By summerbreeze ~ L ast week my 14-year-old Grandson experienced a ruptured appendix . The Porcupine Mountains on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) This may have not been a very serious thing, if it had happened in or near his home, but unfortunately it happened 4 miles into the forest at Porcupine Mountains State Park , Upper Peninsula Michigan . My Daughter, Son-In-law and Grandson were backpacking with 50 pound back-packs each, just starting out on a week long adventure. It took them hours to get out of the forest once his tremendous pains took over.....carrying him and his 50 pound load, then 2 more hours to the nearest Hospital. It's funny, but when they planned this trip, I was very concerned about the Bears, Wolves, Mountain Lions , Moose, etc. ....never dreaming that the worst would come to them internally. Our Daughter called us from the Hospital, my Grandson's temp was 104 and his stomach was filled with infection...

By Ben Love ~ O ne of the most fundamental questions that human beings can ask during their brief stay on this planet is whether or not there is a God, a creator, a divine being that is responsible for our existence and the existence of the entire Cosmos, someone who has a  plan , who is in control, who will right certain wrongs, and who will provide a satisfactory afterlife for those who are deemed faithful and deserving. All of us, from all cultures, races, and periods of history have looked skyward and wondered what, if anything, is actually out there. Whether there is a God or not, the question from a human standpoint is extremely important. The question matters to us just as much as the possible answers. There is a kind of wonder and magic in the question, a kind of longing that rests deep within our identity as a species, an inherent need to believe that we are not alone, that someone bigger than us is on our side, and aware of the situation, and willing to intervene. T...

By John Shores ~  I t's time to see if I can live without Christianity entirely. It seems to me that as long as I am investing time and thought into the Ex-Christian journey, I'm still living in the shadow of Christianity. I'd like to see if I can escape it altogether. This will be my final submission on this site. I hope that the things I have written have helped others on this journey. As I say farewell to you all, I wanted to leave with one last offering of thought and reflection. Well, more a recap of what I have found to be the essentials in the whole question of Christianity. I want to thank Dave and the moderators on Ex-C for providing an invaluable oasis for the many who travel the path away from Christian indoctrination. I also offer my sincere gratitude to this community as a whole. Your companionship on this journey is beyond evaluation. I wish you all my highest hopes for great lives full of love and laughter. -John Shores P.S. For any o...

By Ben Love ~ The “A” stands for “America.” C hristian “A” is merely that Christian who possesses the title simply because he inherited it by being born to American parents. (Obviously, this only applies to my home country, the United States; the letter differs based on where you’re from; “U” for Uzbekistan .) Christian “A” goes to church on the holidays or, if he is particularly well trained, each Sunday. Why? Because that is his obligation. This is not to say he does not enjoy his time there or that he is there against his will; he may very well love going to church. But the first and most basic reason he goes is that this is what he was taught to do. As a well-adjusted participant of society and as a responsible vessel of the values which were implanted within him, he does what is expected of him. Perhaps there is no special kind of fervor present in his emotions when it comes to the “matters of God and/or religion.” He may possess only a loose understanding of theology or he ...