Snarky Faith

We are right in the thick of election season, and if you think this is a spectator sport like fantasy football, you are sorely mistaken. As much as religion should have no place in politics, we find ourselves mired in a hypothetical spiritual war of ideologies and Christian bullshit sold as ideologies. If you thought this season was just about voting, you were wrong. The followers of Jesus must stand up for the forgotten and give voice to the voiceless. And there is no better time than now to do that with your vote. In an age in which Conservative Christianity represents oppression, misogyny, and bigotry, we must vote the opposite. When the faithful applaud squashing the environment or taking away the rights of others, we must act out. When Jesus compels his followers to love their neighbors, even if their neighbors are their enemies, this is a radical call for love, compassion, and resistance to the prevailing winds of the time. The future of the Earth and humanity calls us to be faithful people that act and live with an immediacy towards the hurting world and oppressive powers that continue to exude dehumanizing legislation and self-serving laws that benefit the few and rape the Earth and its people of dignity. So make sure to vote! In our show today, we'll talk with author and activist Doug Pagitt About his continuing work with Vote Common Good. Vote Common Good is inspiring, energizing, and mobilizing people of faith to make the common good their voting criteria and to pursue faith, hope, & love for a change on election day 2020 and prevent the re-election of Donald Trump. We'll also reflect on the Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court and her cult People of Praise. "Blessed be the fruit." So before you go out and buy your Handmaid's Tale cloak and bonnet, listen to this talk about the worries of cults and consequences of elections. In these dark times, there is hope, but that hope relies on your ass getting off the couch and making a difference. Let's not let apathy put more innocent people in cages. The future is yours to change if you want to change it. For more information Vote Common Good go here: https://www.votecommongood.com/ Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world.   www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the death of Ruth Bater Ginsburg, conservatives are frothing at the mouth with a chance to seat a new Supreme Justice. It's part of their new orthodoxy. Wait, since when did Christianity become all about abortion, seating judges, and filling the Supreme Court in the USA? I don't recall Jesus prophesying about that in the Bible? On that's right. American Christianity doesn't bother itself with the words of Jesus. No, no. That would be too restrictive and cumbersome towards our lifestyle of "Me First," I'm sorry, I mean "American First." The ethics of modern-day Christianity are as selfish as the rest of the culture. What happened to the servant posture of Christians? Jesus called us to serve, give, and love, yet all I see is American Christianity in a tailspin and grabbing for relevance and political power. The gentrified American church wants the neighborhood to change. It wants a gated community of privilege, and the remembrance of Jesus is less of a memory now and more of an empty talking point to the faithful. He's a symbol, but his words and ways have been hijacked. In these divided times, Christ's words still call us to be faithful, loving and caring of humanity, creation, and our world. Though conservatives see the death of RBG as an opportunity for power, I see her life as an opportunity to emulate a person of faith who let their ethics and values govern the way she led the judiciary towards equality. Ginsburg changed the world, and her faith was an instrumental part of it. We need more people of faith and conviction to make a difference in this world hell-bent on vapidity and selfishness. A life well-lived in the pursuit of helping others makes a difference. Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Life is full of changes. Things don't go the way we expect. Other times, we're surprised by the way things come together. Mix that chaos in with the fact that every day, you're changing as well. With so much change, it pays to be on your toes. The life of faith is no different. It's not stagnant, and it's always moving. There are twists, turns, and shifts. The faith you had as a child should be different than the faith you're walking in now. Along that journey, we adapt and grow. Some of us become bitter, while others seek to be better. Joining us today is someone who has journeyed through ministry and come out on the other side. Alan Smith was an Evangelical pastor for over 25 years. He's seen the best and worst of ministry and has a story to tell about the difficulty of owning a changing faith while still serving as a pastor. We'll also talk about shifting faith, the Evangelical mindset, and how we need to understand the Bible beyond the constraints of the evangelical tradition. It's a fun discussion about how there's always more to the life of faith if we only want to go looking for it outside our traditional or denominational trappings. You can find Alan Smith's work here: Alan's YouTube Channel Alan's website:  http://williamalansmith.com/   Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Like John the Baptist swearing and pointing people towards the kingdom of God, Matthew J. DiStefano is one of those unique voices seeking the truth outside of the religious bullshit. He may not be shouting from the wilderness, but he is a prolific podcaster and author. Matthew has a distinct voice that demands to be heard. Today, Matthew's on the show to talk about his newest podcast, Apostates Anonymous. It's the show you turn to when you're no longer a heretic. Join us as we talk about Matthew's journey towards apostasy and the way he sees religion playing out in the world today. It's a fun talk with a great mind and provocateur.  You can find Matthew J. DiStefano's work here: Apostates Anonymous podcast Happy Heretic Hour podcast The Bonfire Sessions podcast All Set Free - Matthew's website and blog Matthew's books are available now on Amazon! Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm so tired of bullshit sold as truth in Christian conservative circles. An alternative reality is sold to the masses, and the sheep gleefully take the bait every time. I used to think that many of the faithful flocks were just stupid, but I was wrong. Most people aren't stupid, they're just willfully gullible, and that's way worse. For the longest time, Christians have abdicated rational thinking and followed pastors and charlatans over the edge. This is not the way of Jesus, but this is absolutely the way of religion. The ways of Jesus are simple. They are not the ways of the DNC or the RNC. They are the ways of love, compassion, and self-sacrifice. Jesus didn't want power; he wanted people to be transformed and changed by grace. Lies mask the truth. Lies keep us complacent. Lies keep us oblivious. Join us today as we talk about the lies being fed in Jesus' name by the RNC and other sycophants hell-bent on gaslighting the masses. Killers aren't heroes, the pandemic is real, black lives do matter and neither presidential candidate was chosen by God. It's true. Deal with it. All of this is a distraction from the call of Jesus for justice for the poor and marginalized. American Christianity seems like a spoiled brat wanting its own way, where Jesus tells us the only way is love, grace, and humility. Christianity tells us that we are judged not by our accomplishments, but by how the lowest in society are treated and cared for. Are we too lazy to see the truth, or is it easier to follow a hypothetical Jesus made in our own images? Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm so tired of God's name being used as an advertising tool by conservatives when their version of love looks like repression. It's false, heretical, and antithetical to the gospel. It's bullshit.  For too long, have the grifters of the gospel sold their faith like a telemarketer giving you a buy one get one free deal. "God told me this. God said to do that." It's Santa Clause and Tooth Fairy religion. It's superstition and urban-legend-level meaninglessness sold to the masses every Sunday. Why do we buy the lies and put up with the charlatans? P.T. Barnum's accredited with saying, "there's a sucker born every minute." P.T. only discovered what religious leaders have always known. Sheep want a shepherd regardless if the shepherd eventually eats them. It's not about truth. It's more about blind certainty. People seek certainty; regardless if it's false or not. Oblivion is the goal, and thinking is optional in these circles.   Today, we'll delve into lies peddled in the name of God by his emissaries and/or infomercial hosts. They're all the same, hollow and unscrupulous. Nothing could be further from the nature of God.  To listen to the liars is to miss out on the gift that you are the beloved of God. The center of Christianity is supposed to be love. God is love. This truth may seem forgotten but is not lost. We need to recover this precious narrative from the Kingdom of God and champion it.  Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. Www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“And all shall be well. And all shall be well. And all manner of things shall be exceeding well.” ― Julian of Norwich We live in a time where it seems all we have is bad news and fake news. When denial reigns, it's hard to know what to believe and what's real anymore. Too often are we swayed one way or the other by manipulative forces that obscure what is happening. We easily believe half-truths or quick answers in the pursuit of ways to ignore the problems at hand. Religion even makes it worse when it blames the cause of physical problems onto mystical or spiritual ones. We deny reality and try to avoid problems because we don't like the solutions. For all to be well, all of the faithful must be vigilant and ready to serve and help as needed. Politics and religion create distractions that obscure the simple solutions. It's easier to deny a pandemic if you are too emotionally fragile to handle it. If you deny reality, then you can fight silly, little insignificant issues like wearing masks. If you think your faith suffers because you can't sing in a church, your god is impotent and small. This pandemic isn't about people's preferences. It should be about humanity's finest moment of coming together to fix a simple, yet complex issue. Yet, stupidity dominates. But we don't have to like it. There's always hope to push back lazy and inert thinking. Action and vigilance push us forward and inspire movement. Let's deny denial. There are better days ahead if we continue to move towards progress. Keep on keeping on in this profoundly weird time in history. Peace. Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"It's far time I talk to ya'll about your relationship with Jesus." - said every good Christian talking about 'vangelism. Yes, it's that time. We need to have that important chat about salvation, but it's not the talk you think I want to have. Today, we're going to discuss salvation. Yes, many have heard it packaged in different ways and tracts, but the result is always the same. It's the processed food version of the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus saves you from hell with Twinkies.  The Kingdom of God wasn't meant to be a sales pitch to grow your Ponzi scheme religion. The Kingdom of God exists to free people, NOT enslave them.  The story of Jesus tells you that you're loved by God just as you are. God already gives you the grace to live and love in a redemptive way. God's Kingdom says we have worth and are accepted. It tells us the story of freedom. So why does Christianity often make "gettin' saved" sound more like a duty like paying your taxes? Today, we're going to talk about salvation in human terms and not theological ones. We're going to get logical and not spiritual. There won't be scripture quoted, but we're going to look at it as it is and talking about it in plain terms.  Join us as we look past the church history and practice into the real call of Jesus for us as humans to live as we are supposed to be. Anything other than that is falsehood.  Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I hear that Oprah something called a "book club," so I figured if it was good enough for Oprah, it's good enough for Snarky Faith. Join us today, as we talk about some interesting gems that you may have missed.  We'll talk about books, politics, and the Christian Crazy too. I'll even throw in a chat with author and artist, David Hayward, aka The Naked Pastor about his new book. Buckle up, it's going to be a wild and fun ride.   Books featured in this episode:   Til Doubt Do Us Part by David Hayward If changing beliefs are changing your marriage, you need to read this book where David Hayward speaks into the strain that deconstruction can cause in a marriage.  For those of us who have had huge faith shifts, this is like a roadmap to those tough, but necessary conversations that need to happen.    Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers "Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints" is an illustrated children's book about people of diverse faiths working for more love and justice in their corners of the world, even when that means rocking the religious boat. With original portraits from more than two dozen artists and engaging profiles of people from different faiths and different eras, these are stories that inspire, educate, challenge, and encourage. Some of the people featured in this book are well known, like the beloved St. Francis of Assisi (a favorite of Hufflepuffs everywhere for his love of animals), who gave up a wealthy inheritance to serve the poor, Rumi, the Sufi poet, and Thich Nhat Hanh the beloved teacher who developed the concept of engaged Buddhism. Some are well known, but the deep faith motivating their work is lesser-known, such as Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, and Mr. Rogers. Others are less known such as Bayard Rustin, an American Quaker whose role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s is often downplayed because he was a gay man; Maryam Molkara, an Iranian Muslim transgender rights advocate; and Regina Jonas, the first female rabbi to be ordained whose story was almost lost to history.   The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix A 2018 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal Winner! Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party is gaining strength and becoming more menacing every day. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor upset by the complacency of the German church toward the suffering around it, forms a breakaway church to speak out against the established political and religious authorities. When the Nazis outlaw the church, he escapes as a fugitive. Struggling to reconcile his faith and the teachings of the Bible with the Nazi Party’s evil agenda, Bonhoeffer decides that Hitler must be stopped by any means possible! Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. Www.Snarkyfaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“And it was all that I needed...” ― The White Stripes - Take, Take, Take When is enough, enough? We live in a time where consumeristic impulses of culture look the same as the heartbeat of the institutional church. There's no difference in currency and values. We know what success looks like, and it doesn't look like Jesus, but that's okay. Forgetting Jesus hasn't stopped the church in the past. Looking at the parables of Jesus, we can see broad strokes paintings of the Kingdom of God. The values, ethics, mission, and thrust all point to a different way of being. They tell us that a selfless way is sustainable, and anything counter leads to death and inequality. Join us today as we talk through the ethics of the parables of Jesus and how they line up with the White Stripes. It's not what you'd expect and hopefully better than you deserve. ;) We'll delve into a different way to live where we seek things of worth, value, and meaning. It takes looking at life through a different lens. As long as you don't mind a little swearing, hop in and join us. It'll be something interesting, and hopefully hopeful. We'll see. Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.