A social experiment is technically just an experiment run on people, to study how groups relate and react to things. The term is also used more informally to mean a poorly-thought-out, self-serving conceit that gets pushed onto an unwitting and unknowing group to enact. Typically the idea is that the Read more
After I deconverted, my husband was convinced that I’d change dramatically. I wanted to talk a bit about that, because I see that same fear playing out among the other ex-Christians I’ve met. (PS: Hi guys! You’re up kinda late, aren’t you?) Since it’s the New Year, it’s that time Read more
One thing that seems to crop up in the news over and over again are the constant struggles between America’s secular government and increasingly-secular citizens, and that particular brand of over-controlling zealotry that masquerades as religion. Scores of lawsuits have been filed trying to stop this overreach on topics ranging Read more
Long ago, Charles Babbage came up with designs for a machine that could accurately create tables of calculated numbers. He called this machine the difference engine. By turning a handle on the machine, gears and cranks would turn and it would calculate rows and columns of numbers in tables–the sort Read more
I love bad advice. I admit it. I’ve always had a huge affection for bad advice snark. I mean, bad advice is engineered to cause maximum grief, drama, and division, especially when you know the original advice-seeker actually wanted to hear that bad advice, and that’s all part of the Read more
One of the hardest parts about deconverting out from under a fundagelical marriage was unlearning my indoctrination and re-learning all the rules for how men and women should interact. One of those ideas I had to unlearn was the idea of “dying to yourself.” But it was the one I Read more
If you’ve ever had a friend who was dating an extraordinarily bad person, you know how your friend kept trying to show you how his or her mate was really very awesome and just totally misunderstood? How your friend kept trying to explain away all the dick moves the nasty Read more
Today we’re going to be talking about Christians who claim to know stuff they really don’t know. It happens a lot, so clearly there’s been some miscommunication on the subject of late. It always blows my mind when Christians act like experts about stuff they are simply not experts about. Read more
Way back in the 1970s, a British Christian named Doreen Irvine wrote From Witchcraft to Christ. It was supposedly her “sensational true story of a woman rescued from Satan’s grasp by the power of God,” according to its tagline. And I’m sure you are already thinking about how accurate that Read more
I checked the news today and got this very clear feeling that my blog feels like it writes itself. I’m not kidding. I remember when I was starting the blog I was actually worried maybe I wouldn’t be able to keep momentum after a while, but that fear quickly evaporated Read more