Lord – thank you. Thank you for Everything. While it’s tempting to just thank you for love + beauty + discovery + joy, for food + family + purpose, in all fairness I feel that I should thank you for all of it; the light and the shadow, strength and weakness, mercy and cruelty – it’s a package deal, isn’t it? It wouldn’t seem entirely grateful to say “thank you for my life, but could you take away the difficult … Read on…
(AKA: Regarding Historical Fiction) . . Our FictionAbout the heavens,Hollow is thy game.Our thraldom’s come,Thy work’s been done, The world’s enslaved by superstition. Give us this day our daily dread, And allow our caloric excesses As we suppress those Who’d warn others against us. And lead us not into reflection But deliver free-thought to peril As imprimaturs lend awesome Power to a story By reprinting it for ever & ever. Ahem.
Poet and essayist Ananda Selah Osel, whose work is published on The Eloquent Atheist, was recently interviewed, and during the process offered his perspective on atheism and how it influences his life and writing. In the end, the interviewer chose to focus on other matters when writing-up Ananda’s interview, but offered his comments on atheism to us, and so we are publishing them, knowing that his ideas, even at their most radical, can be assessed and appreciated by our readers. … Read on…
SCENE SIX: “BLASPHEMY” PREACHER LEVITICUS, Chapter 24: (SPEAKING PASSIONATELY) And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear us sin, and he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. And Moses spake to … Read on…
SCENE FIVE: “ABRAHAM RENTS OUT HIS SISTER / WIFE – TWICE!!” PREACHER Exodus 12, 13, 20: And there was a famine in the land; and Abraham went down into Egypt for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass when he was come near to Egypt, that he said unto Sarah his wife, “Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon.” ABRAHAM And don’t forget that Egypt is a wild and … Read on…
SCENE FOUR: “JEPHTHAH: A PROMISE IS A PROMISE” PREACHER Judges 11: Now, Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man of valor– JEPHTHAH (A COUNTRY BOY) –Don’t want to brag, but I could toe the mark with the best of ‘em. PREACHER And he was the son of an harlot; and Gilead begat Jephthah. JEPHTHAH Gilead, my Papa, took one look at Momma and moved her into his house, right alongside his wife and everbuddy.
SCENE THREE: “SODOMY BAD, INCEST O.K.” PREACHER Genesis. Chapters 19 and 20. There came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom; and Lot, seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they entered his house; and … Read on…
SCENE TWO: “ABRAHAM’S COVENANT WITH GOD” PREACHER Genesis, Chapter 27. And God said unto Abraham thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This be my covenant, which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee; Every man-child among you shall be circumcised. And it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. ABRAHAM (HAS COME TO HIS FEET DURING PREACHER’S SPEECH, A GROWING LOOK OF INCREDULITY … Read on…
The play consists of several scenes, featuring different Bible characters. An Evangelical preacher introduces each scene with a quotation of scripture, and also comments throughout the play. A stage manager occasionally holds up cue cards, to let the audience know if they should boo, hiss, cheer, etc. This play was first performed at First Unitarian Universalist Church in Lubbock, Texas. Note: Though children are featured in the play, adults played the roles. For permission to use, please contact Cliff Ashby … Read on…
Trained in Anglican theology to be a country clergyman, I never endeavored to disturb beliefs held dear, even as my own faith wobbled among fossils. I served on Beagle’s voyage to grasp an opportunity— exploration any man craves in youth. Would I have traveled had I known the scorn to be poured on me? For the scientific truths revealed about life’s diversity, disparaged reputation and discomfort were worthy sacrifice. When I returned to England, I had enough to engage me … Read on…