Mythologizing the Bible

Many people have mental habits that keep supernatural beliefs alive—things like emotional comfort, awe mistaken for evidence, selective skepticism, and circular reasoning. But why do these patterns feel so convincing? How can they seem to so easily block honest questioning? And is it possible to build a values-based worldview grounded in curiosity rather than inherited certainty?

Let’s talk about something that sits right under the surface for a lot of people but comes roaring to the top during the Christmas season: why so many of us work so hard to convince ourselves that supernatural beliefs must be true.

And I want to be clear up front: this isn’t about calling people stupid or mocking anyone’s faith. People who believe in supernatural claims are not idiots, they’re human. They’re responding to the same psychological wiring and cultural conditioning that all of us experience.

But… that doesn’t mean the reasoning behind supernatural beliefs is good reasoning. And tonight, I want to take a look at some of the most common ways people convince themselves to keep believing, even when the beliefs themselves don’t hold up under even the slightest bit of scrutiny.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

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It’s important to look closely at the Christmas birth narratives, not to dismiss them, but to explore their mythological roots and the human values beneath them. We’ll look at why supernatural claims shouldn’t be taken literally, how early Christians reshaped older stories, and how the season’s meaning can stay rich and joyful without requiring belief in ancient miracles.

Have you ever noticed how the Christmas season brings out the most elaborate supernatural claims—and how confidently people present them as historical fact? Virgin births, prophetic signs, angelic visits… it’s one of the few times of year when mythological stories are placed on center stage and treated as unquestionable truth. And yet, when we look closely, these stories tell us far more about human creativity, cultural borrowing, and the desire for legitimacy than about literal events.

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the 4th Sunday of Advent, we’ll explore how early Christians used storytelling to establish authority, shape identity, and encourage obedience… and how we can reclaim the season’s joy without relying on claims that collapse under scrutiny.

In this episode, we’re asking an honest question: If these so-called “infancy narratives” about Jesus were shaped by myth, politics, and centuries of reinterpretation, what does it look like to celebrate Christmas without needing the stories to be literally true?

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Are you familiar with the so-called “War on Christmas”—a manufactured outrage used to fuel fear, division, and Christian nationalism? Why does this myth persist? What does it reveal about cultural insecurity? And how can we respond with clarity, values, and compassion instead of getting dragged into the muck?

Alright… in this episode of Afterthoughts, we’ll talk about that annual tradition where lights go up, families gather… and right-wing media outlets warn you that liberals are secretly plotting to kidnap the Baby Jesus from your nativity scene and replace “Silent Night” with a spoken-word performance about the wonders of socialism. Oh, those DEMON b******s!

That’s right, folks, we’re gonna talk about… the “War on Christmas!” (Gasp!)

It’s true. Every December, Fox News acts like Christmas is a fragile endangered species, only surviving because of the heroic courage of people who yell at Target employees for saying “Happy Holidays.”

And honestly? At this point, it’s like watching the same bad holiday movie every year. The plot never changes, the acting is ridiculous, and the villain is completely imaginary. But the soundtrack is just catchy enough that millions of people still hum along to it.

So, we’re going to look at what’s really going on; not just the surface-level nonsense, but the mechanics underneath. And then we’ll move into something more constructive: how we can respond without getting sucked into the outrage machine, and how to stay grounded in values that actually matter.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The Holiday Season brings out kindness, patience, and generosity, but why should those values fade once the decorations come down? This week, we explore how hope builds resilience, how patience strengthens relationships, and how values (not supernatural promises) create lasting goodness. What if we carried the best parts of this season into the rest of our year?

Have you ever noticed how the warm, generous spirit of the Holiday Season often clashes with the loudest religious voices claiming the season for themselves? Every year, some folks insist there’s a “war on Christmas,” while completely missing the simple, human goodness the season invites: hope, patience, kindness, and genuine connection with the people in our lives.

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, we’ll explore how the season’s deepest values can outshine the manufactured outrage, and how ancient stories can help us practice the kind of goodness that actually makes life better, no supernatural guarantees required.

In this episode, we’re asking what our world would look like if we carried the best parts of the Holiday Season—our generosity, our patience, our resilience—into the rest of the year? And what gets in the way of doing that with the people we love most?

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White evangelical megachurches twist Scripture to defend inequality, and that matters for anyone who’s trying to build a better world. When religion becomes a shield for billionaires and a weapon against the poor, something has gone deeply wrong. Real transformation begins when we reject the excuses, wake up to the manipulation, and reclaim our shared responsibility to pursue justice!

The readings we looked at this week showed Isaiah’s sweeping vision of peace, Paul’s insistence on accepting one another, and John the Baptist’s call for genuine inner transformation. They all push us toward something better. Something deeper. Something more human.

But… what happens when the very institutions claiming to represent these teachings do everything in their power to block that kind of growth?

What happens when churches, especially the huge ones with massive political power, teach people not to change?

Not to reflect. Not to examine their beliefs. Not to imagine a better world.

That’s where we’re starting tonight.

Because this week I came across a study that I think every American should read, and it shows exactly how a large white evangelical megachurch intentionally twists the Bible to defend inequality and protect the wealthy. And when you put that research next to the themes we explored in this week’s readings, the contrast is honestly startling.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

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Advent calls Christians to prepare for something greater, but not through fear, dogma, or blind certainty. The readings this week challenge us to imagine a better world, expand our acceptance of others, and do the internal work that real transformation requires. A better future doesn’t start with divine intervention; it starts with our willingness to grow, to welcome, and to dream boldly.

Have you ever noticed how many religious stories challenge people to imagine a better world and yet so many modern believers seem more committed to defending the world exactly as it is? It’s fascinating: the Scriptures call for bold vision, deep inner change, and radical acceptance, while the loudest religious voices today often cling to fear, rigidity, and exclusion.

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, we’ll explore how these ancient texts invite us to dream bigger, to widen our circle of acceptance, and to do the internal work needed to prepare for something better than the status quo.

In this episode, we’re asking an honest question: How can we build a better world if we aren’t willing to change ourselves first? Because it sure seems like a lot of people who preach about transformation are doing everything they can to avoid their own.

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One important and effective way to challenge the anti-woke crusade is by returning to what “wakefulness” actually means: awareness, honesty, and values-based living. What’s ironic and somewhat disturbing is the ferocity with which conservative Christians attack the very consciousness their Scriptures call for. What they don’t seem to understand is that being “woke” isn’t political, it’s human (and it’s commanded of them by the Scriptures they claim to follow). If we want to grow and thrive, we need to stop sleepwalking through inherited beliefs and start living our lives with intention!

The readings we covered in this week’s main episode, for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Cycle A), give us a perfect setup for a conversation we really need to have. Advent begins with this call to “wake up,” to pay attention, to stop drifting through life as if we have all the time in the world. And it’s almost laughable that the same Christian groups who shout the loudest about “defending the Bible” are the ones most aggressively fighting against the very idea of being awake. They’ve built an entire movement around attacking the word woke. They treat it like it’s some kind of dangerous moral virus.

And yet… the Scriptures they claim to believe urge people to do exactly that: wake up.

So tonight, in Afterthoughts, I want to name the hypocrisy. I want to take a careful, values-based look at why the anti-woke crusade is not only intellectually dishonest — it is spiritually and religiously dishonest. I want to explore why wakefulness has always been a core part of human growth, moral development, and yes, even Christianity. And I want to end by talking about how we move forward with clarity and purpose, instead of getting dragged into the mud by people who are proudly, aggressively, performatively asleep.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Advent invites us to “wake up,” but not in a fearful or religious sense. It’s a call to become fully aware—to see the world as it is, question the beliefs we’ve inherited, and choose values that actually help people thrive. This episode explores how waking up to our own thoughts, habits, and values can reshape our lives and our future.

Have you ever noticed how often religious stories urge people to “wake up,” while many of the loudest religious voices seem determined to stay spiritually and morally asleep? It’s strange: these ancient texts call people to pay attention, to notice what’s happening around them, and to live with intention, yet so much of modern religious culture leans toward dogma, certainty, and shutting down curiosity rather than opening our eyes.

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the First Sunday of Advent, we’ll explore how these ancient passages challenge us to stop sleepwalking through life, to understand our values, and to imagine a future grounded in peace and integrity rather than fear or domination.

In this episode, we’re asking a tough question: What would our lives look like if we actually woke up, not in the culture-war sense, but in the human sense, and started paying attention to the world as it really is, and the world it could become? Because a lot of the people shouting about being ‘anti-woke’ sound like they’re terrified of consciousness, responsibility, and growth.

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

When religion teaches people to obey a cosmic king, it shapes how they respond to earthly power (and not always in healthy ways). This episode explores how “Christ the King of the Universe” has fueled authoritarian thinking, justified exclusion, and warped our politics, and why a values-based, human-centered approach to leadership offers a far better path forward.

This weekend’s celebration within the Catholic Church has a very dramatic title: The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. That’s quite a mouthful. And before we get into the bigger themes here, I want to pause on that first word: Solemnity. In the Catholic Church, a solemnity is the highest ranking of feast days—higher than a feast, higher than a memorial. It’s the Church’s way of saying: “This is foundational. This is doctrine. Pay attention.” These things don’t usually emerge organically either; they’re designed, often very intentionally, to shape how people think about God, about authority, about the world, and about themselves.

And that brings us to the main point of this episode of Afterthoughts: What does it mean when a religion asks people to imagine Jesus Christ, not just as a wise teacher or moral guide, but as the King of the Universe? Not a metaphorical king, not a poetic flourish, but an actual sovereign of all existence. And what does that do to the minds and worldviews of the people who take it literally?

Because once you start pulling on that thread, a whole lot of things suddenly make more sense—historically, culturally, politically, and even psychologically.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

True leadership isn’t about certainty, power, or punishing opponents. It’s about guiding with humility, protecting all people (not just loyal supporters) and choosing fairness, empathy, and forgiveness even when it’s difficult. This week’s episode explores how ancient stories can help us rethink modern leadership in a time when authoritarian impulses are on the rise.

Have you ever noticed how often people confuse certainty with leadership; how quickly some will trade compassion for control, or fairness for the illusion of having all the answers? Religious stories have been used this way for centuries, shaping our expectations of what a “good leader” is supposed to look like. But when you peel back the layers, the real lesson is usually a lot more human and a lot less supernatural than it first appears.

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we’ll explore why genuine leadership isn’t about divine certainty, magical authority, or punishing enemies. It’s about protecting people, guiding them with humility, and caring for everyone—not just the loyal few.

In this episode, we’re asking an honest question: What happens when we strip away the mythological framing and focus on the real-world values hidden underneath? Because if leadership—religious or otherwise—is going to move us toward a healthier society, it’s going to look less like a king on a throne and more like someone willing to step forward with integrity, curiosity, accountability, and even forgiveness.

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.