This Nearly Wired World

I just got off the phone with my nearly 17 year old daughter who is traveling in Italy. She's there with the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra (and they sound nothing like my high school jazz band). She's been there for 2 weeks now and that was the first we had heard from her. It was a pleasure and a relief.

We weren't worried, but we get so used to being able to contact anyone, virtually any time. I live on the net and receive and answer email all day long. I've carried a cell phone now for over 11 years.

But just how unwired we are has been made clear. In addition to 2 weeks in Italy, Kathleen also spent 2 weeks in China. In both places she didn't have easy access to computers to send email (although she did manage 2 email messages from China). And this brief phone call was at a pay phone.

It's sad to point out that Europe and Asia have far superior wireless phones than we do in the US. I am completely disgusted that the artificial barrier of "country" means that I'm separated from friends and family when they travel (or I do). I want my cell phone to be able to call anyone on the planet without distinguishing between where they might be. And I don't want any added charges. Minutes is minutes.

Redefining Christianity Is The Devil's Work

This stuff makes me tired.

Who Loves Creepy Megachurches? / Stadium crowds, thousands of rabid devotees, all chugging Jesus like Kool-Aid. Should you be afraid?

And it's exactly this type of thing that helped open my eyes, start me thinking, and to become an ex-Christian.

One of my earliest cogent thoughts as a child happened while sitting through another seemingly (and almost actually) endless sermon about "building the Kingdom of God." As a child, probably less than seven, I couldn't figure out why they hadn't done it yet. And why exactly did no one that I knew live anything remotely like the stuff that was continually taught?

It's clear to me now that these mega-churches have figured that out as well and have changed the message. God wants you to rich, fat, and lazy.

I am no longer a believer, but I'd have a hell of a lot more respect for those that did if someone finally stood up and said, "hey, none of this stuff is remotely like what Jesus taught or reportedly did. Let's leave all of our stuff behind and go off and help the poor and sick."

It's the leaving all the worldly goods behind that makes most Christians pause and say, "but God doesn't want me to disrupt my life. He want's me to have good things." Run that little thought experiment again, partner. Let's accept for a minute that the gospel story of Jesus is somewhat accurate. Who exactly was Jesus hanging out with and helping/healing? Why exactly did he piss off the authorities? Oh, and back off on the preaching and conversion stuff. Let your actions speak for you.

People that actually do this kind of thing are regarded as somewhat crazy and looked at with some concern by "mainstream" Christians.

Eh, you're all nuts as far as I'm concerned.