Religiosanity

Peter jokingly asks Pastor Andrew if, now that Trump has been defeated, we have rid ourselves of religioinsanity. This leads to a discussion on the current state of fervent fundamentalism and a gnoseological crisis.

Pastor Andrew introduces us to the fascinating origin story of Psalm 20. Papyrus Amherst 63 is an ancient scroll discovered in the beginning of last century that gives us a surprising glimpse at a complex and inclusive time in ancient history, and shows us that, up until the 4th century BCE, our religious tradition was not as intolerant as later theologians would like us to believe.

Check out the episode of "Something You Might Not Know About the Bible" about this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzksVZXVoLE&t=9s

As the Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination hearings press on, Pastor Andrew tells us why we should feel free to criticize her religiousness, and he highlights the limitations/dangers of the particular originalism espoused by a group she has been linked to called "People Of Praise," and the importance of something they ignore: hermeneutics.

As our government officials pass new markers of insanity, both religious-based and otherwise, Pastor Andrew takes us back to ancient times and reads some text from nearly 4000 years ago that show us that government was set up to take care of the less fortunate, not to protect the thriving.

The events in Kenosha Wisconsin prompts Pastor Andrew to rant about the insane state of affairs in this country revolving around police and people of color.

Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned as head of Liberty University amid a personal scandal involving his wife, the pool boy, and others. Pastor Andrew talks about the hypocrisy of Falwell imposing strict fundamentalism on his followers while he lives a secret life, and how one can find the basis to the ultra right-wing conservative's kinks in the Bible.

An article in the New York Post called "NYC moms fleeing Upper West Side amid crime and chaos" causes lots of chatter on social media, and prompts this discussion with Pastor Andrew about the problem with sweeping poverty, homelessness, and mental illness under the rug, and why it's always been the church's job to be out front in facing these issues head-on and challenging "not-in-my-neighbourhood" mentality especially if it is defending class, race and other prejudices.

In a special episode, Pastor Andrew graciously agrees to answer questions Peter tosses at him. The discussion revolves around understanding Hermeneutics and using mathematics to explain how the gospel and other religious teachings can be powerful and transformative even if not defined in a conventional "reality."

“The stupidest thing we can do is take what we have been given by prior generations, as something they found important for themselves, and dismiss it outright.” - Pastor Andrew

And here is a short YouTube video about the same https://youtu.be/_Nfkrmm3emg

Exodus is not a singular historical event, it is ongoing. It is about liberation from slavery, many different aspects, from different periods, but created in one unit, and in that, it has the power to tell us something about how human societies function, how we function within them, how our faiths, hopes, and aspirations influence them. Exodus is an invitation to march for freedom.

The first hand experience of dealing with our current pandemic has opened Pastor Andrew’s mind to what people, especially indigenous people, were dealing with in various government inflicted (or neglected) pandemics of the past. He reflects on a few of them and expands our awareness of disasters hard to imagine, culpability hard to fathom, and resilience of a people that is awe inspiring.