i've started reading Samir Selmanovic's latest book, 'It's Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian' and i am really enjoying it even though i'm only in the middle of chapter 1. i'm posting this video of...' [...]
My friend Iggy interviews me for his podcast here. Iggy says this: 'This was a fun interview. Adele Sakler is funny, witty and this interview could have gone on for hours. We cover many things from fear of gay people,...' [...]
Here's my letter i wrote to Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries on his contact page, who is CONSTANTLY writing negative things about me and my friends. i am starting to wonder if he is getting an unhealthy obsession with me?!... [...]
A brutally honest comment from Lynn over at nakedpastor really resonated with me and her words are things i have expressed inside my mind and out loud before. In light of my recent posts where i have been wrestling with... [...]
My dear friend, Peter Walker, posted a poem entitled, 'A Prayer Of Anger', by John Shea that i found to be totally raw, honest and scathing. i resonated with it because of my own struggles with my Lyme Disease and... [...]
We Love You Ken Silva BY Jonathan Brink __________________________________________________________________________ ORIGINALLY POSTED at Jonathan’s blog, Missio Dei, here, on October 26, 2009. Cross-posted here with Jonathan’s permission. Ken Silva has generously mentioned me, Adele, and Queermergent, often at his blogs. He... [...]
UPDATE: Sorry to say that something came up and i was unable to attend this event. i was able to donate a little bit of money. Life just hits you in ways sometimes that suck! ________________________________________________________________________________________ Saddened and angry about... [...]
My dear friend, Rachel Held Evans, has her first book coming out next year. She was kind enough to interview me for the book and i made the final cut! i am honored and wish to share the details of... [...]
i'd love to thank William Lobdell and his book, 'Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America - and Found Unexpected Peace', for inspiring this post. While in Indonesia diving, we met a lovely couple...' [...]
Back in February when my good friend, Pete Rollins, was in Richmond, i had the wonderful opportunity to interview him. i am so not a technical person, so when i met Liz and Jonathan Monday evening for dinner, Jonathan was... [...]
Well, we had a wonderful, albeit short visit in Dallas/Plano with the family and friends! i so very much enjoyed meeting Liz and Jonathan. Today we are back on the road to continue onto Sacramento! TUESDAY, 25 August 2009 Dallas/Plano,... [...]
Well, we are in the throes of finishing up our packing as the moving truck arrives this Friday morning. Between packing, two doctor visits with IV infusions on Monday and Wednesday, taking care of business stuff for the move and... [...]
__________________________________________________________________________________________ Christianity 21: Faith in the 21st Century 21 Voices 21 Ideas 21 Minutes Each HT Julie Clawson! We live in a time of epochal change. Many find this change exciting; for others, it’s a challenge. Call it globalization, pluralization,... [...]
(Part II of: STARTING WITH OUR WEAKNESS) CO-OPT BLOG POST PART 2 Click here to read more in this conversation . . . * Starting With Our Weakness: Peter * Starting With Our Weakness: Adele ADMIRING YOUR STRENGTHS As I... [...]
(Part II of: Starting With Our Weakness) Peter Walker Co-Opt Blog Post Part 2 Click here to read more in this conversation . . . ADMIRING YOUR STRENGTHS (Part II of: STARTING WITH OUR WEAKNESS) Peter Walker Click here to... [...]
It is so crazy that marijuana is illegal and people go to jail for possessing small amounts of it. It is not addictive and is NOT a gateway drug to harder drugs. That is a scare tactic by those who... [...]
Season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm will FINALLY begin on HBO September 20, 2009 at 9 p.m.! Woo Hoo! It's about fucking time! i ABSOLUTELY LOVE Larry David and his cast of misfits. Katryna and i always talk about our... [...]
Over at my friend Peter's blog, Emerging Christian, Joan and Jen had this to say in response to this post: 'Here's my challenge - if I start picking and choosing what is and is not okay from the Bible, then...' [...]
MY Lyme Literate MD (LLMD) i have been seeing for treatment over the past 4.5 years speaks on Lyme Disease. She is brilliant and has a warm, loving, and caring bed side manner! i will definitley miss her after we... [...]
STARTING WITH OUR WEAKNESS BY Adele Who's surprised when I say I have many weaknesses? If we’re really honest and recognize the frailty of our species, we see that all of us walk with deep-seated weaknesses. It’s very difficult to... [...]
Katryna showed me the following video. It is a disturbing example of the complacency some poorly trained and/or stupid divers can have when diving. They not only jeopardize their own lives, but those who rescue them along with risking traumatizing... [...]
STARTING WITH OUR WEAKNESS BY Peter Walker www.emergingchristian.com/ (CO-OP BLOG POST PART 1) I have a lot of weaknesses. It’s amazing how “okay” you can think you are, until the relationships in your lives (like little mirrors) reveal the truth.... [...]
My good friend Peter (www.emergingchristian.com) and i are beginning a cooperative blog series of posts writing about what it means to argue from a position of weakness. We resonated deeply with and were inspired from my dear friend, author/thinker/lecturer/philosopher, Pete... [...]
It's official, we have FINALLY booked our dive trip with Ocean Divers in Key Largo, Florida! Katryna dived with them last August with her underwater photography class with Stephen Frink and really enjoyed diving with them. i went out one... [...]
'Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, along with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), have introduced the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education,...' [...]
Wikipedia has the following to say about deconstruction: '...an approach (whether in philosophy, literary analysis, or in other fields) which rigorously pursues the meaning of a text to the point of undoing the oppositions on which it is apparently founded,...' [...]
OK, so i am just one voter in this great country and my opinions and thoughts are my own, though i know that some out there share those with me. i do applaud President Obama working to bridge gaps, build... [...]
TypePad is currently having TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES where i cannot respond to comments via email. i noticed about 8 comments did not post so i opened a ticket with them. They told me others were experiencing this problem and they were... [...]
'Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can...' [...]
Many people say Christianity has been the same for over 2,000 years and that we must follow tradition. 'G-D says it, so that settles it' is often quoted as well. BOLLOCKS in my opinion. Just because many things in Christian... [...]
"Christians should be troublemakers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society." - Jacques Ellul 'But in regards to evangelism, I would hope that my witnessing (in both word and deed) to my own faith may guide the...' [...]
Leighton and Chuck at Irreligiosophy have their interview with me and Pete Rollins up today. Check it out as it's billed as their best podcast to date! Thanks guys! [...]
'To "choose" dogma and faith over doubt and experiment is to throw out the ripening vintage and reach greedily for the Kool-Aid.' -Christopher Hitchens i found this quote yesterday and it got me thinking. i know Hitchens is a devout... [...]
moby's newest album, 'Wait For Me' will release June 30th. i CAN'T wait! 'i started working on the album about a year ago, and the creative impetus behind the record was hearing a david lynch speech at bafta, in the... [...]
"The essence of the Liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead..." [...]
My good friend, Thomas AKA Heaphonaught, has interviewed me for the Something Beautiful Podcast. Last week Part 1 went up and this week Part 2 is up. Enjoy! [...]
A HUGE thanks to Mike Morrell at theOoze.com for inviting me to be a part of the Viral Bloggers series from theOoze.com where we read and review books. i am excitedly awaiting the arrival of my copy of Bart Ehrman's...' [...]
My good friend, Thomas AKA Heaphonaught, has interviewed me for the Something Beautiful Podcast. This week Part 1 is up and next week Part 2 will go up. Enjoy! [...]
Today, at 1.21 p.m., i leave my 30's and begin the decade of my 40's. In some ways i am ok with turning 40, hoping this decade to be far better than my 20's and 30's. Possibilities are always endless... [...]
i have never read John Dominic Crossan but have always heard wonderful things about him and plan to read him in the future! HT Pete Rollins for this interview clip with Crossan where he discusses the difference between religious literalism... [...]
i was invited by Julie Clawson to submit a piece to the Emerging Women Blog on their series on women engaging sex/sexuality. It is my 'Sex-Crazed: America's Christian Subculture' piece i did a few weeks ago for The Ooze and... [...]
'Deconstruction: This represents psycho-spiritual transmutation; reprogramming negative behaviour patterns through alchemical processes; turning the black dross into pure gold.' Found this here and thought it apropos to my post. i have been thinking about deconstruction and faith within the emerging... [...]
Oh the damage places organizations like Exodus and Love In Action do not only to the people they are attempting to 'fix' as if they are defective, but the harm and shame they heap on the parents. It is sick... [...]
HT Towleroad for the heads up on Portia de Rossi's heartfelt apology to all those she has harmed by her marriage to Ellen Degeneres.This IS HILARIOUS!!!!!!! [...]
Ok, here is the comment of the week that came to Queermergent that i deleted. At first it sounds like it is a nice comment but then it turns south. These kinds of comments are just plain sickening. i just... [...]
FINALLY, President Obama is doing something tangible to help the LGBTQ community at large world-wide by formally endorsing 'a U.N. statement calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.'... [...]
So, the other day i emailed my mom to make sure she was doing ok regarding her investments and this horrible time in the economy. Her reply really made me queasy and reminded me the myriad of reasons why i... [...]
i am going to start showcasing a comment a week or so, whenever i get mean-spirited, Un-Christ-like comments over at Queermergent. Today's comment: 'OK, so you have turned away from the path of Christianity; that’s fine. Your belief that, “That... [...]
i received the following email the other day: Hey - so I found you off of Eugene Cho's rockin' blog and love your blog. As a young Christian thinker, one trying to find my footing between my conservative upbringing and... [...]
HT Straight, Not Narrow for this video that is just poking fun at some of the silly questions straight people sometimes ask gay people. Enjoy and i hope you all get the irony of it! [...]
i sometimes get really mean and hurtful comments here and at Queermergent, which i delete because they do not help the conversations along. i find them hurtful and un-Christ-like. Many times i am like a duck with water rolling off... [...]
The podcast with me and Peter Walker being interviewed by Irreligiosophy creators Leighton Allred and Chuck Morrison. Check it out. Leighton and Chuck are awesome! It is their longest podcast to date! [...]
HT Emergent Village for posting the following videos from the Calvin College Alt Worship Project from various people from the USA and UK. They are really informative! It's nice to FINALLY put voices with faces with people I have know... [...]
i have my first published piece at The Ooze. Check it out and join the conversation! Here's a teaser: Why does the Evangelical community seem so preoccupied with pointing out what they perceive to be the sins of others? Why...' [...]
Shirley Hoogstra interviews Pete Rollins on an Inner Compass Episode at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Just scroll down to Episode #909 and enjoy the informative conversation. It's about 25 minutes in length. [...]
Pete Rollins' newest book, "The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales", will be released this April by Paraclete Press. Publisher's Weekly recently reviewed "The Orthodox Heretic" in it's Religion section under Nonfiction Reviews. The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales...' [...]
My good friend, Pete Rollins, is coming to Richmond, Virginia to muse on the topic of Lessons In Evandalism. St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and Reverend Abbott Bailey are co-sponsoring the event with Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond (BTSR). He will... [...]
"Beginning in 2006 TLL began to award The TLL Lesbian Blog of the Year Award. TLL has been around since 2004 and we pride ourselves on having over 250 registered authors and over 800 posts that contain the stories of..." [...]
California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA) reports this extremely frustrating and disappointing news on the fight for fair and balanced guidelines for treating Chronic Lyme Disease and other tick -borne diseases. i really hope President Obama will do something about the... [...]
My good friend, Peter Walker, and i have been invited by Leighton Allred, via Becky Garrison connecting us, to be a part of a Religious Discussion at Irreligosophy in a couple of weeks. Once again the time has come to... [...]
This piece has really helped to clarify my thinking on why the LGBTQ community seeks marriage over domestic partnerships, even for heterosexuals. The idea of marriage IS universally recognized where domestic partnerships are NOT. HT Michael Crawford at The Bilerico... [...]
Even though i do not always agree with Andrew Sullivan, i still love his writing and perspective. He often challenges me, which is a good thing, even if i don’t rightly admit it! Today i found a beautiful commentary by... [...]
To the LGBTQ Community,I know I don't speak for all evangelicals when I write this, but I hope I speak for more than you might think, as I offer this sincere apology on behalf of myself and my community.I'm sorry... [...]
Ok, so we were in Sacramento and San Francisco last week and i had very limited internet access as we were constantly busy. We accomplished quite a lot in our 10 day journey to the west coast. San Francisco is... [...]
Pete Rollins is returning to the USA for his upcoming tour entitled 'Lessons In Evandalism', which will include a visit to Richmond, VA the end of February. He describes the tour as:The current religious landscape is cluttered with various expressions... [...]
Chapter Four is divided into five sections:1. Dive Accessories2. Health for Diving3. Breathing Air at Depth4. Dive Tables and Dive Computers (Introduction)5. Confined Water Dive PreviewHere are Summary Points from Chapter Four on Dive Accessories:* You use a surface float... [...]
i just created a new blog called Queermergent. It's a play on the words Queer and Emergent. Here's the very first post:i have been a part of the Emergent conversation both in the UK and the USA for the past... [...]
i have looked into other religions before but have always come back to Christianity, though i no longer hold onto dogmatic beliefs and interpretations. Sometimes i consider myself, in the term Pete Rollins uses, an A/theist in that i no... [...]
After living in Los Angeles, California for 5.5 years and Sacramento, CA for a few months, i grew to see how EASY recycling was. i was a HUGE recycler at Xavier University in Cincinnati during the early '90's but fell... [...]
HT Blake Huggins for Moby's very insightful thoughts on Christ and Christianity:i actually think that the teachings of christ accomodate most of the new ways in which we perceive ourselves and our world. the problem is that although the teachings... [...]
Chapter Three is divided into seven sections:1. The Dive Environment2. Dive Planning3. Boat Diving4. Problem Management5. Confined Water Dive Preview6. General Open Water Skills7. Open Water Dives 1 & 2Here are Summary Points from Chapter Three on The Dive Environment:*... [...]
Thankfully i never found myself to be physically bullied as a child, especially by people thinking i was gay. When my parents switched me from public school to a private Catholic school in fifth grade i was in for a... [...]
i am a Christ-follower who has been through Reparative (Conversion) Therapy and ex-gay ministries, survived, AND lived to tell about the lies and atrocities thrown on normal, everyday people who happen to be attracted to the same sex rather than... [...]
Ok, so i am REALLY bummed because Moby is going to be having an ALL NIGHT DJ set on Sunday, January 18th, at the 9.30 Club in D.C., which is Katryna's birthday, in order to celebrate Obama's inauguration. We will... [...]
i found Jack Rogers book, 'Jesus, The Bible, And Homosexuality: Explode The Myths, Heal The Church' and am in chapter 4 and really enjoying what i am learning. Adam at pomousings is doing a thorough review here, here, here, here,... [...]
HT Andrew Sullivan!"For every kid who tried to get their parents to buy a whoopie cushion from that ad page in every Archie comic, or made a fart sound into a cassette recorder and hid it under a sibling's chair... [...]
Ok, so i am experiencing major burn out with my fucking treatment regimen for Lyme Disease and all my other bugs. i keep doing everything according to my doctor's instructions but am NOT seeing much improvement at all! i feel... [...]
My great friend, Thomas, aka Headphonaught, has invited me to join the photography blog he started the first of the year. i am really excited as i need a creative outlet and this will give me motivation! i will be... [...]
Here's a fresh post from Pete Rollins, that is quite interesting, entitled "Beyond the colour of each other's eyes", where he talks about having "just completed two draft chapters for a forthcoming book featuring Jason Clark, Kevin Corcoran, Jamie Smith... [...]
Katryna sent me this interesting and informative link that is full of lots of info and it explains the rights that we are denied as gays when we are denied marriage. Civil Unions do not all provide for these. States... [...]
HT to fellow Richmond Blogger Chewy Lives for this lovely commentary on the state of home foreclosures in the good Ol' US of A! This is funny but at the same time very sad. Another commentary on EMPEROR BUSH'S running... [...]
Fellow blogger, Pam Spaulding, who is African American and lesbian, who blogs at Pam's House Blend, has referenced a GREAT piece from Bet.com on reasons why African Americans should support same-sex marriage. Read the entire piece at her post because... [...]
CREATING CHANGE is the sponsor of this upcoming conference, which i hope to attend next year, that Bil Browning at The Bilerco Project told me about today via Twitter:The 21st National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change will be held... [...]
It is always interesting to me when Christians, whether conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between (i REALLY hate labels but sometimes they are a necessary evil to bring home a point of view.) use things, like Scripture, to perpetuate a... [...]
i LOVE this video because Harvey Milk understands the concept of HOPE for ALL HUMAN BEINGS, including the LGBTQ community and African Americans. Also, i believe that if he were still alive today, he would include MUSLIMS, PALESTINIANS, ISRAELIS, AFGHANIS,... [...]
i really enjoy meeting people from different cultural backgrounds, so today i was excited to meet my very first Afghani, and here in little ol' Richmond, Virginia no less! He was working at the Exxon where i stopped to buy... [...]
Chapter Two is divided into five sections:1. Adapting to the Underwater World.2. Respiration3. Dive equipment4. Buddy System: Communication and Procedures5. Confined Water Dive PreviewHere are Summary Points from Chapter Two on Respiration:* For MAXIMUM efficiency, breathe SLOWLY and DEEPLY.* Overexertion... [...]
Katryna is a PADI certified Scuba intructor who is taking me through my classroom, confined water, and open water dives to certify me as an open water scuba diver. This is the very first class one takes to become a... [...]
An article Katryna sent me from Wikipedia on Violence Against LGBT People:"Violence against LGBT people, queer identifying and the same-sex attracted are actions which may occur either at the hands of individuals or groups, or as part of governmental enforcement... [...]
My friend, Ali, turned me onto a great site that sells cool, funky and CHEAP eyeware. It's called Zenni Optical, so check it out if you are a fashionista about your glasses. She has bought a pair that are cool... [...]
Katryna sent me this article on Smart ways to use Twitter. This is more for those who are not familiar with Twitter or who are new to it and not up to speed on all the details. Enjoy as it... [...]
In a followup to the horrendous hate crime of the gang rape of a Bay Area lesbian, the AP reports:RICHMOND, Calif. - Two men and two teens have been arrested on suspicion of gang-raping a woman last month in the... [...]
