Mythologizing the Bible

Our culture is obsessed with dominance, but what if that’s not strength at all? Maybe it’s time to challenge the “Alpha” myth and make the case for something far more powerful: letting go of ego, refusing the game, and building real influence through integrity, humility, and solidarity!

Why are we so obsessed with dominance?

Scroll through social media for five minutes. You’ll see it everywhere. The cars, the watches, not a “mindset” but a “grindset,” the constant chest-thumping about winning, crushing, dominating. The message is always the same: if you’re not on top, you’re nothing. If you’re not feared, you’re weak. If you’re not in total control, you’re obviously losing.

And here’s what’s fascinating (and a little disturbing):

A lot of the same people pushing that message are also the ones claiming to follow a guy who (as the story goes) washed feet, stood with the marginalized, and willingly gave up power rather than cling to it. (You know… Jesus.)

That’s not a small contradiction. That’s a complete reversal of the story.

So in this episode, I want to dig into that tension. Not to call out the loudest “Alpha” voices because they’re easy to spot. I’m more interested in everyone else. The people who are quietly absorbing the ridiculous “Alpha” message. The ones wondering, “Is this what strength is supposed to look like?”

What if we’ve been sold the wrong definition entirely?

What if real power doesn’t come from climbing higher… but from choosing to step down?

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

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What if real strength isn’t loud, dominant, or rewarded but steady, grounded, and often unseen? This week’s readings explore the power of integrity, humility, and quiet defiance in a world that pressures us to conform. The question isn’t who holds power but who refuses to lose themselves when power demands it.

Have you ever noticed how often the people we celebrate as “strong” are the ones who dominate, control, and rise above everyone else, while the people who quietly hold onto their values, even when it costs them something, tend to get overlooked or dismissed as weak? And yet, when you really pay attention, those quieter voices often carry far more weight.

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 Palm Sunday, we’ll explore what it really means to have strength. Not as power or status, but as the discipline to stay open, let go of ego, and hold onto your integrity when the pressure is on.

In this episode, we’re asking an honest question: What if real strength isn’t about rising above others but about staying grounded in your values when the crowd turns, the system fails, or it would be easier to just go along with it?

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Loneliness isn’t just a feeling, it’s a slow form of disappearance. In this Afterthoughts episode, we explore “social death,” how it’s quietly spreading in our communities, and what it actually takes to bring people back into connection. The solution isn’t abstract… it’s human, practical, and something we can all choose to do.

Social death is what happens when someone is still alive, still breathing, still going through the motions of daily life… but they’re no longer really seen, known, or connected to anyone in a meaningful way.

One of the main problems though is that this sort of loneliness doesn’t always look dramatic. It doesn’t announce itself. It’s quiet and very subtle. It looks like routine. It looks like independence. It looks like “I’m fine.”

Until we’re not “fine.”

If we truly care about strengthening our communities, then we need to explore a question that sits right at the heart of what it means to be human:

If people can slowly fade out of connection while they’re still alive… what does it actually take to bring them back?

Not with miracles or even grand gestures, but with something far more ordinary—and far more powerful.

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.

What if coming back to life isn’t a miracle but a shared responsibility? This week’s readings explore how people move from despair to renewal through connection, intention, and support. Real transformation doesn’t happen alone. It happens when we show up for each other and help remove what’s holding someone back.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to feel stuck, like you’ve hit a wall you can’t get past, or you’re carrying something you can’t quite put down? Sometimes it’s grief. Sometimes it’s burnout. Sometimes it’s just the slow weight of life piling up. And in those moments, it can feel like nothing is going to change.

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 5th Sunday of Lent, we’ll explore what it really means to come back to life; not through miracles, but through connection, intentional choices, and the way we show up for each other.

In this episode, we’re asking an honest question: What if “resurrection” isn’t about something supernatural happening to us, but about what we’re willing to do for ourselves (and for each other) when everything feels stuck, buried, or beyond repair?

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Many people believe they’ve escaped blind obedience once they leave organized religion. But have we actually stopped outsourcing our conscience… or have we simply handed it to a new set of authorities? Moral independence requires more than rejecting old dogmas; it demands the courage to think carefully, question confidently, and take responsibility for our own judgments.

In the famous Milgram experiments conducted in the 1960s, ordinary participants were instructed to deliver electric shocks to a stranger whenever that person answered a question incorrectly. The shocks weren’t real, but the participants believed they were. As the experiment progressed, the person in the chair began screaming, pleading, and eventually falling silent. The dial went all the way up to 450 volts, labeled with phrases like “danger” and “severe shock.”

And here’s the uncomfortable part: about sixty-five percent of participants (normal people, people very much like us) turned the dial all the way to the maximum level simply because an authority figure told them to continue.

They didn’t do it because they were cruel or evil. They did it because someone in a position of authority assured them the responsibility was not theirs.

In other words, they outsourced their conscience.

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

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What if the people who claim to see the truth are actually the most blind? Our challenge is to look beyond appearances, question authority, and trust evidence, integrity, and compassion over hierarchy and habit. Real wisdom begins when we stop accepting surface-level power and start cultivating moral clarity of our own.

Have you ever noticed how often people mistake appearances for truth? The tallest leader must be the strongest. The loudest voice must be the smartest. The most confident authority must be the most trustworthy. But history, and our own experience, keep reminding us that what looks impressive on the outside is often the exact opposite of what we should trust.

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 Lent, we’ll explore what happens when surface-level authority collides with deeper truths about character, integrity, and the courage to see reality clearly.

In this episode, we’re asking an uncomfortable question: What if the people who claim to see clearly, the leaders, the institutions, the gatekeepers of truth, are sometimes the most blind of all? And what if the real wisdom often comes from the people everyone else overlooked?

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

When life feels overwhelming, many people look upward for reassurance. But what if the real source of strength lies behind you, in the countless generations that survived long enough for you to exist? This short guided reflection invites you to pause, breathe, and remember the extraordinary legacy of resilience written into your own body!

In this short reflection, we explore the idea of Evolutionary Providence, which is the recognition that your existence is the result of four billion years of successful survival and adaptation.

Ice ages. Droughts. Predators. Disease. War. Every generation before you made it through something difficult. This understanding should easily replace the myth of Divine Providence because it helps you see the power and agency we have inherited from all of those who came before us.

This meditation invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with that legacy of resilience whenever life feels overwhelming.

I suggest you listen to this reflection:

* whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed

* whenever you’re facing uncertainty

* whenever you need a reminder of your own strength

Take a few minutes. Breathe slowly. And remember:

You are the product of four billion years of survivors!

Out of the Skies, Under the Earth by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/reappear/

Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

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

What if hope doesn’t require belief in the supernatural? Historically, religions have “fabricated” hope and resilience through promises of divine reward, but we can consciously build the same psychological strength using biology, reframing, and community. And honestly, if there’s no cosmic safety net, then our resilience isn’t weaker. It’s stronger because it’s forged in reality, not conjured up by magical thinking. And that makes it a lot sturdier than religionsists care to admit!

When life falls apart for a humanist, there is no cosmic project manager who is tracking everything and knows what’s going on. No divine author polishing the rough draft, preparing to give you a better life script. Sometimes the diagnosis is just bad luck. Sometimes the drought is just climate. Sometimes the job loss is just corporate restructuring. No plan. No script. No cosmic safety net.

And that can lead to something psychologists call learned helplessness, which is the feeling that nothing you do matters.

So here’s the thesis for this episode of Afterthoughts: We don’t need a plan from above to have hope. But we do need the psychological technology that religion used to provide.

In this episode of Afterthoughts, we’re going to hack the benefits of faith using biology, reframing, and community. No divine editing required.

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

Scarcity exposes us. Suffering shapes us. Division tests us. In this episode, we explore how three ancient stories reveal a blueprint for human resilience, transforming deserts into solutions, hardship into character, and strangers into partners at a shared well. Survival isn’t about miracles; it’s about how we respond to one another when the pressure rises!

Have you ever noticed how quickly noble ideals collapse when people get scared, tired, or thirsty? Freedom sounds inspiring… until resources run low. Faith sounds strong… until suffering shows up. Unity sounds beautiful… until we meet someone from the “wrong” tribe at the well.

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 Lent, we’ll explore how scarcity tests community, how hardship can forge resilience, and how breaking tribal barriers may be the only way we survive the deserts of our own time.

In this episode, we’re asking a tough question: Are we waiting for miracles while the well runs dry, or are we willing to become the source of “living water” for one another… even in a very fractured world?

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

What if the “light on the mountain” isn’t supernatural at all but neurological? Maybe it’s time to consider the science of awe, the biology of ego dissolution, and the ethical responsibility that comes with enlightenment. If transcendence is part of our brain’s wiring, then the main question isn’t whether it’s real. The main question is, “What are we supposed to do with it?”

What if I told you that the Transfiguration—the radiant light, the mystical vision, the overwhelming sense of awe—might not be proof of divinity… but proof of something far more fascinating? What if that “mountaintop” moment isn’t a supernatural interruption of nature, but a perfectly natural function of the human brain? And what if understanding that doesn’t make the experience smaller but actually makes it more powerful?

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: human beings are wired for transcendence. We can trigger it with meditation. With music. With trauma. With psychedelics. With magnetic stimulation of the temporal lobes. We can literally light up the brain and induce the feeling of a “presence.” So the real question isn’t whether the light on the mountain was real. The question is: what does it mean that we carry the capacity for that light inside our own biology?

And here’s where it gets ethically dangerous. If mountaintop experiences are part of our neurological wiring, then chasing them becomes easy. Addictive, even. But the story doesn’t end on the mountain. It always descends into the valley.

In this episode of Afterthoughts, we talk about the science of awe, the illusion of the glowing ego, and the moral responsibility that comes with enlightenment. Because if you’ve seen the light, you don’t get to keep it for yourself!

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