The reason I’m an atheist …
… in case you missed it. Last night, I celebrated with a family the first birthday of their beautiful, strong, one year old daughter. She was born here in Canada, far from her parents’ families and friends, the first Canadian in a refugee family. Her early birth, a year ago, brought them joy in a time of loss […]
Sea Change in The United Church of Canada: Part One
The process that led to the review of my effectiveness Over the next few days, I’m going to be posting material pertinent to the United Church disciplinary process that has come to light because of the current review of my effectiveness. That may be of little interest to some of you, especially if you’re not clergy in the […]
My Answers to the Questions of Ordination
Yesterday was a big day. I met with the Toronto Conference Ministry Personnel Committee. Well, they were actually members of the Toronto Conference Interview Committee which normally interviews candidates for the ministry, but that committee had been seconded to act as the committee that would hear my beliefs and decide whether or not they constituted […]
Bangladesh
It is no secret that I first identified as an atheist in 2013 because of the arrest and threatened execution of four Bangladeshi bloggers following the brutal murder of Rajib Haider that February. My theological beliefs had long since morphed my understanding of God from a supernatural being who could intervene in the natural world […]
Getting Your Religion at the Gym?
For many, something other than religion meets the definition of religion It’s true. Fewer and fewer people in North America are heading to church on Sunday morning. Religion, well, its Christian iteration, is on the wane. But for hundreds of thousands of those who avoid church, alternate sources of inspiration, engagement, community, and well-being exist. We […]
why are you doing this?
Sometimes, I wonder. Usually, though, the reason is very clear to me. We’re killing each other and we’re killing our planet. Whether it is by slowly poisoning ourselves with chemicals or shooting one other, whether it is by extracting carbon from the earth and spewing it into the atmosphere or spilling millions of miniscule plastic balls […]
we believe
The following is an excerpt from a speech I gave at the Renewing Faith, Renewing Congregations conference in Peterborough, Ontario in November of 2005. Parts of it were adapted for a chapter in my book With or Without God. It was originally written in defense of the integrity of the ministry we are creating at West Hill […]