Category Archives: Religion

Swerving into Philosophy

Posted on July 21, 2020 by John Swinburn

I woke up late this morning, sometime around 6:45. The fact that I was awakened in the middle of the night probably contributed to my late rising. Or maybe I was just tired and needed more sleep than normal. Whatever … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Dreams, Religion, Secular morality | 6 Comments

On Belief

Posted on June 27, 2020 by John Swinburn

I think I had heard of John Shelby “Jack” Spong in years past but, if so, I paid little heed to what was said about him. Only relatively recently, when I heard the minister in my church, a church that … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | 4 Comments

Mindset: A Partial Circle

Posted on May 13, 2020 by John Swinburn

There was a time, when asked whether I was religious or believed in God, I would respond that I was not religious, but I was spiritual. That response felt utterly artificial, because the word “spiritual” felt like a fraudulent disguise … Continue reading →

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Along the Bloody Spectrum

Posted on January 29, 2020 by John Swinburn

I am an old infidel. A practicing heathen. A believer in knowledge and a follower of facts. Those truths notwithstanding, I am no longer the active antagonist toward religion I once was. There was a time I would have called … Continue reading →

Posted in Peace, Philosophy, Religion | Leave a comment

Through the Mist

Posted on January 7, 2020 by John Swinburn

I feel slightly more human this morning than I’ve felt the last few days. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, though. Feeling human means something different for me than it once did. No longer is it a matter of … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Philosophy, Religion | 2 Comments

Exploring an Empty Barrel

Posted on September 28, 2019 by John Swinburn

I spent part of the last hour of this morning reading bits and pieces of about six months’ worth of newsletters from the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. I’m not sure just why I found my way there. I started … Continue reading →

Posted in Friendship, Philosophy, Religion, Stream of Consciousness | Leave a comment

Drenched in Thought

Posted on June 12, 2019 by John Swinburn

In mid-November 2012 (and many other times, before and after) I wrote a little about why I find Buddhism refreshing. Among my thoughts seven years ago was this one: It (Buddhism) is a refreshing perspective,  far more appealing to me … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Religion | Leave a comment

Paying for One’s Sins

Posted on April 25, 2019 by John Swinburn

I would have shared this on Facebook, but I suspect it would be offensive to some people who don’t share my sacrilegious sense of humor. I almost sprayed coffee through my nose while I watched this video. I may actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Religion | Leave a comment

What Will Happen to the United Methodist Church?

Posted on February 27, 2019 by John Swinburn

When I was a boy, I attended the Methodist Church. Occasionally. I wasn’t a fan and, when at a very early age my parents allowed me to decide whether to continue attending, I opted out. Even then, the theology was … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | 2 Comments

We Actually Joined a Church

Posted on June 4, 2018 by John Swinburn

I joined a church yesterday. I’ve lived my entire life up to this point being “unchurched.” I have never wanted to join a church because…well, for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, I suppose, was the dogma, the creed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Religion | 2 Comments

Depending on Strangers

Posted on July 14, 2017 by John Swinburn

We’re in for the night and haven’t bothered turning on the television because, well, there’s usually no point. Instead, I’ve been wandering the internet in search of answers to questions I’ve never quite posed, but which have always waited patiently … Continue reading →

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Biblical Insights from Nonbelievers

Posted on May 30, 2017 by John Swinburn

The insight service day before yesterday at the Unitarian Universalist Village Church was among the more thought-provoking I’ve heard (and I’ve heard some that inspired me to give serious thought to some pretty complex issues). The presentation, given by a man … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion, Secular morality | Leave a comment

Ritual

Posted on January 26, 2017 by John Swinburn

When I awaken these days, I understand more clearly than in the not-so-distant past the solace in ritual. Ritual offers comfort. Carefully practiced ritual grants predictability and uniformity in times of chaos. Ritual provides at least a temporary protective shelter from one’s sense … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Religion | 2 Comments

Thinking When I Shouldn’t

Posted on December 19, 2016 by John Swinburn

I am an atheist. You must bear that in mind as you read the comments I am about to make. I do not claim there is no god, but I have found no reason to believe there is one. In … Continue reading →

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Unity is an Appealing Objective

Posted on September 8, 2016 by John Swinburn

People who attend the church (I really wish there was another name for it; I have issues with calling it a church) that I’ve been visiting periodically tell me they, and the church, are viewed in deeply unfavorable ways by … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Just Thinking, Religion | Leave a comment

For Good Reason

Posted on February 14, 2016 by John Swinburn

Today was not a day for writing. At least not for me. Oh, I got some done. But it was a struggle. I worked on three versions of a story I intended to submit to a contest. Finally, with only … Continue reading →

Posted in Beer, Religion, Writing | 1 Comment

Make Me One with Everything

Posted on August 23, 2015 by John Swinburn

Before today, the last time I attended a church service was on June 1, 2014. We visited the Unitarian Universalist Village Church (UUVC) on that day to hear “Being Good Without God: Coming Out as a Humanist.” I enjoyed the program. … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Religion | 1 Comment

Spiritual Promiscuity

Posted on May 29, 2015 by John Swinburn

I wrote much of the following for another of my blogs, one I began a few years ago and have since abandoned.  I allowed it to languish after just one or two posts and have, until recently, paid little attention to what … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion, Secular morality | 2 Comments

Drawing the Line on Twisted Thinking

Posted on February 24, 2015 by John Swinburn

Certain topics are so imbued with social radioactivity that we have learned sharing our curiosity or our thoughts about them in most social environments and in most person-to-person interactions is unsafe, emotionally or psychologically. What are these topics? The sex act. Homosexuality. … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Thinking, Religion, Secular morality | 2 Comments

Behaving Decently: A Reminder

Posted on December 28, 2014 by John Swinburn

Words that bear consideration: “I am a humanist, which means, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without expectations of rewards or punishments after I am dead.” ~Kurt Vonnegut That point having been considered, something that should have … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Religion, Secular morality | Leave a comment

The St. Francis Prayer

Posted on December 23, 2014 by John Swinburn

Yesterday, a friend (thank you, Tara) posted something on her Facebook page and her blog that struck a chord with me (I recommend her blog, by the way). Though neither she nor I are “believers,” we seem to share a good … Continue reading →

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Post-Birthday Assessment

Posted on October 22, 2014 by John Swinburn

Last night’s birthday dinner was not the Bar-B-Q of my wishes, but I wore shorts and a t-shirt as we sat, dining alfresco, enjoying the Tuesday night special of liver and onions at Tanner’s Terrace on the Green, overlooking the Granada Golf Course. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Religion, Writing | 3 Comments

Forgiveness

Posted on August 25, 2014 by John Swinburn

I remember reading, quite some time ago, that the ability to forgive is among the most marvelous of traits.  I recall reading that good people who followed their “good book” were forgiving people. As I look around today, I see … Continue reading →

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Recollections of a Broken Spirit

Posted on August 2, 2014 by John Swinburn

Several years ago, not long after I started the business that I finally abandoned for a sabbatical/ retirement, a guy I knew from a professional association to which I belonged contacted me.  He called me as part of his networking efforts … Continue reading →

Posted in Memories, Philosophy, Religion, Secular morality | 1 Comment

Getting “Religion”

Posted on June 1, 2014 by John Swinburn

Get ready to be surprised, flabbergasted, astonished, and amazed. I went to church today.  No, really.  Not for a wedding or a funeral, but for a Sunday service. An article in last week’s Hot Springs Village Voice newspaper included an … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Philosophy, Religion, Secular morality | 2 Comments