Welcome to Crucible of Thought! I'm Brandon, and I was a member of conservative evangelical congregations for 45 years. This blog is about things that I've learned since 2020, as I've been undergoing a process of "deprogramming," "deconstruction," "reconstruction"... pick whatever term you want, but basically a process carefully examining many different aspects of my social, political, and religious beliefs to see what really actually aligns with the Bible and specifically the teachings of Jesus, more than what aligns with the host of dogmatic statements I inherited in years of church training. I'm not trying to persuade anyone: I'm sharing my process, in the hopes that it inspires and enlightens others. I welcome you to join me as we move forward in our faith together.Created Equal – a Work Still in Progress
On this Independence Day, that sublime phrase “all men are created equal” is on my mind. I rejoice in the liberties I enjoy, but I’m also keenly aware this year of the gaps in equality that still exist in this nation. The esteemed Framers of the Declaration of Independence did not seem to write the word “all” in the same manner as today we understand it. And aspirational statements enshrined in our founding documents do not carry the force of law. Working out those aspirations and giving them proper force in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of our government is a tedious, difficult process at best. Much work is still required to bring “equal” to its full meaning.
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