Tag: god

  • Chapter 10: A Teacher’s Burden

    Chad was concerned about what the young boy Simon had said to Luke regarding the flood in Genesis. Sure, he knew about the story, but when Luke told the children about God killing all the animals with a flood, something in him broke. How could he know what stories were true or not? He decided to focus more on the teachings of Jesus and began reading the Bible more and also doing other research.

    Meanwhile, Stacy had also become concerned. She took a break for several weeks and did not join Chad and Luke for the soccer and Bible stories because she felt like she had nothing to contribute and didn’t want to be around Luke because he was so rude to Chad. Oddly enough, Stacy met Chad at the library one day when they both went to look at children’s books.

    “Stacy! What brings you to the library?” asked Chad.

    “Oh, hi Chad. I wanted to find some books with Bible stories for children. I liked the way you explained the story of Daniel and his friends in a language they could understand.”, said Stacy.

    “That is sort of why I am here too. I need inspiration because I know a lot of stories, but some of them are not relatable to children or can traumatize them. I also haven’t seen your for awhile, are you okay?”, said Chad.

    “Yeah, I am okay…I guess. I just didn’t really want to be on the spot and have the responsibility of children looking up to me as an example when I am really not sure what I am doing with my life.”, said Stacy.

    “You know, it’s funny because I think the same thing about myself. Like, am I teaching these kids the truth about God or am I cherry picking the Bible verses I agree with and ignoring those I don’t? Maybe I am not cut out for teaching anything but soccer and board games. They have consistent rules I can follow, but am I really a good Christian?” said Chad.

    “What are you talking about, Chad? You are the best Christian in the town. None of us has all the answers, but you explained everything to Gabby when she interviewed you at the animal shelter. What you do for the animals, you are doing for Jesus.”, said Stacy.

    “Yeah, you’re probably right, but living for Jesus and teaching other people are two different things. Besides, Luke makes me doubt what is true about God.”, said Chad.

    “Did something happen with Luke?” asked Stacy.

    “Every week something happens with Luke. He tells the children Bible stories from the Old Testament, where God tells the Israelites to kill people in war. It all started when he told the flood story of Genesis 6 about God drowning all life on the planet except for those on the ark.”, said Chad.

    “Oh, I see. No wonder you seem so down. I am not so sure what to think about those stories either. They seem rather different than the teachings of Jesus. What are you going to do about soccer Sundays with the kids?” asked Stacy.

    "I was thinking of quitting. I don’t want to disappoint the kids, but I just can’t watch their faces as Luke tells them horror stories from the book that we are told is God’s word. I need some time to pray and think about it.

    “I understand completely, Chad. That is why I have been absent too. Just because I am a pastor’s daughter doesn’t mean I am a good Christian.”, said Stacy.

    “Nonsense, Stacy. You serve animals, and you haven’t been around humans the whole time I have known you to have possibly sinned anyway. You’re probably second in righteousness only to Jesus.”, said Chad.

    “Yeah, not quite. I also have a tattoo of a butterfly on my butt, and that is a violation of Leviticus 19:28.”, said Stacy.

    “Stacy, I am not here to judge!” said Chad

    “But do you still think I am a good Christian even though I have mutilated my butt and fallen short of the glory of God?”, said Stacy.

    “We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but I have to ask, why a butterfly?” asked Chad.

    “A butterfly starts as a caterpillar. Everyone expects it just to be what it was born as, but then it surprises everyone when it hides away for awhile and is then reborn as a new creature. It is like becoming a Christian by being born again.”, said Stacy.

    “I never really thought about it that way. I will remember that. So are you saying you committed an Old Testament as a sign that you became something new?” said Chad.

    "Exactly, Chad, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

    “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

    So I believe that we should follow the new testament whenever there is a conflict between the old and the new. ", said Stacy.

    “Somehow, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Stacy. I think I know what I need to do about Luke and the kids.”

  • Chapter 9: Chad and Luke Share Bible Stories

    Chad was hard at work finding Bible stories he could tell the kids while they ate after soccer. He had managed to speak the story from Daniel chapter 1 in his own words, which made more sense than how it sounded in the King James Bible.

    Meanwhile, Luke was also busy picking his own set of Bible stories. He was looking for something he could use to fight against Chad’s Vegan diet and also justify his own beliefs about eating meat. He also remembered that Chad said he could bring any food he wanted for the children. He decided to buy some regular hot dogs and buns because he knew it would make Chad angry.

    On the next Sunday, Chad and Luke coached the kids in soccer, and everyone had a lot of fun. There seemed to be more children there than the previous week. Chad said it was probably because they told their friends about the fun of soccer and free food.

    When it was time for lunch, Chad got a big cooler out of his car and bags of chips. This choice of food surprised Luke, because he had expected Tofu sandwiches. He also noticed that there was no grill, and Stacy wasn’t there.

    Chad served everyone a plate full of chips and filled several cups with cold lemonade. He brought a cup to each child and told them to come to the table for more if they were still thirsty.

    “Chad, do you have a Bible story prepared today?” said Luke.

    “You bet I do, but first I need to drink some lemonade,” said Chad.

    “In that case, I will tell my story,” said Luke.

    “The story begins in Genesis chapter 6, when humans were so evil that God regretted making them. He decided the earth needed a great reset. He liked a man named Noah, who was righteous, and told him to build a big boat called an ark. He and his family would collect animals and lots of food to eat during a flood that would drown every other living thing. The only humans on the ark were Noah, his wife, their 3 sons, and their wives. They also had a male and female of every kind of animal,” said Luke.

    “Why did all the animals on the earth have to die?” said Simon.

    “They were not necessary because the animals on the ark would reproduce after the flood, and there would be more of all the animals,” said Luke.

    “What does it mean to reproduce?” asked Simon.

    "You might want to ask your parents about that. I am not qualified to answer that, especially for children. Anyhow, that’s not the point. After the flood ended, God gave humans permission to eat animals for food. In Genesis chapter 9, God said

    
    And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
    
    2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth [upon] the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
    
    3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
    
    

    “So you see, animals exist to be eaten, which reminds me, I brought hot dogs,” said Luke.

    The children hissed and booed at Luke. They wanted no part of eating animals, and they were quite traumatized by the Noah’s Ark story. They asked Chad to tell another Daniel story.

    “Of course, I can tell you a story,” said Chad.

    “Many years after King Nebuchadnezzar died, and also his son Belshazzar was killed, a new king named Darius took over. In spite of this, Daniel was still trusted by the new king and still considered a wise man or a prophet because he had interpreted dreams for King Nebuchadnezzar and had translated the writing on the wall for Belshazzar. He was assigned to be in authority over the princes and presidents,” said Chad.

    “The presidents and princes became jealous of Daniel because he was their boss and the king liked him more. Therefore, they tried to find a way to turn the king against him. They asked King Darius to write a decree that for the next 30 days, anyone who prays to any God or human other than him would be thrown into a den of lions. He agreed and wrote a decree that anyone caught praying to someone else would be executed by being thrown into the Lion’s Den. Though he didn’t realize that this was a trap being set for his most trusted servant, Daniel,” said Chad.

    “The men who asked him to make the decree knew they would find Daniel praying near his window as he always had. Daniel knew about the law, but he still prayed to God 3 times a day and didn’t change anything he did.”

    “Why didn’t he just keep his prayers hidden or hide somewhere where the bad guys couldn’t catch him?” said a young boy named Trevor.

    “I think that he knew it was better to be faithful to God and live in his truth, even though he knew he might be in trouble for it,” said Chad.

    “What happened after that?” said multiple children.

    “The princes and presidents told the king that Daniel was still praying to his God, despite the decree. They demanded that he be thrown into the Lion’s Den as was written in the executive order,” said Chad.

    “The king tried to talk his way out of his, but the law of the king could not be disobeyed even by the king himself because he would be admitting he made a mistake and was not a God. He knew he had been tricked by the bad guys. Daniel was thrown into the Lion’s Den, and the king could not eat or sleep that night because he was so worried about Daniel. The next day, he went and found that Daniel was still alive. The lions had not even touched him. Daniel said that God closed the mouth of the lions because he was innocent,” said Chad.

    “At that moment, the king ordered Daniel to be taken out of the den and to throw in all the men who had accused Daniel. The lions tore them each up before they even hit the ground. He then made a new executive order that everyone should worship and pray to the God of Daniel. He believed that he was the true God who could make sure that even hungry lions would not eat the innocent,” said Chad.

    “Come on, Chad, do you really believe this story? Those lions would have eaten Daniel if he were in there all night,” said Luke.

    “Tell me, Luke, do you believe the flood story you told the children in Genesis? Do you really think that a God who prevents lions from eating innocent man would drown all the innocent animals of the whole earth, and that only 8 humans were righteous enough to be saved?” said Chad.

    “Well, these stories are both part of the Bible, so I guess they are both true,” said Luke.

    “But that’s not what I asked you, Luke. I asked whether YOU believe the story you read to the children,” said Chad.

    “I am not sure. But do you believe the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den?” said Luke.

    “You bet I do. It only makes sense. Daniel was innocent, and he had done nothing wrong. We also know that he did not eat meat from last week’s story. He did not have the smell of meat on him, and the lions probably didn’t think he smelled like food. They probably would have left him alone even if God had not intervened. This story not only matches what I believe, but it makes sense to my brain as well,” said Chad.

    The children clapped and continued to enjoy the salty chips and the cool. Lemonade. Chad knew just what their bodies needed in the summer heat and told a story that they could understand and relate to.

    Nobody touched Luke’s hot dogs, not even him. He was too angry to eat. He was jealous of Chad, just like the princes and presidents who had tried to turn King Darius against Daniel.

  • Abortion prevention: don’t forget about the men

    Consider this situation: A man chooses to have sex with a woman who he knows will go for an abortion if she gets pregnant. She does get pregnant. She goes to an abortionist, who performs the abortion. Which of the three people killed the baby? The father, mother, or abortionist?

    It should be obvious that all three people played a part in the abortion. So no matter what your answer, you are partially correct. The father chose to do the one thing that could result in a pregnancy the mother did not want. The mother chose to abort rather than seeking out alternatives. The abortionist was the final step in causing the death of the baby.

    Keeping all of that in mind, if you could go back and talk to one of the people—the father, mother, or abortionist—and convince them to become pro-life, which one would you choose?

    Again, there’s no one right answer, but I would pick the father. Talking to the abortionist could have a major impact if he’s the only abortionist in town and has no one to replace him, but otherwise, the mother will just go elsewhere for the abortion. Of course talking to the mother is good because if her mind changes, the child will live. But will she have the support of the father? He had expected the mother to have an abortion even before they had sex, which implies that he has no interest in taking care of the child.

    Talking to the father makes sense because he has the power to change his ways and stop creating children who will be killed. He also has the ability to support the mother in taking care of the children he is responsible for, making the mother less likely to want to abort. Many women abort due to fear of being a single mother.

    Outreach to women in crisis pregnancy situations is great, but we need to make sure we’re reaching the men too, rather than placing all of the weight on the women. The idea that men are irrelevant to the abortion debate is incredibly misguided.


    This was a post that I submitted to Kelsey Hazzard at Secular Pro-Life back in 2014. At that time, I was still known as Chandler Klebs. You can still read it where Kelsey posted in on the Secular Pro-Life Blog

    http://blog.secularprolife.org/2014/08/abortion-prevention-dont-forget-about.html

  • The Intersection of My Religion and My LGBTQIA+ Activism

    The Question Hook

    “Have you ever been told that you have to choose between your soul and your self? For years, I was warned that my identity and my faith could never occupy the same room. But what if the gap between scripture and advocacy isn’t a canyon we fall into, but a bridge we build?”

    The idea that I had to choose between being a Christian and admitting that I was transgender was strange to me, but it is what other humans seemed to imply. I am too smart to think that other people or God can be fooled by dishonesty. A person who is of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum has the choice about whether to LIE about their feelings, but they can’t change them. Those who come out of the closet are just being honest with themselves and others, which, in my opinion, is always less sinful than the alternative of coming up with new lies.

    Although some claim that their faith caused a change in their gender identity or sexual orientation. I think these are not something the individual does but is forced to undergo over time. Either they are pleasing people and trying to conform to what their church teaches them, or perhaps being gay or transgender doesn’t seem to matter as much when they learn their purpose in life is better served as a single person who can do with fewer friends to influence them in the wrong direction.

    The Universal Code

    “In computing, a binary system uses ones and zeros to build infinite worlds, yet we treat the gender binary as a cage. What if God’s mind isn’t a simple ‘either-or,’ but a complex digital landscape? Understanding this logic didn’t just save my faith—it revealed how my advocacy is the ultimate prayer.”

    There have been moments when I almost feel I see something supernatural and beyond anything I was taught about God or the power of the soul. When I am deep into math algorithms used in my computer programs, I sometimes am shocked by the idea that math is a Universal Language, which is at least partially represented by programming languages and the traditional math notation used by physicists and other mathematicians. Humans may have invented the symbols used, but they never could have created numbers, colors, or geometric primitive because these things must exist before anything else can exist.

    Many religions cannot agree on how many gods there are or whether the one Christian God is split into 3 parts. Others like me tend to believe in a dualistic bi-theism where good and evil can only be defined when both exist. Otherwise, the statement that God is good and the devil is bad makes no sense.

    But beyond that, it is important to see that the binary numeral system is the closest way of representing this duality in computers. Perhaps this is why it is the checkerboard or the yin-yang of everything, I believe.

    The Provocative Question

    “What if respecting the identity of the LGBTQIA+ community is precisely what Jesus would have done if he walked the earth in 2026? Most assume faith and advocacy are at war, but I’m deconstructing that myth. Let’s reconcile tradition with authenticity to prove these worlds are beautifully and inherently compatible.”

    When looking at the character of Jesus. He spent a lot of time around the sinners and was often criticized by religious leaders for it. I like to think that Jesus might actually be a better example for people like me than he was for mainstream heterosexual and cisgender people.

    After all, if Jesus is God, and humans, both male AND female, are made in the image of God. Then clearly God is not simply a man or a woman. Even if he presented as a man two thousand years ago, this says very little about what he truly was before he came to inhabit a human body. The pronoun he is only a convenience and tradition, but I would not call it a reality, especially when I don’t identify with my birth sex because it never felt right.

    Of course, much of this is speculation, but I think it is fair to make connections to modern topics that were not discussed in ancient times but are relevant today. In fact, none of the things in the Bible match our modern society. There were no cars, airplanes, or computers in the ancient Middle East. The English language didn’t even exist back then.

    But there is no doubt that gay, transgender, and intersex people would have existed during Jesus’ time. The closest mention of it is what he said about eunuchs.


    "9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

    10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

    11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

    12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." – Matthew 19:9-12


    Clearly, some of us were born different. I would argue that the LGBTQIA+ people were what Jesus was referring to, although the language we use today didn’t exist back then. Even if it had, we can assume most of Jesus’ audience were cisgender and heterosexual people. Those of us who are not like the majority must find our own path.

    And the final question that I think about every day is: Am I a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven’s sake? I am not sure what it means, but I can’t help but feel it is relevant in some way that I don’t have the education to understand.

  • Chapter 17: Blessed are the Peacemakers

    Right now, in September 2025, the world has gone mad on social media, with everyone having an opinion on the murder of Charlie Kirk. I have no such opinion about him but I think it is a fine time to remind you why I have been committed to non-violence for many years. Therefore, my only statement that I will ever make is that it doesn’t matter who Charlie was or whether you like the things he said; the fact is, nobody should be shot just for what they are speaking.

    I didn’t know Charlie and I didn’t know who he was prior to his being shot on September 10, 2025. However, I thought it was quite strange that this one act of murder got so much media attention, even though people are getting shot, bombed, stabbed, or starved to death, including many of those who are innocent and have done nothing wrong.

    Although I didn’t know Charlie Kirk personally, I think he had the right idea because he did not commit violence against people, but instead he had debates with them and talked about disagreements rather than resorting to violence. He talked to people, and he said some things that people disagreed with sometimes. After the news broke that he was shot, many people on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok were celebrating that he was shot and said he deserved it.

    The real tragedy is not the death of Charlie Kirk but the death of freedom of speech. If you kill someone just because you don’t like what they said, then the same reasoning could be used to kill you when someone doesn’t like what you said.

    Moreover, I think violence is for the weak. I think it takes a stronger person to have difficult conversations about areas of disagreement and try to resolve them through peaceful means. I personally think that guns, bombs, and all manner of military equipment should be destroyed because nobody should be killing anyone.

    Let me be clear, I understand that others are violent and that they do not follow my philosophy of radical pacifism and peaceful protest. I also don’t think someone can reach this stage without an evolution in ethics and a strong moral framework based on a solid philosophy or religion.

    To be a peacemaker is to take the hard route, instead of the easy path of violence. Living peacefully and resolving conflicts takes time, conversations, studying history, reading books, and considering each new issue as it arises.

    Charlie was not perfect. He was just as flawed as any human is, but he did identify as a Christian, and I think he would have understood that violence is not good. Those who call themselves Christians would do well to remember what Jesus said about the importance of being peaceful and non-violent.


    Matthew 26:47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 (Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him!”) 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and took hold of Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of those with Jesus grabbed his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father and that he would send me more than 12 legions of angels right now? 54 How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” 55 At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. 56 But this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.


    Charlie was not a Vegan, unfortunately, and he did not take a Vegan seriously when they brought up the issue. Although Charlie called himself Pro-Life when it came to humans, he was dismissive of the idea that we should not cause unnecessary suffering and death to animals. He also interrupted a lot and changed the subject.

    Charlie Kirk Deleted This Debate With a Vegan

    I Debated Charlie Kirk – He Deleted The Video

    I bring this up not to say that Charlie deserved to be shot. Rather, I mention it to show why even his attitudes and those who celebrated his death are operating under a culture of violence. People believe that they have the right to kill any animal, including humans, as soon as they disagree with them or are of a difference race, species, religion, or political affiliation.

    Charlie got the Vegan topic wrong, and sadly, due to his death, we will never see him become consistently pro-life.

    There is one thing I do agree with Charlie on, though; he was right to be against abortion. In fact, one of the things many people criticized him for was saying that the 45 million babies killed in abortion was worse than the Holocaust, where 6 million Jews were killed.

    Charlie Kirk Compares Abortion to the Holocaust

    Charlie’s logic is correct on this issue. Deciding that a group of people is unwanted or undesirable and then killing them all is an unjustifiable genocide.

    And if Charlie were still alive, I would suggest to him that he use this same logic to reconsider what humans do to animals.

    https://christspiracy.com/

    The Ugly Truth: Most Important Films to Watch

    At this time, people are also trying to blame the transgender people for the death of Charlie Kirk. I must admit that part of the problem is that so many young people, including many transgender people, are celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk. This does not make us look any better in a time when we are the most hated group of people in the United States of America.

    Shortly after the death of Charlie Kirk, I couldn’t help but notice that the attitudes of some of my coworkers had changed towards me. Everyone was talking about the death of Charlie Kirk because it was all over the news media. They looked at me as if I had killed him, just because I am transgender.

    I didn’t want to make a statement about this issue, but I also felt a responsibility to say something because I will not risk my silence being interpreted as meaning that I am in favor of the murder of Charlie Kirk.

    When Transgender people are happy about the death of some famous dude like Charlie, how is it any better than when people murder transgender people?

    When Charlie jokes and cuts off a Vegan who questions him on veganism, how is he any better than those who laughed at him after he was shot?

    In times like this when a single word can inspire people to shoot or bomb people, I am reminded of a quote from Schindler’s List when Oskar Schindler explained what true power is to Amon Goeth.


    Schindler: They fear us because we have the power to kill arbitrarily. A man commits a crime, he should know better. We have him killed and we feel pretty good about it. Or we kill him ourselves and we feel even better. That’s not power, though, that’s justice. That’s different than power. Power is when we have every justification to kill – and we don’t. Goeth: You think that’s power.

    Schindler: That’s what the emperors had. A man stole something, he’s brought in before the emperor, he throws himself down on the ground, he begs for mercy, he knows he’s going to die. And the emperor pardons him. This worthless man, he lets him go.

    Goeth: I think you are drunk.

    Schindler: That’s power, Amon. That is power.


    Similarly, I think true power is to be able to do better than violence. Instead, we can educate, we can peacefully protest, and we can write and record ideas that live long after we die. Which reminds me, I have one more quote to share for this chapter.


    V: “Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.”


    Killing people does not stop their ideas, their philosophy, their religion, or anything that they stood for. The death of someone solves nothing, helps no one, and is nothing to celebrate. Instead of killing people, become a peacemaker, because that is true power.

    Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.