Super Happy Fun Words

     With the 2020 election coming to an end, many liberals and centrists, and those simply weary of the Trump administration's foibles, gaffs and missteps (both real and perceived - some argue manufactured by the media), are celebrating the ascension of a Joe Biden-led administration. Despite this 'winning effort' by the Democratic party, one has to ask why over 70 million citizens saw fit to cast votes for a second Trump term. It may seem utterly ludicrous to some and hence they will simply wave this away, expecting to largely move forward with a new administration (which, legislatively speaking, will be hampered at every turn). But in reality, society has to ask what will become of that large swath of the population and moreover, why did they arrive at their conclusion in the first place. No doubt, each political era has its unique set of circumstances to grapple with and both sensible and nonsensical decisions and policy arise out of these eras. Despite these unique f...

Ever-growing list of publications that I plan to read: Health Justice Now: Single Payer and What Comes Next Democracy under Threat: A Crisis of Legitimacy? (Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century) Wrecked: How the American Automobile Industry Destroyed Its Capacity to Compete McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation Richard White - Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, published as part of the Oxford History of the United States The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II A Nation Unmade by War F.U.B.A.R.: America's Right-Wing Nightmare Let Justice Roll Down The Hungry Brain Spice Spice Baby: 100 Recipes with Healing Spices for your Family Table The Economists’ Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Soci...

One of my good friends who majored in urban planning sent me a blog article from an organization named Strong Towns some time ago. I had always planned to read it so now is that time, I suppose. The time is good because I'm currently brainstorming about how faith and real-world concerns can be integrated. As an engineer myself, I've had the nagging thought of whether my current profession is contributing a net good to the world. I worked on a project in graduate school which involved sustainable, environment-friendly materials and structures but now I work in the private sector, far removed from that type of arena or way of thinking. That's a story that I'll expand upon later. In the meantime, beginning to read this blog has given me a bit of perspective on how one can practically serve communities in need, being a source of that aforementioned net positiveness. Strong Towns is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is geared toward helping municipalities to become su...

This started out as a religious blog centering on communicating my thoughts about the Bible and Christian theology. I read some books on theology and early church history, developed a bunch of questions and began to rethink my view of the Bible and Christianity. It was an interesting period of searching and agnosticism, one which turned out to be beneficial as it helped me to come to a place of authenticity. Anyway, so now I'm switching the focus of this blog. I'll still post about the Bible and Christianity but I'll also throw political commentary as well. After all, Jesus Christ himself was unapologetic ally political as he critiqued the religious-political order of his day (for they were inextricably intertwined). I don't have a ton of time to write or think, but I'd like to post articles and my short commentary on them so that I can at least say that I didn't let time slip through my fingers being busy with other things in life. I like writing and thinking ...

Appendices are a good thing; most of the time, they help us to find exactly what we're looking for in a book. They lurk all the way in the back, out of sight until we need them. But there's a different kind of appendix, a "vestigial" one that causes more problems than we would like. 'vesti-wha?' you say. Well, a vestigial organ is reasoned to be a leftover and now defunct part of the body whose origins are from a pre-evolved species of mankind. One example of this kind of organ is the appendix which is a narrow tube of flesh located at the junction of the large and small intestines. For many years, most medical experts have asserted that the appendix serves no function whatsoever. What's bad about the appendix is that it is susceptible to becoming infected, which can in turn lead to death if left untreated. What's with this pesky organ? It seems like such a useless nuisance which can put more than a damper on a good party. Much like this surreptit...

One particular thing that has perplexed me as a Christian is related to the mechanics or inner-workings of the sacrifice of Christ. I've always asked how could Jesus, who is both fully human and fully divine, be separated from God the Father? What I mean is, how can the persons of the trinity be separated? Wouldn't that present some kind of contradiction and thus a massive theological problem for those who espouse the eternality and inner-connectedness of the trinitarian God? As it turns out, good ol' Ignatius of Antioch studied Scripture and came up with a primitive, yet potent solution to this problem. Long after his passing, the church (at the First Council of Ephesus) refined his ideas and from them came the term "Communicatio Idiomatum" (which is Latin for communication of properties). It proceeds directly from the concept of the hypostatic union, which states that Jesus the Christ (a.k.a. Jesus of Nazareth) is both fully human and fully divine. The Comm...