Mythologizing the Bible

Doing the right thing isn’t easy and it’s definitely not a solo project. Standing up, starting over, and asking for help might be the most courageous things you can do. Have you ever felt like doing the right thing is supposed to be its own reward but then found yourself wondering why it still feels so hard to do the right thing… alone? Well, the stories we look at in this episode might help expla...

When is generosity genuine and when is it just a transaction? Are you being kind or keeping score? Maybe it’s time to think about the difference between intrinsic goodness and performative generosity. Maybe it’s time to get honest about our “why!” Having a good balance between taking action and self-reflection is important. And at the heart of it is one main reason: we need to understand why we do...

Are you running on autopilot? Are you being guided by habit, guilt, or fear? When we stop and take the time to discern our “why,” it can change how we live, love, and lead! Have you ever noticed how religion often pressures people to act, but rarely gives them space to ask why? It tells us to serve, to sacrifice, to stay busy, yet barely encourages us to pause and reflect on what truly matters or...

Does it feel like your religion is telling you to ignore your conscience and just “have faith” in the dogma? It’s time to reclaim your agency, trust your values, and think for yourself without fear of burning in hell for eternity! Let’s be honest: we’ve all been there. Staring down a moment that calls for courage and compassion and instead of jumping in to help, we freeze or we look around to see...

We don’t need a sign from heaven to do what’s right, we just need to care enough to start. Small acts of empathy can lead to big change. Have you ever noticed how often people look for cosmic signs or divine permission before doing something they already know is the right thing to do? Whether it’s helping someone, speaking up, or choosing kindness over cruelty, we often act like we’re waiting for...

If religion isn’t helping build a better world, what is it doing, exactly? Maybe it’s time to take an honest look at why religion resists change and how we can build something better based on values, not authority. When you look around at the headlines, the policies being pushed in the name of Jesus, and the glaring gaps between what faith communities say they value and what they actually do—you r...

What if “loving your neighbor” was more than a slogan? Maybe it’s time to rethink what it means to love your neighbor and why actions must speak louder than prayers. Have you ever noticed how often religious folks talk about “loving your neighbor” or “caring for others,” but then seem to stop short of actually doing it? They might offer thoughts and prayers, or share Bible verses online—but when i...

They shared a feast day—but not much else. When the Church’s two biggest saints had totally different visions for the future, what does it means for us today? Why do Peter and Paul—two men who clearly didn’t always get along—share a feast day in the Catholic calendar? Yes, they are both considered giants of the early Christian movement, but their leadership styles, backgrounds, and theologies were...

What if true leadership isn’t about power or prestige—but about planting seeds and stepping aside? These ancient stories offer some surprisingly modern lessons. Have you ever noticed how religious stories often celebrate dramatic rescues and lofty declarations but the real wisdom is buried in the quieter moments? Whether it’s a prison break credited to divine intervention or a final farewell speec...

Wrestling with faith, symbolism, and spiritual gatekeeping in the Catholic Church could lead to reclaiming rituals that still bring us together. We can start by asking, “Is it really Jesus… or just a cracker?” Do you really believe that’s Jesus? Like, in the bread? On the plate? Do you picture him just chilling in the tabernacle all week, waiting to be eaten again? It’s one of those questions that...

What happens when a shared meal becomes a spiritual transaction? Ancient stories about bread and wine became a theology of exclusion, but what if we reclaim the table for everyone? Have you ever noticed how often rituals get turned into gatekeeping tools? What starts as a shared moment of memory or meaning can slowly become a system of judgment, where only the “worthy” are allowed in and the rest...

What if the Spirit is still speaking but we’re too busy defending our dogma to listen? This week, we trade certainty for curiosity and control for connection. Wisdom isn’t about being right all the time. It’s about growing. It’s about seeing new things, asking better questions, and letting go of that anxious need to cling to certainty. Not knowing everything, but being willing to learn. You’d thin...

What if real wisdom isn’t about knowing everything? What if it’s about learning how to grow, care, and stay curious? Let’s think about how we become wise. Have you ever noticed how some people treat certainty like a badge of honor? As if acting like you have all the answers is more important than asking the right questions? But what if real wisdom isn’t about clinging to fixed beliefs? What if rea...

We don’t need to make up supernatural tall tales—but we do need to tell powerful, true stories. Maybe it’s about time we talk about how “origin myths” shape movements and what we can learn from that! The Pentecost story is, without question, one of the most dramatic and influential origin myths in Western history. We’ve got a frightened group of disciples, a sudden whoosh of wind, tongues of fire...

What if the real miracle of Pentecost isn’t about tongues of fire, but the power of clarity, connection, and compassion in a world full of noise? Have you ever noticed how the loudest voices often say the least? These days, it’s easy to feel like we’re drowning in noise—half-truths, hot takes, and hollow outrage. But real connection? That takes clarity, courage, and compassion. Welcome to Mytholog...

What does it actually mean to be wise—and how do we get there? It might be helpful to break down the everyday habits that help us grow in wisdom, from asking better questions to showing up with compassion. Because let’s face it: the world doesn’t need more know-it-alls—it needs more wise ones! Wisdom sometimes gets lumped in with intelligence and knowledge, but they’re not the same thing. Knowledg...

Still staring at the sky? This episode challenges us to stop waiting for miracles and start building a better world—one grounded in wisdom, hope, and justice. What if the sky isn’t the limit—but rather a distraction? People have always faced limitations in what they envision because of what they assume to be true or unchangeable. The early Christians imagined Jesus ascending into the sky because t...

Billionaires shouldn’t exist. Why? Because hoarding obscene wealth while millions suffer isn’t just unethical and inhumane—it’s un-Christian! In this bonus episode of “Afterthoughts,” we’re diving into a topic that’s bound to ruffle a few feathers… and that’s my belief that billionaires shouldn’t be allowed to exist. I’m certainly not the first person to float that idea but it’s still a fairly bol...

Why wait for heaven when we can create a better world now? Let’s focus on building hope and justice that doesn’t require divine intervention! This week, we’re looking at the origins of Christianity and asking a pretty straightforward but often overlooked question: What was it that actually drew people to it in the first place? Spoiler alert: It wasn’t all of the convoluted mythology. In all likeli...

The best values aren’t locked away in sacred texts—they’re lived every day. How can we focus on what really matters and pass it on? Let’s dive into that! Have you ever noticed how the most important things in life aren’t tied to any one place or moment? It’s easy to think that meaning is locked away in holy books or ancient traditions, but what if it’s actually all around us—waiting to be noticed,...

Welcome to another Bonus Edition of the MTB podcast - a segment of the weekly episode that I call Afterthoughts! This is my favorite part of these weekly presentations because it gives me a chance to dig a little deeper into something that came up during the main episode. We’ve been talking a lot lately about the dangers of empty promises—how too many people cling to the fantasy of divine rewards...

Have you ever noticed how much time some Christians spend talking about heaven, glory, and eternal rewards—while completely ignoring what they’re supposed to be doing right here and now? It’s almost as if the more supernatural the claim, the less they feel responsible for actually living their values. Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible—where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Bible...

Welcome to another Bonus Edition of the MTB podcast—a segment of the weekly episode that I call Afterthoughts! This is my favorite part of these weekly presentations because it gives me a chance to dig a little deeper into something that came up during the main episode. But it’s not just about digging into what’s really going on beneath the surface of these ancient stories—it’s about digging benea...

What if the parts of Christianity that could actually help us build a better world have been hiding in plain sight all along? Underneath the blood-soaked metaphors and fanatical devotion, there are real, human values—like compassion, courage, and care—that still resonate today. Welcome to ‘Mythologizing the Bible’—where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the...

This BONUS edition of the MTB Afterthoughts was inspired by an article from Wonkette , which offers “filthy, hilarious, liberal news.” Don’t forget to check it out ! In this BONUS edition of Afterthoughts , we’re diving into a topic that’s equal parts fascinating, frustrating, and completely infuriating: the strange but very real willingness of MAGA loyalists to make personal sacrifices... just no...