Does anyone else believe this?

Surely I'm not alone.

Words are scary these days.

I know this is crazy, but I used to post controversial opinions about faith, politics, and anything else that came to mind on Facebook, mostly for a kind of sounding board. Like “tell me why you’re not married yet.” Or “why isn’t Ron Paul being treated fairly by the Republican Party?” And of course the annual “How did two planes cause three skyscrapers to crumble at free-fall speed?”

But my goodness, have we devolved since then. People are utterly terrified and hatefully intolerant toward alternative viewpoints. I’m nervous just writing these words, which only mean to express how intolerant some people are to alternative viewpoints. Like, “alt” is quite literally a derogatory word.

I used to not care, but then I got married, and by God’s grace, my wife taught me how to shut the hell up just in time for Covid to hit and the world to change in a terrible way. Everyone agrees. I talk to some people of a particular perspective, and they can’t quite put their finger on it. Something feels off. And while I’ve got my alt opinions as to why, I can confidently tell you right now that part of our dissonance is the refusal to think about alternative perspectives. I know that’s how I feel if I find myself in a bubble for too long. But this is more than a bubble.

We Are Not Heading In A Good Direction

I’ve recently found a great description for two critical words in our life: Hope and faith. Hope is the destination, while faith is the path to it. If you’ve ever been to Yosemite, you’ll want to take a day (or two) to hike Half Dome. From anywhere in the park, you can see that giant split marble towering over the valley, and while there are occasions when it hides behind crags, waterfalls, and trees you’re traversing, your hope is as clear as the day you’ve decided to embark.

The path is very long and very difficult, but have faith - it’s been traveled so much, there’s no doubt you’re on it and it’ll get you there, so long as you’re prepared for the journey. But have you ever been on a path that starts to seem… off? Maybe you’re all turned around, and if it’s a foggy day, you can’t see the destination anymore. That’s us.

Now as much as have differing opinions on things - opinions that seem more like untrodden deer paths than tourist trails - it’s not differing opinions that concern me. It’s the inability to express them. In the former world of friendly discourse, there were plenty of people to call you on your bullshit by way of facts and logic, experience and wisdom.

But these days, there is what we all understand to be “acceptable” ideas and “acceptable” association. The dogma behind this is as strong as I’ve ever seen (and I grew up in church). And what’s so scary is that we haven’t seen the mountain for quite a while, and yet people are as confident as ever that we’re heading in the right direction. But when you’re not allowed to express yourself, you’re not heading in the right direction. So here I am promising to share my thoughts with you.

Let’s Think Alternatively Together

If you’re willing to hold with opened hands all your beliefs about faith, politics, marriage, and even the latest life-sucking contribution from Hollywood’s retro-hungry propaganda machine, then so am I. I was inspired to begin this as a way of expressing and refining my beliefs - to hear a response from you in order to better understand the topics myself. So I welcome (and eagerly hope for) your comments, disagreements, contributions, and exuberant praise.

Leah and I started doing a cute little devotional on the Bible app, and the format inspired me. Seven days? Easy. bookmarked Bible references right there in your app? Convenient! The author even has a charming video of her speaking directly to us, so we don’t have to read a thing! It inspired me to begin my own devotional called “Stumbling Blocks: Seven Controversial Lies That Get In The Way Of Our Faith”.

But as it turns out, there are more than seven lies, and the Bible App explicitly states that it’s not meant for expressing controversial ideas. I guess you’ve got to stick to the very run-of-the-mill ideas like divine resurrection of the dead, substitutionary atonement of your sins, and eternal conscious torment for the unbeliever.

So Substack it is, at least until I have collected my thoughts enough to publish a book. And if you participate, you might influence that book! You won’t get any royalties though. And neither will I, in all likelihood. But what’s success anyway? What does it profit a man if he gains international influence by regularly saying the things he ought to say?

Speaking of “regularly”, I will not promise regular posts. I will not promise a consistent theme. And I will not promise that this will go any further than this very first Substack “article”, which I may rediscover in a confirmation email six years from now and laugh at myself, that old relic of a platform called “Substack”, and the notion of speaking my mind in open air. But I can promise that, when I do post, I’ll be open and honest with you. That’s something I couldn’t say to many of the friends and family I hid from during the plandemic.

Me taking a selfie to see what color my eyes are. I’d say greenish blue, but maybe the blue is from the shirt.

Until next time!

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