I write about the complex intersection between life, faith, culture, religion, politics, and spirituality. Here for community and conversation. ABOUT ME: Once upon a time, Dan Foster was a prolific poet and writer. Then he grew up, got a job, had a family, and got busy spending many years as an educator, pastor, school teacher, and youth worker, writing took a back seat while he set about striving to attain a utopian existence that belies the reality of life. Fortunately, Life knew this and thrust him into the classroom of misfortune and pain, where he experienced burnout and mental health challenges. Here, he learned a whole lot of valuable lessons. Life then compelled him to pick up his pen again and give voice to the reality of broken dreams, sadness, grief, loss, and depression so that others might find comfort, hope, and solidarity in the shared human experience of suffering. Dan writes especially for Church alumni and religious refugees, and those who have experienced the reality of spiritual abuse, disappointment with the church, and doubts about their faith. Dan has Bachelor's Degrees in both Education and Theology and a Diploma in Business. He is the CEO of the Centre for Men & Families, Australia, a charity that supports men and their families through times of crisis and change. Dan is also the facilitator of The Backyard Church Online, a community for people who have faith but struggle to be a part of traditional churches, and he is the author of "Leaving Church, Finding God: Discovering Faith Beyond Organized Religion" and "Limbo Land: Poems from the In-Between."
The Backyard Church Newsletter - November 2022
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I started off this month by watching the hit Netflix series about serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. After all, it is the top rating show in virtually every country on earth. Like many people, I was troubled by this docuseries, but not just because of the violence. For me it presented a deep ethical question for Christians. So, I wrote about blog post and, sure enough, it made some waves.
This month I also stumbled across some research that suggests that government support for Christianity can actually be a catalyst for church decline. Who would have thought?!
Plus, I discuss why Jesus would probably get kicked out of your church, the conservative Christian obsession with capital punishment and, for something a little lighter, I present 10 secular songs that I think make great worship songs! Yes, it's possible to find God everywhere!
Whoever you are, wherever you are, I hope you are entertained and challenged by this month's top articles!
FORGIVING JEFFREY DAHMER: NETFLIX SERIES POSES A TROUBLING ETHICAL QUESTION: If you were troubled by the hit Netflix series about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, then you're not alone. But it's not just the violence that got me. It's the fact that Dahmer appears to become a Christian. False conversion or legitimate salvation?
WHY REPUBLICANS WILL FINALLY DESTROY THE CHURCH IN THE USA: State support for the church is good, right? That's what I was always told. But, new research has show that as governmental support for Christianity increases, the number of Christians decreases. Yes, the more Christians clutch at political power, the faster they drive Christianity to extinction.
WHY JESUS WOULD GET KICKED OUT OF THE CHURCH: How do you think Jesus would go if he attended a modern church? I'm fairly sure that he would make some waves. In fact, I think he would get kicked out of the church pretty quickly. Here's why:
WHO WOULD JESUS EXECUTE: It strikes me as strange that many conservative Christians, particularly in the USA, are advocates for the death penalty. In fact, one Christian nationalist is pushing for an increase in both the number of offenses punishable by death, and the speed at which we execute people sentence to death.
TEN SECULAR SONGS THAT MAKE GREAT WORSHIP: When I finally left behind my evangelical roots, I discovered that I did not become possessed by demons when I started listening to secular music. What is more, I was a little bit shocked when I found myself connecting with God through songs that often had nothing to do with God.
SIX QUOTES THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE: Renowned psychologist Carl Jung was a genius. So, just for fun, I present to you my six favourite Jungian quotes. I believe that each of these quotes communicates a profound truth - one that has the power to change a person’s outlook on life completely.
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- A safe place for your faith to fall apart without being judged for it.
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- Connection with like-minded people from all over the world who are on a similar journey
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The Valuable Time of Maturity
I counted my years
and realized that
I have less time to live by,
than I have lived so far.
I have more past than future.
I feel like that boy who got a bowl of cherries.
At first, he gobbled them,
but when he realized there were only few left,
he began to taste them intensely.
I no longer have time to deal with mediocrity.
I do not want to be in meetings where flamed egos parade.
I am bothered by the envious,
who seek to discredit the most able,
to usurp their places, coveting their seats,
talent, achievements and luck.
I do not have time for endless conversations,
useless to discuss about the lives of others
who are not part of mine.
I no longer have the time to manage
sensitivities of people who despite their chronological age, are immature.
I hate to confront those that struggle for power,
those that ‘do not debate content, just the labels’.
My time has become scarce to debate labels,
I want the essence.
My soul is in a hurry …
Not many cherries in my bowl,
I want to live close to human people, very human,
who laugh of their own stumbles,
and away from those turned smug
and overconfident with their triumphs,
away from those filled with self-importance.
The essential is what makes life worthwhile.
And for me, the essentials are enough!
Yes, I’m in a hurry.
I’m in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.
I do not intend to waste any of the remaining cherries.
I am sure they will be exquisite, much more than those eaten so far.
My goal is to reach the end satisfied
and at peace with my loved ones and my conscience.
And per Confucius “We have two lives
and the second begins when you realize you only have one.”
by Mario de Andrade
If you've got an idea for an article that you think I should write, then get in touch with me! Yes, I'm happy to have a go at answering any of your questions because hey... faith deconstruction can be a lonely road. Let's walk it together! Email thebackyardchurch@gmail.com
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Until next time,
God bless!
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DAN FOSTER
Writer / Poet / Blogger
I write about the complex intersection between life, faith, culture, religion, politics, and spirituality. Here for community and conversation. ABOUT ME: Once upon a time, Dan Foster was a prolific poet and writer. Then he grew up, got a job, had a family, and got busy spending many years as an educator, pastor, school teacher, and youth worker, writing took a back seat while he set about striving to attain a utopian existence that belies the reality of life. Fortunately, Life knew this and thrust him into the classroom of misfortune and pain, where he experienced burnout and mental health challenges. Here, he learned a whole lot of valuable lessons. Life then compelled him to pick up his pen again and give voice to the reality of broken dreams, sadness, grief, loss, and depression so that others might find comfort, hope, and solidarity in the shared human experience of suffering. Dan writes especially for Church alumni and religious refugees, and those who have experienced the reality of spiritual abuse, disappointment with the church, and doubts about their faith. Dan has Bachelor's Degrees in both Education and Theology and a Diploma in Business. He is the CEO of the Centre for Men & Families, Australia, a charity that supports men and their families through times of crisis and change. Dan is also the facilitator of The Backyard Church Online, a community for people who have faith but struggle to be a part of traditional churches, and he is the author of "Leaving Church, Finding God: Discovering Faith Beyond Organized Religion" and "Limbo Land: Poems from the In-Between."
Dear Reader There are moments in a person's life when everything suddenly pivots on a point, and you know immediately that life will never be the same again. This month, I had one of those moments. In fact, I had more than one of those moments. It all started when my wife went to the doctor with some abdominal pain. That was on the 1st of September. Fast forward one month to where we are today, the 1st of October, and we now know that my wife has stage 4 bowel cancer. I write for many...
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