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I am an atheist, but I find myself resorting to religious and spiritual language because the alternative feels deeply impoverished. How does one communicate the pursuit of wisdom, self-transcendence, and contemplative insight without using the word “spiritual”?
Continue reading “In Defense of Spirituality”
Last week’s article The Nontheistic Experience of God provoked some good discussion within my community about meditation, spiritual experiences, and the use of the word “god”.
Continue reading “Religious Language For Nonbelievers”
I recently listened to a fascinating conversation between the Catholic writer Arthur Brooks and the atheist Sam Harris about the role of spirituality and religion in a healthy life. You will need to get a subscription to either the Waking Up app or to Harris’s private feed to listen to the section in question. I leave your support of Harris up to your own discretion.
For the time being, let’s set aside the political and ideological differences I have with both these men. I’d like to focus on a fascinating difference between Brooks and Harris.
Continue reading “The Bound and the Unbound: Religion and Transcendence”
The good news: my partner and I are buying a house this week, and soon I will have a brand new studio space.
The bad news: I’m way behind on the show because of the move.
Instead of a Sacred Tension episode, here is an interview I did with Matt Langston of Eleventylife. We talk about creativity, love, coming of age as a queer person, and much more.
Continue reading “Creative Wells and Getting Bored”
Ever since coming out as an atheist, I’ve noticed a few recurring questions about my unbelief. I thought I would offer a few clarifications so I can refer people to this article when the questions come up again.
Continue reading “A Few Clarifications About my Atheism”
In this episode of Sacred Tension, Kodiak joins us once again to explain his sudden and unexpected conversion from Odinism to Christianity.
Continue reading “Sacred Tension: Odin Meets Jesus”
Note: If you have been following my work for any amount of time, you know that I do, in fact, consider myself a Satanist. I’ve written a great deal on the subject, and you can read that wealth of information by following the Satanism category. If this is the first time you are encountering my work, I suggest exploring that category so you will (hopefully) be less confused.
Despite my self identification of Satanist, I don’t leave the church. Many of my dearest friends are devout Christians, I still interview Christians, I still review Christian books, and I still work at a church (which shall remain nameless, so they don’t get hate mail about me.) Why?
Continue reading “I Won’t Leave the Church Because I’m a Satanist”
When I was deep in the Evangelical fold, doubt was sometimes discussed as a temporary and seasonal necessity. Doubt was talked about as a period of testing, in which we just had to lean in to prayer and trust, even in the face of an insurmountable void of evidence. Inevitably, they said, this season would come to an end, the winter would turn to spring, and you would know without a doubt that God is real. In other words, doubt was understood as a sort of spiritual flu — a seasonal disruption that builds our immune systems.
Continue reading “When Doubt is Terminal”
Last week, I had the pleasure of appearing on the podcast Church and Other Drugs. What I expected to be a conversation about Satanism turned into an enjoyable back and forth over the existence of God. Jed, who hosts Church and Other Drugs, is a theist, while I am a nontheist. Jed finally brought up a question he says he has yet to hear a satisfying answer to, and it’s one I hear perpetually:
Our culture is rife with unproductive conversations about God and religion. Donald and I attempt to rectify this by sitting down and talking about our belief and unbelief in God.
Continue reading “A Theist and a Nontheist Have a Conversation”
Stephen Bradford Long 