It’s commonly thought the Amish are anti-technology. This is false. What the Amish believe is new technology should be discerningly considered by the entire community over time before it is adopted. It's a slow and community-wide cost-benefit analysis. So, for example, because they value being self-sustaining, most Amish communities have chosen not to be on the electrical grid … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Discerns Technology’s Value through the Lens of Community
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Beatnik Christianity Eschews Toxic Positivity for the Liminal Space of Holy Saturday
Brené Brown and others have recently normalized the term "toxic positivity." My preference remains "oppressive optimism," but it's the same basic idea. According to the psychology website Right as Rain, "Toxic positivity involves dismissing negative emotions and responding to distress with false reassurances rather than empathy. It comes from feeling uncomfortable with negative … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Eschews Toxic Positivity for the Liminal Space of Holy Saturday
Cruelty’s Up; Let’s Talk
When I was a child, I was raised in a very fundamentalist religious environment. Among the many ideas that was repeatedly taught was the danger of religious cults -- they would suck you in if you even talked with their members. To put that into context, Jim Jones had just served up the poisoned Kool-Aid, airports and street corners were frequented by the missionaries of … [Read more...] about Cruelty’s Up; Let’s Talk
