Faith
Mr. Clark and Ohg Rea Tone
Last year Mr. Clark, the Editor of this magazine took away my writing privileges because he said I was too caustic. I got it. I am sarcastic – and I understand sarcasm can be toxic. I was told that I rant and rave too much. He likes my witticisms. He thinks I am clever. He […]
7Mar2014 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Duck Dynasty – When Rednecks Are No Longer Funny
You might be a redneck if you go to family reunions looking for girls. Pretty funny stuff right there. God forgive me. Duck Dynasty is a reality show airing on A&E. The premise is simple – some rednecks living in the swamplands of Louisiana became rich selling hand wrought Duck calls. But, alas, they remain […]
25Dec2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Duck Dynasty – When Rednecks Are No Longer Funny | Continued
The Ressurection of Ohg Rea Tone
Ohg Tone and I have been friends for forty years. I first remember him when my oldest daughter was two years old. Ohg showed up and brought sarcastic humor into my family. As crude as he is – there is always a spark of humor. Ohg became a writer for thefiresidepost.com in 2007. After five […]
25Dec2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on The Ressurection of Ohg Rea Tone | Continued
Faith or Ideology – Checking Personal Morality
This guy “Francis, Pope” made some comments recently regarding Christian ideology. He must be famous or something because the internet is frying cables in dispensing his remarks. Who he is is not as important was what he said. I believe that words and ideas stand alone, regardless of who conjured them. Mr. Francis said something […]
10Dec2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Faith or Ideology – Checking Personal Morality | Continued
A Personal Fight With Social Injustice
Most of my adult life people have treated me as if I am particularly intelligent. Some have openly called me intellectual. My thought was usually that they were mistaken, that I am well read and speak well. When I take a shower and dress in a suit I present pretty well. I did not receive […]
5Dec2013 | Gary Clark | 3 comments | Continued
Mars conjunct Mars – A Friendly Warning
My friend of many years does the Astrology thing. My personal aversion to Astrology is less than my aversion to other more acceptable organized religions. My friend happens to test genius on IQ tests. He is also well educated with terminal degrees. He reads, he thinks, he ponders, he hikes mountains and canyons, his is […]
27Nov2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Mars conjunct Mars – A Friendly Warning | Continued
Job – More Fun With Christians
DarkMatter2525 has come through again. This time with the satirical interpretation of the Book of Job. The humor is blatant, the sarcasm unveiled, the truth challenged. My view is that these folks are doing a great service to humanity. Any healthy Christian faith must recognize the absurdity of the literal interpretation of the Bible. Comments […]
26Nov2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Job – More Fun With Christians | Continued
Bible Biology – Esau and Jacob
Bible biology is always a complex matter. If there were no complexities in bearing children (like a sterile woman) what use would we have of God? Take the case of Jacob and Esau. They would not exist without the intervention of a loving God. Well, one might have to understand that God is loving but […]
26Nov2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Bible Biology – Esau and Jacob | Continued
Preparing For The Emotional Downtime of Winter
I am a sunshine guy. I much prefer hot weather to cold. With St. Joseph, Missouri, as my hometown my weather experience is of all extremes. Northwest Missouri is like that – the joke is this: If you don’t like Missouri weather wait a day and it will change. Being a sunshine guy does not […]
17Sep2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Preparing For The Emotional Downtime of Winter | Continued
Jesus For Dummies
Christianity has spread around the globe – or at least some version of Christianity. The question is: What is the correct truth? or perhaps: Is there a definitive truth? or: Is truth personal? A little background might help. For the purpose of limiting our discussion to Christianity we will start around 1500 C.E. There was […]
14Aug2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Jesus For Dummies | Continued
Alcohol is Not a Truth Serum
My volunteer work takes me to the front lines of the war on addiction. Yesterday I was quietly minding my own business, in a place known for alcoholism traffic, when a staggering drunk passed by. Ron was a happy drunk. He laughed when he told the obvious, “I’m pretty drunk”. Personally, I don’t believe anyone […]
26Jul2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Alcohol is Not a Truth Serum | Continued
Crude Jesus, Christmas, Church Jokes
JESUS: Jesus walks into a hotel. He hands the room clerk three nails and says, “Can you put me up for the night? I don’t care who you are, get back in the boat and help us row. I don’t care who you are, drop that cross one more time and you are out of […]
23Jun2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Crude Jesus, Christmas, Church Jokes | Continued
Jesus in Pencil
Art – That element of human communications dubiously defined by subjection. Kitch – that which we all know is scorned by people who identify themselves as artists – that is how we know it is kitch. Jesus – That man who changed the world. Apparently a historical figure, the likeness of Jesus has been debated […]
18Jun2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Jesus in Pencil | Continued
Suicide – The Burden of the Village
Most of us have some experience with suicide – someone we know has taken their own life. Such a death is difficult in every possible manner. Families cry together. Distraught disbelief overwhelms us. Our emotional system is shocked to the core. We feel personally defeated. We often feel we have failed, failed our loved one […]
25May2013 | Gary Clark | 3 comments | Continued
The Cruel Hoax of Fanatics
Our dog is something of a rescue dog – she was turned over to a veterinary clinic with a gash on her head and one eye-ball literally hanging out. We took responsibility for the dog ($800 over two years). We do not know her age. Obviously we know she suffered some trauma in her life. […]
18May2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on The Cruel Hoax of Fanatics | Continued
My God is Better Than Your Allah
Mr. Clark is sick today so I come in to write for him. My name is Ohg Tone. He say I can write what I want so I going to write about what is wrong with this world the way I see it. My God is better than that fella called Allah. I had a […]
3May2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on My God is Better Than Your Allah | Continued
The Agenda of Theological Seminary – a False Prophet
Crystal Gayle would sing, “Now I go down this wrong road again, going back to where I’ve already been”. That should be the theme song for theological seminary. The purpose of theological seminary is to frame the nonsense of juvenile teachings about religion in a more adult manner. I am going to paint with a […]
30Apr2013 | Gary Clark | 4 comments | Continued
On Alcoholics Anonymous – A Letter From Prison
Corresponding with an inmate in the Missouri prison system can be rewarding – and it can be heartbreaking. My friend Joey is again in prison. Joey is not a criminal – but four DUI’s will get anyone some time behind bars. I met Joey when he was in Drug Court. He was my client. As […]
22Apr2013 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Prop 8 As A Catalyst For Positive Change
Irony is afoot. The latest polls show that there are now more Americans supporting Gay Marriage than before the turbulent reaction to California’s Proposition 8. Proposition 8 is a California initiative which denies the right of same sex couple to marry. I have to ask, “Why?” Why this swift change in ideology? What argument is […]
27Mar2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Prop 8 As A Catalyst For Positive Change | Continued
Grand Canyon Toenails and Grease Bombs
Like humans, the Colorado River traverses the path it carved. The Grand Canyon is the ultimate in manifest Karma. A harsh, brutal, climate created some of the greatest wonders on this planet. For some reason people like to go there. We like to float down the river. We like the danger of the rapids, the […]
7Mar2013 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
The Allegory of the Forest – Carl Jung’s Collective
There are no more trees. No more forested wildlife. Humans no longer have terms for forest or wildlife. The Earth was deforested many years ago. Some older adults remember playing in the woods. No pictures, photographs, exist. There are many drawings by children. Some drawings are done in pencil, others in water colors – some […]
28Feb2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on The Allegory of the Forest – Carl Jung’s Collective | Continued
Demons – Jesus and Jung
Another question to the Jungian psychologist – Jesus cast out demons, how does this relate to Jung? How might these demons be the same or different? My friend is a Jungian psychotherapist – He and I read much of the same material – but he is way ahead of me on Jung – so I […]
27Feb2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Demons – Jesus and Jung | Continued
Some “Pope” Resignation Headlines
Pope Benedict the something has resigned. Some of our politicians might consider the example. No Pope has resigned his office in the last 590 years. Shocked, the news media went into action. There were some pretty funny and clever headlines. Here are a few: “Holy see you later” “Vacancy at the Vatican” “Can Popes do […]
12Feb2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | ContinuedTo Be, or Not To Be – Do We Have a Choice?
Hamlet asked, “To be or not to be?” That was his question. He was addressing some new information in his life which presented ethical questions – like “Do I shed more blood or do I let it go?” The question has presented itself many times in my life. Generally, I shed the blood. So I […]
24Jan2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on To Be, or Not To Be – Do We Have a Choice? | Continued
Jef Foxworthy on Being a Missourian
(This was taken in its entirety from an email). Missouri according to Jeff Foxworthy: If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t even work there, you may live in Missouri. If you’ve worn shorts and a jacket at the same time, you may live in Missouri. … If you’ve had […]
5Jan2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Jef Foxworthy on Being a Missourian | Continued
Does Astrology Deserve a Second Look?
Astrology – that demonic foolishness of psychics, the dreadful life of superstition, the means by which Nancy Reagan corrupted the White House. How many ways can we dismiss Astrology as something not of sane purpose? Have we been unfair? I only know that I have. I never gave Astrology a first look. I dismissed the […]
30Oct2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
Theology and Boundaries
When we step on the wet leaves of spirituality we risk slipping and falling. The fall can be disastrous. We might whack our heads and wake up with all sorts of belief systems that cannot be scientifically proved. Consider this: Some believe in a virgin birth. Some believe in bodily resurrection. Some believe there was […]
30Oct2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Grand Canyon Rafting – National Park Service Orientation Video
Excitement abounds. After a hard year in my life I will wrap up 2012 with a very dear old friend on a 25 day rafting/camping trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon National Park. The trip has a degree of danger so the Park Rangers require an orientation – first by video (included […]
25Oct2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Grand Canyon Rafting – National Park Service Orientation Video | Continued
Who Am I? Searching for the Modern Identity
I am liberal, angry, Aries, impatient, intolerant, loving, forceful, kind, intense, educated, brother, son, father, grandfather, friend, forgiving, humble, proud. Which defines me? Any? All? Am I modern? Post-modern? And who are you? To whom do I answer? What philosophy? Religion? Country? Club? We live in a complex world, a fast world requiring quick judgement […]
13Oct2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
The Crusades of the Religious Fundamentalists
The 21st Century is shaping up much like that of a thousand years past. A few Muslims poked us in the eye and all of our kinfolk came out of the woods to defend our honor – something like that. We do not intend in any way to suggest the the horrid attacks on our […]
2Oct2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Religious Tools of the Trade: The Church, The Bible, and The Doctrine
When we learn to use the tools and hone our craft, we can make something beautiful. When we leverage the Bible for our own purpose or to prove our own point, or use our doctrine to manipulate people into uniformity, or even use the church to grow the church rather than invest in the community, then we misuse the tools of the trade.
10Aug2012 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued
Boy Scouts – False Prophets – Eject Gay Eagle Scout
According to the St, Joseph, Missouri, News Press, “A 19 year old Boy Scout has lost his job at Camp Geiger after disclosing that he is gay”. Words like ‘hypocrisy’ come to mind. That boy was “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent,” and what did that get him? […]
19Jul2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Can Hatred Counter Love?
Is hate more powerful than love? Does hate match love dollar for dollar? Hate is proportionate to love – the more one loves, the more one can hate. The comparison is not one for one. Have you ever been consumed with bitter hatred for many weeks, stretching into months, or years? Hate does that. Hatred […]
15Jul2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
The Rule of Law and the United Methodist Mistake
The next generations will inherit this church, and I am afraid they will inherit a church that does not reflect the kind of inclusion and hope for humanity that they are seeking in order to understand their relationship with God.
4May2012 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued
Bad Religion
Religion tends to be about the rules, about the law. Spirituality tends to deal in Grace and Mercy and personal progression. Religion, balanced with grace, mercy, and progress, can be a powerful catalyst for personal growth.
17Apr2012 | bryan | 4 comments | Continued
Faith, Fear, and Defibrulating the Right
The right is suffering from an arrest of reason, and much like cardiac arrest, when one is faced with possible demise, their thoughts are turning to the afterlife.
19Mar2012 | bryan | Comments Off on Faith, Fear, and Defibrulating the Right | Continued
Conservatives Blame Solar Flares on God’s Anger
Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods, Pestilence, all products of an Angry God – determined to punish the United States of America for loathsome behavior. I can hear it now. Pat Robertson and Rick Santorum must be going crazy with delight. The latest round of Solar Flares are caused by God. God does not like the way we […]
8Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Conservatives Blame Solar Flares on God’s Anger | Continued
Save Yourself – Then Pull Up the Ladder
It is not in the nature of man to escape danger and then abandon fellow humans who face the same danger. We see examples in every war of courageous self sacrifice to rescue fellow soldiers. We often see firefighters or police officers risk their own safety to help others. The idea works well at an […]
8Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Three Wise Men and One Virgin
You can’t make this stuff up. I have heard that before – but these guy made this stuff up: Jay Leno said, “The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn’t for any religious reasons. They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin.” Sometimes the comedians […]
24Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Three Wise Men and One Virgin | Continued
Schizophrenia – A Family Affair
I am convinced that mental illness permeates my family. There are no diagnosis – no testimonials of counselors or case workers. There is fear. Fear of venturing to ask any questions. Fear of unknown possibilities. Fear of helpless damnation. Families keep secrets because families are ashamed. And that, my friends, is the problem. Ignorance abounds. […]
13Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Schizophrenia – A Family Affair | Continued
Cisco – A Tale of Addiction, Justice, and Redemption
People are dying. Our Prisons are full. Families are being destroyed. Government sponsored religion in the Criminal Justice System is not working. Federal, State, and Local funds are rewarding bad behavior. We are talking about the Criminal Justice System sanctioned treatment programs for alcohol and drug addiction – substance abuse treatment. Cisco, A Tale of […]
1Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
Traditional Conservatives – An Oxymoron
There was a time when to say someone was conservative was to say that they were invested in healthy tradition. Change for the sake of change was a foolish notion. In the world of the twenty-first century the conservatives have changed the meaning to something more like: Progress for the sake of Progress is a […]
5Nov2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Mormons – the beginning theology
Mitt Romney has refocused thought on the Mormon Church. Some evangelicals have problems with the Mormons – and I think they should. We have to consider the Mormons in a historical context to understand some of their faith positions. I will attempt to address this topic from memory – we’ll see if I have to […]
8Oct2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
2011 – Dawn of the 21st Century
On September 11, 2001, the rooster crowed. A new age was upon us but the world was slow to awaken. Stumbling in the early morning darkness we knocked over two countries, alienated our friends, and disrupted world commerce. The people of the United States have finally wiped the sleep from their eyes and the Dawn […]
11Sep2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on 2011 – Dawn of the 21st Century | Continued
Everything Happens For A Reason
Have you ever heard anyone say, “Everything happens for a reason?” I have. And I just shake my head in wonder. It seems that people need some assurance that someone or something is in control – if not themselves. What do you suppose was the ‘reason’ for the shooting of Representative Giffords? I surely do […]
9Jun2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 6 comments | Continued
The Romantic Ideal – Flawed Thinking or Good Old Optimism?
The good guy gets the good girl – and conversely the good girl gets the good guy. Bad guys always lose. High moral standards, good character, hard work, and unwavering principles always find victory. Bad governments do not endure while noble governments prevail. The era of romantic literature has revisited modernity – with predictable disastrous […]
28May2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on The Romantic Ideal – Flawed Thinking or Good Old Optimism? | Continued
Let The Wild Man Out
I don’t mean to be chauvinistic – but this post is about men in particular. More specifically, how do boys become men? There are many ideas – participate in sports, become an Eagle Scout, join the military, go to college, get a job and get married and have children – these events will make men […]
28Feb2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Let The Wild Man Out | Continued
Investing Our Self In A Cause
When we completely invest ourselves in any cause we risk our sanity. From religion to politics to civil rights to social justice – to being employed in a noble profession – any cause can be consuming. Problems come when we identify ourselves in the context of the cause. We risk losing touch with social norms. […]
14Jan2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Investing Our Self In A Cause | Continued
Muslim Rednecks
I know a bunch of Rednecks. They live in my neighborhood and gather at my family functions. Their language is unique, something like Ebonics but with a twang. There are not many Muslims around Northwest Missouri – or at least they don’t publicly admit to their faith. About a hundred years ago regular Catholics did […]
25Aug2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Religious Tolerance Is An Oxy-Moron, Let The Spitting Begin
It seems the very definition of religion would deny tolerance. What are some words that are synonymous with religion? Superstition? Superhuman? Faith? Grace? Devotion? Ritual? Or phrases: Fundamental set of beliefs? A Particular set of beliefs? Ritual observance of faith? Strict faithfulness? Deep conviction? Which of these words or phrases represent tolerance? None! The inherent […]
4Aug2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Religious Tolerance Is An Oxy-Moron, Let The Spitting Begin | Continued