning of the year. This, for… Continue reading Church-state separation in Wakulla County, Florida

Kemeticism · Unitarian Universalism

Musings on the Unitarian Universalists

Yesterday I attended my second Unitarian Universalist service. I’d gone to my first one in April, and hadn’t been motivated until yesterday to go back. I’m used to doing my own thing on Sunday – too many years either as an atheist or a solitary – and I sleep in a lot, and it takes… Continue reading Musings on the Unitarian Universalists

Kemeticism

Does everything happen for a reason?

Warning: language. How I met my husband is just about the coolest story you’ll ever hear. Of course I’m biased, but once I tell it, I think you’ll understand why I say that. In the fall of 1986, I was living in central Florida with my parents. The previous fall, I had been at Oberlin… Continue reading Does everything happen for a reason?

Kemeticism

Wesir’s Day and why I didn’t celebrate it

The Kemetic Traditionalists in my temple (Per Ankh) have figured out a way to determine the Kemetic New Year. Basically, you use an astronomy program (I use Stellarium) to figure out the day of the heliacal rising of Sirius (Sopdet to the ancient Egyptians). That day is the Kemetic New Year. The ancient Egyptians calculated… Continue reading Wesir’s Day and why I didn’t celebrate it

Kemeticism

Not all religions are anti-woman

Free Inquiry is, once again, the inspiration for today’s post. You would think that the avowed atheist in the household would read it, but I – the one on the fence – am the one who reads it. I can’t imagine there are many like me – quasi-religious atheists who would encounter an article by… Continue reading Not all religions are anti-woman

Kemeticism

The afterlife

The February/March 2015 issue of Free Inquiry has two articles on death: Greta Christina says that atheists need to start more conversations about death, and James Davenport argues that we leave heaven when we die. But I’m not exactly an atheist, so I’m not really sure where I fall on the afterlife spectrum. I’ve gone… Continue reading The afterlife

Church-State Separation · Criticism of Religion

Obergefell

Yesterday social media exploded with the news that the Supreme Court had finally rendered a decision as to marriage equality: It is now the law of the land. As you probably can guess by now, I supported this decision, so this is good news to me. I have a gay cousin and a gay brother-in-law,… Continue reading Obergefell