About

Mission Statement
Holy Blasphemy is committed to embracing the entirety of the living experience, appreciating the noble humanity of all people, and respecting each individual’s personal relationship with divinity. Blasphemy is the practice of speaking out against dated religious customs and clearing the way to a fuller appreciation of truth, and is considered by us to be a sacred duty for the spiritually eager.

We are inventing a new category for ourselves, and find ourselves alone in it. But from here we can offer a fresh and original point of view. It is easier understand our position in contrast with what we are not.

Who Aren’t We?
We are not Atheists. We believe that there is something mystical about our experience, and be it an objective metaphysical reality or a subjective projection of ourselves, it is nevertheless a key part of the human journey. We often use the term “God” as a blanket title to identify this mystery, even though our idea of God is almost entirely without attributes.

We are not Religious. Although we sympathize with spiritualists of all faiths, and have also found the benefits of prayer, song, art, candles, incense, congregation and community that usually accompany religious traditions, we see in religion the danger of certainty. Certainty, especially in something that is not widely accepted, cannot be proved, and may even contradict empirical evidence, is the root of righteousness. We also find that certainty is limiting, both for the believer and the object of faith.

More specifically, we are not Christians. We believe Christianity is a vehicle for a very robust spiritual process, and that it uses symbols and allegory, as well as parables, to introduce complex philosophical truths. We also believe it can be an effective and satisfying form of spiritual practice; encouraging generosity, humility, and gratitude. It can even enhance a feeling of connection, purpose, and being-loved, accepted and forgiven. That said, under full investigation, the Bible turns out to be not historical truth but religious literature – which is fantastic, because, were Jesus a historical person, it would cause all kind of damning and impossible contradictions (for example, why God loves white people more than asians, indians, or africans).

We are not Skeptics. While we understand the desire and need to collect data and present rational arguments to support our beliefs and views, we do not automatically discredit what appears to be impossible or irrational. In the absence of proof, there is only possibility.

We consciously strive to avoid defining labels, in case in our naming of things we influence their nature. As far as possible, we have no agenda, only a passionate curiosity to seek and discover.

On Scholarship

All writers have an agenda – they think something is true, and then they try to prove it. Research is never absolutely objective, because researchers, and humanity in general, are pattern seeking animals. We make connections between things. We group, we classify, we infer and we assume.

However, this does not invalidate research, nor does it make the conclusions of the researcher false on principle. Some of the issues discussed on this website are sensitive topics, and it may seem easier to critique the author rather than face the evidence. For our part, we have tried to provide sources and further references for every claim and every quote, and we have relied on no unverified statements.

Many will disagree with our conclusions because they seem to attack Faith and Religion specifically. This is not so: We attack much more. Any instance of inherited folly, any unreasonable prejudice, any unsupported assumption will fall under the knife of our criticism. We are well aware of the limits of rationalism, and even it, along with philosophy, skepticism and atheism, will fall under the lens of our investigation.

A Warning

That said, this is not an unbiased website. I have both an opinion and an agenda: I am trying to convert you. I care about how and what you think, because you are a participating member of this global society. The way we live our lives affects all things, and I do not feel comfortable allowing everyone to choose and persist in ideas which may be psychologically and sociologically disastrous; especially when the loudest and most outspoken generators of meaning are evangelical pamphlets, political media brainwashing, and the advertising campaigns of marketing executives.

We are in a critical moment in our history – on the very brink of ecological and sociological disasters so powerful and destructive that we will not survive them. It is our beliefs, and nothing else, which will motivate our most critical decisions. I see it is my duty to no less than save the world, by influencing as many people as possible to take responsibility for it.

This is a great and difficult task, for “minority literature” or the politics of difference and change, will always find more resistance than support. While it may be easy to gain sympathy from some, it is nearly impossible not to alienate many. I hope in this website to inspire every person in a manner or language that is appropriate for them: in addition to writing boring essays, I will entertain and dance. I will be a Carlyle for the intellectuals and a Byron for the masses. I will shock with poetry, marvel with fiction and narrative, and enlighten with prose. And if I fail in the attempt, I’ll change mediums.