The Conversation Jesus Wants Us to Have Podcast

Love makes us feel good. Fear makes us uncomfortable. So to live in love we must overcome our fear. No matter if that is fear of failure, success, hell, death, unworthiness, standing out, immigrants, strangers, difference, LGBTQ2+ people, or being criticized, banished, ostracized, or even a fear of dying. We don't have to be comfortable being so uncomfortable when we courageously face our fears head-on. In this episode I share my experience of how I put an end to living in fear when I learned: Fear tells us we may even die if we face it head-on, but we won't die; We must challenge ourselves to overcome fear in order to live in love; We can live from our brave heart; and God does help those who help themselves.

Most likely you are familiar with the phrase, “love is blind.” This expression is first found in Chaucer's The Merchant's Tale, written between 1387 and 1400. The phrase did not come into common usage until William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, in the scene where Benvolio says to Mercutio, “Blind is his love, and best befits the dark.” Mercutio responds that if love is blind, then it is not real love. In this episode, I ask us to think about why real love is not blind. Love is caring and affection displayed as the positive behaviors of our integrity in action; The truth is, our integrity cannot and should not withstand all things; While all relationships have challenges, affection expressed positively, as our soul's integrity, does not tolerate the dishonest or abusive actions of other people; and No matter if someone is a family member or a close friend, we do not have to hang in there, allowing them to dump their anger, self-centeredness, and emotional unconsciousness onto us. 

Many of us seem to think we know how to love others. Yet, when it comes to loving ourselves we are lost as to what to do. The key is to change our idea of what love is.  Love is more than a feeling or emotion. Love is always expressed as loving behavior.  In this episode I discuss: To love ourselves we consistently treat ourselves with the actions of love such as, compassion, support, respect, and responsibility, to name a few;   Loving ourselves first is not selfish, it's responsible; and Only when we consistently give love's behaviors to ourselves are we then truly able to give them to others.

Before seeing the Mona Lisa in person I made an incorrect assumption about the size of Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece.  Like I did with this iconic work of art, many people today make incorrect assumptions about members of the LGBTQ+ community. To the extent that politicians, fueled by the religious right, are enacting laws like “Don't say Gay.”  Well, I AM GAY AND I AM PROUD TO SAY IT. In this episode I ask us to: Transform what we think about members of the LGBTQ+ community; Honor Jesus by understanding one another as human beings who are  created equal by the same loving God; and Consider that to God being LGBTQ+ is not what is important about us.

When we stop to think about it, we realize Jesus was a public servant. Even though he did not serve in government, Jesus is considered one of the most famous servant-leaders in history who devoted and gave his life to better people's lives.  And Christ was a living example of integrity. He modeled unity, support, and honor. Jesus treasured justice, discernment, and forethought. He acted with humility, charity, and accountability. Operating from honesty made Christ a great leader and an enduring inspiration. In this episode, I ask us to consider: Why a person of the highest integrity, like Jesus was, isn't valued in today's political climate; Why so many who claim to love him have thrown out the importance of truthfulness, empathy, responsibility, unity, and cooperation in those we elect to positions of leadership; Whether it would be important to Jesus that we are conscientiously active in our governmental process by deeply caring that leaders of integrity represent us; and Whether Jesus might tell us to do our own fact-based research to ensure that they do.

Guests: Authors Kimberlee Williams and Debby Irving Kimberlee Williams, in her book Dear White Woman, Please Come Home (which Debby Irving edited and helped publish) dreams of finding her “missing” white sister. With vulnerability, sorrow, rage, and humor, Kimberlee explores through a series of letters how white women, often despite their best intentions, signal to her and other women of color to proceed with caution when in their presence. Based on real events, each letter serves as testimony to the micro-aggressions that undermine and make invisible Black and brown women, and make relationships difficult or impossible.    My guests, Kimberlee Williams and Debby Irving, and I discuss: How, as white, brown, and Black women, we are wired to protect our sense of belonging, which keeps us in the bubble of our own experiences; That historically, the role of women of color has been to serve, comfort, protect, coddle, nourish, and elevate white women;  How we can boldly disrupt that pattern; and  The need for all women to bravely and honestly face our own beliefs and attitudes, so we can look upon and care about one another as sisters.  

Guest: Debby Irving, Author and Racial Justice Educator I recently gave Debby's book Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race to my 97-year-old mother. Each day when we speak, Mom shares how the book is impacting her. She feels guilt, anger, sadness, powerlessness, and compassion. She also shares how the book has opened her heart to the reality of the culture in which she was raised. And that even at her advanced age, she wants to be an instrument for positive change.  My guest, Debby Irving, and I discuss: The importance of white people realizing that they benefit from a prejudicial system simply because they are white;  The truth about how the economic and social playing fields were never level between white people and those who are black and brown;  How systemic racism is woven into every political, social, institutional, and religious structure; and  The difference between well-meaning and well-doing. 

Guest: Lauren Haze, Professional Dancer and Body Care Specialist We live in a high-stress world filled with so much divisiveness and conflict. It seems important that for our happiness, peace, and connectivity to ourselves, other people, and the natural world, we must make caring for our body, mind, and spirit a top priority in life. My guest, Lauren Haze, founder of Exalted Body, and I discuss:  The importance of caring for ourselves as a top priority; The power of three deep breaths to keep us connected to the present moment;  Simple ways to get more movement in our busy lives; and How loving our body, mind, emotions, and spirit is a way we love God.

Guest: Johanna Bruner, Nurse Practitioner As a global society, we impact one another. For instance, a disease like Ebola that begins in Africa can easily spread around the globe if not mitigated.  Therefore, science, research, disease specialists, and vaccines are vital to help protect all of us from a wide variety of viral dangers that we can be exposed to in our highly connected society.  My guest, Johanna Bruner, MSN-NP, and I discuss: That our military requires up to 19 vaccinations, depending on where someone serves in the world;   Why there is so much divisiveness about the Covid-19 vaccine; How the novel Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) virus is different than the flu;  Ways we can ease fear around vaccinations that for over a century have saved countless lives and much suffering; and How to recognize misinformation and those who push fake cures. 

Guest: Leslie Crawford, Esquire If we believe everyone and all life on earth were created with Divine purpose, then it seems the way we honor “God” would be to treat everyone and all life as we want to be treated.  One of the first steps to living the Golden Rule is to listen to the stories of people who are different than we are. To learn about their history, their struggles, and their daily reality with the goal of having compassion and respect for one another. My guest, Leslie Crawford, Esquire, and I discuss: That we are all members of the human race with different color skin and characteristics; We do not have a race problem, we have a racism problem; That the rules have been rigged against black and brown communities; and Why Jesus, who had dark skin, would tell us that to love him we must treat everyone as we want to be treated. 

Growing up in the American South during the 1960s, I was surrounded by ethnic tension, inequity, and violence, perpetuated by people who claimed to love Jesus but persecuted others in the name of God. Even as a child, I questioned the hypocrisy of those who believed they were entitled, in the name of their God, to treat their fellow dark-skinned human beings or those who practiced other religious faiths as less than themselves.  In this episode:  Four of my friends of color, Shanti, Crissy, Sharmila, and Miguel  join me to provide a glimpse into the world in which they grew up and how it remains much the same for them today; I ask us to consider how a Jewish, dark-skinned Jesus would be treated in today's world, where white people walk through life unconcerned about their skin color, while brown and black people still do not have this freedom; I propose we do not have a race problem but a respect problem; and, I suggest that to love Jesus and God, we must embrace all of our brothers and sisters who are part of the human family.

Guest: Dr. Paula Stone Williams Dr. Williams is an internationally known speaker on issues of gender equity, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and religious tolerance.  She has been featured in TedWomen, TedSummit, the New York Times, Red Table Talk, TedxMile High, the Washington Post, NPR, Good Morning America, CNN, ABC News, and scores of other media outlets. In this episode, Dr. Williams, and I discuss the following: For the first 60 years of her life, Williams identified as male;  After bravely coming out as transgender she was swiftly fired from a position as an evangelical Christian leader;    The male privilege she once had, and how she's being treated now as a woman; and  Equality and equity are two different things.

We have the right to free speech but doesn't that right come with personal responsibility for the consequences of what we say?  I believe so. For instance, I'm 65 years old. If I lie and tell you I am 54 that would mean I have an agenda, a reason for not wanting you to know the truth of my age. The same is true for all of us who are dishonest, because while we can say what we want there are always consequences for abusing our right to free speech.   In this episode, I ask us to consider: It is important to seek facts to make informed decisions based on evidence — not opinion, emotion, or hearsay; The freedom to speak comes with responsibility for the consequences of what we voice, text, print, or post to social media;    Freedom of religion does not come with the right to oppress others or to vilify those who are different, including those perceived to be religious rivals; and The freedom granted to the press comes with the obligation to serve the governed, not those who govern. It should function as a watchdog, investigating and reporting on wrongdoing, not disseminating lies, false allegations, and character assassinations.  

Guest: Social and Political Activist, David Albert Jesus did not separate his political action from his spirituality by playing the “politics is non-spiritual” card. Christ was a huge political and social activist for the abused and oppressed. In the words of Reverends Emily Swan and Ken Wilson, authors of Solus Jesus, A Theology of Resistance, “They [political activism and spirituality] go together as easily as the humanity and the divinity of Jesus.”  In this episode, social and political activist David Albert and I discuss: How the health of our democracy is threatened by an unholy marriage of politics and compromised religious beliefs; The importance of everyone who identifies as Christian, or just a fan of Jesus, to courageously move themselves out of atmospheres of irresponsibility, hate, and disinformation; Why ego-motivated justifications for religious and political abuses of power are wake-up calls for all who desire to preserve a democracy that is for the people; and How the power of being informed about candidates and their policies enables us to vote responsibly in every election, up and down the ticket.

Guest: Tina Rubin, writer, editor, and empowered woman  To cultivate women and men who view themselves as equal children of God requires both men and women to acknowledge God's plan for human beings was not misogyny and patriarchy. This means as a society we have a duty to raise new generations of men and women who regard one another as equals, rather than continue the dysfunctional dynamic of males dominating, abusing, and attempting to control women. And, to create lasting gender equality, men and boys have the most important role.  My guest, Tina Rubin, and I discuss:  How, as young girls and women, we were programmed to fit into the box established by a society that viewed men and boys differently than women and girls; The opportunity men and boys have to elevate women's access to equal standing in the workplace, in religious institutions, in government, and society in general;  The way strong, empathetic, and respectful fathers and male role models help empower strong women and girls; and How the old paradigm of limiting females is changing as society undergoes a gradual process of recognizing inequity so that both women and men grow stronger together.

Have you ever thought that we can't just ask what Jesus would do, we have to make ourselves do what he would? For example, have you ever been caught behaving badly then tried to pacify the guilt by targeting an innocent person? I have. It's called scapegoating. Two thousand years ago it was done to Jesus, and over two millennia later we are still doing it to one another.    In this episode, I ask:  Shouldn't we consider any attempt to blame others for our behavior as wrong to Jesus' heart?; Wouldn't Jesus think it irresponsible to ignore our heart, which tells us to be compassionate and responsible, in order to justify our egocentric actions?; Isn't pretending our words and actions don't impact other people illogical to a caring Jesus?; and, Wouldn't Jesus tell us that mastering a self-centered, controlling, and arrogant ego is the most important assignment each of us can undertake, and challenge us to do it?

Guest: Christopher Pelch To establish lasting gender equality we must redefine masculinity. We must move away from the ideas that dominance over women, controlling a woman's reproduction, being tough physically, and being emotionally indifferent are manly. The Christian Church, all who identify as Christian, and those of us who are fans of how Christ asks us to live, have an opportunity to join forces and take the lead in changing our obsolete views of gender roles.   In this episode, Christopher Pelch - husband, father, fan of Jesus, and I discuss: The importance of men and boys being willing to make adjustments to their personal mindsets and perceptions about women and girls; The idea that what we learn from the entertainment industry and society about gender dynamics is not how life plays out, if we desire to create healthy, equality-focused relationships; The difference between wanting to BE right and trying to GET it right;” and That although men and women are different, as emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual beings we have many similar needs.  

Guest: Reverend Britt Skarda We have been told what God is, but the truth is, we do not know. God is too expansive to be boxed into any form because if we simply take a drinking straw and look up into the night sky through it, we would see about 10,000 stars within the tiny circumference. Multiply the objects in that small space by the entire night sky and the number of stars, planets, and universes is beyond comprehension. So how can we know what God is? My guest, Reverend Britt Skarda, and I discuss the following:  Ancient and deeply rooted attitudes of God being male helped create and continue to perpetuate damaging male/female dynamics; Centuries after Jesus' death, these dangerous and misguided dynamics are profoundly ingrained within both genders; Why many people who say they love and follow an inclusive Jesus believe patriarchal dominance through female subjugation is among God's family values; and, How the world will be different when we stop assigning a male gender to God by simply referring to God, as God. 

Ladies, how old were you when you began to notice that within society, your church, school, or home, you were considered less than your male counterparts? Gentlemen, how old were you when you began to understand you were considered more important than women and girls? It is time we face the dangerously dysfunctional male/female dynamic that is the sad, but true, legacy we are leaving our children.              In this episode I ask us to consider: Over two thousand years ago, when Jesus lived, women had no power within their homes, religion, or society; Twenty plus centuries later, God's message of gender equality, inherent within “treat everyone as we want to be treated,” continues to face resistance from those in religious and political power who desire to remain in control over women and girls; The rampant abuse of power over and psychological mistreatment of one half of the world's population is a huge spiritual wake-up call; and To heal this dysfunctional dynamic, we must acknowledge the part Christianity has played, and continues to play, in failing to confront widespread misogyny and gender inequality within the church and society.  

Guest: Reverend Kirby Ingram on Connection, Consciousness, and God The concept of spiritual consciousness, or knowing ourselves as spiritual beings on great human adventures, has been around for centuries. Expressing as our divine self in everyday life is the fundamental goal of all world religions. We know we are living as our conscious/awake self each time we live the Golden Rule and treat others and all life as we want to be treated. My guest, Reverend Kirby Ingram, and I discuss the following:  Awakening to a profound sense of being connected to God, one another, and all that is alive, begins by releasing limiting beliefs and self-centered aspects of the ego that keep us from creating a life of joy and fulfillment; There is no one-size-fits-all path to self-awareness and self-actualization; There does not need to be a go-between in our relationship with God; and, The universal goal of being conscious or enlightened is to live, more often than not, in the fulfillment that comes from building habits that create a life of joy.

According to worldmeters.info, to date, the United States has experienced more Covid-19 infections and deaths than any other country in the world. With a population of approximately 334 million, there have been over 49 million cases with over 800,000 deaths. These figures do not reflect the people we lost through disease, cancer, accidents, etc. It is estimated that for every death, nine people are grieving. That means millions of us are dealing with death and grief. I believe Jesus would want us to talk about our individual and collective grief in compassionate and honest ways.  My guest, Lisa Harrison, Administrative Director, Community Grief Support of Birmingham, Alabama, and I discuss the following:  There is no one way to grieve, no standard amount of time, no step-by-step process we all go through; The importance of giving ourselves and other people permission to grieve in our own way and in our own time; The challenges and social stigma of mental illness and how important empathy is to support others as we want to be supported; and How joining a group of people who are also working through grief over the death of a loved one is helpful to establish a sense of community and encouragement.

Guest: Dawn Wilson, Television Producer and Activist  There is a saying, “We are what we eat.” I find this to be true because when I eat healthily I seem to stay healthy. And it is important for us to acknowledge that not all food we eat is healthy. There are serious risks to our health from any quest to put profit ahead of people and the planet. Therefore I believe Jesus would say it is a spiritual responsibility to care about the food we eat and how it is farmed and manufactured.   In this episode, my guest Dawn Wilson and I discuss: The importance of being aware of the dangers of herbicides that are used on the foods we eat, on the playgrounds of our children's schools, in public parks, dog parks, and on our lawns;   The links between herbicides and an increase in autism and other physical conditions, such as depression and cancer; The ways we, as citizens, can make positive changes within our homes and communities to greatly reduce or eliminate dangerous herbicides; and The importance of eating organic and taking supplements to help our digestive system remove as many toxins as possible from our bodies.  For more information, check out these websites and this blog post: https://www.mygenefood.com/blog/why-glyphosate-is-dangerous-and-how-to-avoid-eating-it/. www.glyphosateresiduefree.com & www.detoxproject.org

For much of my life, my parents, organized religion, and society, in general, had a specific idea of who I had to be in order to be worthy of love. When I did not fit into the box of their expectations, I suffered persecution, rejection, and abuse. It took being exposed to heart-centered people for me to appreciate that many people in the world love and accept others for who they are because they have been taught to do so. In this episode, Edie and Bill, parents of two sons, join me to discuss: The idea that to love one another, it is important to let go of the expectations we have for how others should be; The most important aspect of who we are and who our children are, which is our character. In other words, how we live the Golden Rule in daily life;     The responsibility parents have to teach children to be empathetic and accepting of themselves and of others; and The need for parents to be the example of responsible behavior and attitudes will help form the way their children treat themselves, other people, and all life.  

Guests: Revs. Roger Paynter, D.Min. and Tim Moody, D.Min. Many people today have very little use for religion because Christianity and the Church seem irrelevant, rule-oriented, exclusive, male-dominated, and closed-minded. We witness, in our divisive society and politics, how destructive Christianity can be in the hands of religious renegades, people who use Jesus Christ to justify their barbaric beliefs and conduct. But, hurtful dogma is the opposite of the accepting, love-oriented, and kind experience people want because treating other people as we want to be treated is what Jesus taught. In this episode, Revs. Paynter and Moody join me to discuss: What Christ, overall, would think of Christianity; Why Christianity must be focused on love;  Why Christians must lead the way to help the marginalized, the forgotten, the abused of society; and Why Christianity and Christians must be universally focused on how to love ourselves, others, and all life, as Christ loved.

On my journey of healing a painful and abusive past, I sought the help of a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and two different counselors. Each of these people contributed something positive to my taking my power back from bullying and mistreatment. I am grateful for their expertise and guidance. While I am the one who took the actions necessary to release the pain, blame, and resentment, the guidance they provided was invaluable.  In this episode Psychologist, Gail Simon-Boyd, Ph.D. joins me to discuss: Why one of the strongest things we can do for ourselves is to ask for help healing emotional trauma; How sharing with someone, whether a professional, friend, or spiritual guide, is a positive way to release wounding; The importance of realizing that healing is a journey of self-love and respect; and Why healing involves learning to master a mind with a mind of its own, which often keeps us stuck in patterns of negative, self-sabotaging thinking.

We live in families, attend churches, and navigate within societies where bullying, judgment, rejection, and abuse are rampant. Often we attempt to escape the reality of our experience by abusing others or turning to drugs and alcohol to abuse ourselves. The pain we experience is real. And we can get to the other side of addiction and feelings of unworthiness.  In this episode Janice, who overcame abuse and addiction, joins me to discuss: How childhood abuse shapes our feelings of unworthiness; The importance of being honest with ourselves about our behavior; The role faith has in taking our power back from abuse and addiction; How, by being the observer of our thoughts, we can stop being mean to ourselves and others; and Why, by healing ourselves, we help heal the world.

Have you ever considered suicide? I have, several times, but religion and society indoctrinated me to believe that suicide is a sin and taking one's own life is a self-centered, cowardly way out. Only after seriously considering suicide and having a friend take her own life did I come to realize Jesus would have a compassionate view of people who end their lives.   My guest Catherine, whose bother Owen committed suicide, joins me to discuss the following: While there are many reasons someone chooses to attempt or commit suicide, including fluctuation in hormones, we need to admit that a huge factor in the suicide epidemic is the shame, helplessness, loneliness, and unworthiness felt as a result of abuse;  People on the receiving end of abuse cannot be expected to just endure whatever mistreatment is handed out; Someone suffering to the point of attempting or committing suicide is a reflection of the physical or mental environment in which they live; and, We must recognize and assume responsibility for healing our wounded family dynamics so the “sins of the father and mother” are not “visited on the children.” 

Have you ever thought about the fact that Hallmark offers a wide variety of sympathy cards but does not offer empathy cards? Sympathy is easy to express because it is a concern for others that is more from the head, while empathy is a heart-connection to what other people go through. When we are empathetic, we put ourselves emotionally in another's shoes.  In this episode, spiritual psychotherapist Steve Hasenberg, and I discuss: The importance of empathy in creating a life of love, compassion, and purpose; Jesus' almost psychic ability to understand other people and their feelings;  The fact that while even animals are born with a certain capacity for empathy, our ability to be empathetic must be nurtured; and Why vulnerability is the doorway to finding compassion for ourselves and having empathy for others.

The goal of all world religions is the pursuit of truly knowing who we are and our reason for being. We are physical beings capable of fantastic feats of strength and endurance. We are intellectual beings who create scientific, medical, and technological marvels. We are emotional beings with an extraordinary capacity for sensitivity. We experience ourselves and our surroundings through the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. In addition to the physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities and the senses by which we perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside our body, a higher wisdom exists within us. In this episode, I ask us to:  Embrace the fact that we are spiritual beings on great human adventures; Shift our view of who we are beyond what we see in the mirror, to put life and the interactions we have with other people, animals, and the natural world into a higher perspective; Lead with our heart, the seat of the soul, to love ourselves and others by overcoming self-centered and judgmental ego. Grow our spiritual nature so we create heaven on earth, for ourselves, others, and all of God's creations. Please take a few moments of your time and rate this podcast via ratethispodcast.com/conversation 

Guest: Reverend Tim Moody, D.Min. The reason for being “Christian,” and the way to create our best life, is to be a reflection of Jesus' love. Therefore, I believe we have the responsibility to examine whether our beliefs, which motivate our behavior, align with the loving, compassionate, and inclusive heart of Jesus, or whether we are following passed-down judgmental, fear-based, and controlling religious dogma that increases divisive and abusive social interactions.   In this episode, Rev. Tim Moody returns to: Discuss how our hesitancy to question what we are taught about the Bible and Christianity keeps us like children who never mature into our personal spiritual potential; Examine how Jesus confronted those who were abusive, greedy, and power-hungry; Champion the importance of introspection to determine if our behavior, and that of our fellow human beings, aligns with walking in the footsteps of Jesus; and Consider how Jesus did not fear the unknown, and why we must not, either.

Guest: Reverend Tim Moody, D.Min. In this episode retired Christian minister, Tim Moody joins me to discuss why abuse, judgment, exclusion, and domination are such a big part of our collective religious experiences.  Don't we get closer to Jesus by engaging in a deep investigation of our attitudes and beliefs about the Bible and Christianity? In this episode we discuss whether the small world of our beliefs reflects the vast world God created by:  Returning to a time over 2,000 years ago when Christianity began; Examining the origins of the Bible and Christianity; Recognizing that Jesus questioned and challenged those in authority who were abusive and controlling; Investigating why we're subjected to fear-based indoctrination in Christ's name, rather than love-based teachings; and Exploring why we have a tendency to view ourselves, other people, and the world around us through the lens of what we already believe to be true.

Guest: Reverend Britt Skarda, M.Div. In this episode, I am joined by Reverend Britt Skarda, a recently retired United Methodist pastor of thirty-four years who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. We discuss how Jesus would encourage conversation about the need for many Christians, and the Christian Church overall, to return to the essence of his teachings: to love God and love our neighbors. In this episode, we discuss: That love is a verb, which means love is positive action, such as empathy, kindness, respect, honesty, etc.; The many within Christianity who live in a manner that reflects Jesus' desire for us to love our neighbors as ourselves; The many others within Christianity who live in a manner that expresses their belief in a “false gospel,” one they created out of their own culture and attitudes; and That the way to tell the difference between Jesus-focused Christians and those who embrace a “false gospel” is to measure their beliefs, attitudes, and messages against Jesus' direction to love God, love others. 

In this episode, Rose, who had an abortion almost sixty years ago, joins me to discuss a woman's right to choose. She found herself pregnant after allowing her boyfriend to pressure her into having unprotected sex. She was twenty and unmarried. At the time, abortion was illegal in the United States. She had to go to Mexico and endure a barbaric and painful procedure. For the first time, she speaks publically about her experience. In this episode, Rose and I discuss: That, based on everything we know about Jesus, he would promote compassion and understanding, rather than judgment of a woman and attempts to suppress her right to make her own decisions; God's gift of free will, which means we alone are responsible for the choices we make; That to learn and grow, each of us must be free to make our own choices; no one has the right to dictate the choices we make about our bodies and reproduction or anything else; and It is not God's will that women and girls are still facing barbaric and abusive restrictions by those who use their religious beliefs to justify control and domination over females.

I am not running for office. I am not telling you who to vote for. But I am calling attention to the fact that the driving focus of partisanship is not one of uniting our country around candidates who are genuine public servants. It is one of constant fundraising, campaigning, opposition party/candidate harassment, gerrymandering, and the quest for party advantage. Yet to stand united, isn't it necessary to have shared common values, such as equality, respect, and truthfulness? I this episode, I ask us to consider: If Jesus would be disappointed that we have apathetically allowed our representative form of government to become a bitter contest between rival teams, when we're all supposed to be actively on the same team of democracy; Whether partisan politics lends itself to bettering our nation and the lives of our citizens; That one-sidedness is devoid of the honesty and self-regulation necessary to overpower the egocentric motivation to rule and dominate; and, Whether we grow, change, and advance our democracy in positive ways when we demand integrity, respect, and unity from ourselves and those we trust to represent us.

To me, the idea that we are to turn the other cheek and not confront abuse from those in positions of power sounds a lot like the directive we get from religious authorities not to challenge the Bible or question what we've been taught to believe. Many religious authorities tell us if we do challenge or question, we are being blasphemous. In this episode, I ask us to consider: Jesus did not turn his cheek, ignore, or rationalize the mistreatment and abuse he witnessed; Turning the other cheek, or a blind eye, to abuse is a misconception about love that is wrong and unhealthy;  If we allow ourselves to be abused, we are saying abuse is okay. It is not; and Setting healthy boundaries in our homes and personal relationships helps us to embrace the importance of setting boundaries with abusive people in religious, political, and social authority. 

I was brought up in a church that taught God is angry, vengeful, and male. And that I am going to hell for being gay. There, with Satan, I will suffer eternity roasting on the Devil's fiery spit. Eternity is forever. Forever is hard to imagine. To make it easier for me, a child, to visualize burning in hell endlessly, a Sunday school teacher told the class to imagine a turtle. Picking up one grain of sand in its beak on the Atlantic Ocean side of the United States, the turtle slowly walks all the way across the country and puts the grain of sand down on the beach at the Pacific Ocean. The turtle then picks up a grain of sand from the West Coast and turns around to walk all the way back to the East Coast. One grain is deposited and another picked up. Over and over the turtle schleps one grain of sand back and forth, for eternity.  In this episode, I imagine Jesus would say:   Why, in my name, is there a widespread misconception that to create a path to heaven for yourselves, it is acceptable to create a living hell for others? I questioned those in religious authority and challenged the information I received, and so should you; and Christians must courageously grapple with complex issues concerning what they believe and how those beliefs form their attitudes toward themselves and others. 

No matter our religious affiliation or lack thereof, I believe the majority of us would jump at the opportunity to engage with Christ. I also think it is a safe bet many of us would not imagine an exchange with him to be anything but a love-filled, mostly one-sided talk of peace, forgiveness, and goodwill. However, having endured and witnessed religious persecution and hypocrisy all of my life, and observing the current chaos, division, corruption, scapegoating, abuse of political and social power, and disinformation prevalent in the world today, I have thought a great deal about what Jesus' side of a conversation with us would be like. In this episode, I ask us to consider:  Would Jesus be comfortable with the religion created in his name? Would Jesus be proud to call all who profess to love him, friend? Why is there so much confusion about what it really means to be “Christ-ian”? Wouldn't Jesus challenge us to engage in candid, tough-love conversations about these questions and many more?