Celebrating Thanksgiving this year (and Black Friday), people have expressed thanks for lots of things: real authentic connections to so many people, damn fine loin fruit, blog readers, a great family and support system, lots of stuff, giving without prejudice, being out of the church, being a gay man and…
Author: chanson
C. L. Hanson is the friendly Swiss-French-American ExMormon atheist mom living in Switzerland! Follow me on mastadon at @chanson@social.linux.pizza or see "letters from a broad" for further adventures!!
A road-trip out of crazy: “Hippie Boy,” by Ingrid Ricks
Dad was a master salesman who could talk anyone into anything, and life on the road with him was the wildest adventure any kid could possibly imagine. Unfortunately, since he was often unreliable and occasionally violent, it wasn’t always the good kind of adventure — but it was a great…
The Armpit of the Mission Field: “Heaven Up Here” by John K. Williams
When John got his mission call to Bolivia, it was like a joke come true. Before the letter came, he and his friends had a running gag that he’d be sent there — because it’s the clich worst-possible foreign mission (see here for a coincidental example). Then he really got…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Democracy Edition!
Everybody’s talking about the 99% movement, which — despite unfriendly police encounters — is still going after two months, and inspiring others. Maybe there’s something to the idea of having no leaders. And when it comes to Democracy vs. Theocracy, remember which side the church is on and which side…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Late Again Edition!
I project that my real-life schedule should lighten up sometime, but unfortunately it won’t be this week or next week. Fortunately, all the other bloggers of Outer Blogness (and beyond) have come through with tons of great posts! Here are some highlights: Non-believers can’t seem to win — non-belief can…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Who’s in Charge? Edition!
Let’s see what’s up in the world of former-Mormons-and-friends this week! Two people have moved on from discussing Mormonism, one has posted an exit story, others are working through their Mormon issues, dreaming of Mormons, contemplating other people’s choices — or interpreting miracles! Jonathan Blake asks whether we should express…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Happy Halloween Edition!
I assume most folks here see nothing wrong with the Mormon Missionary costume, yet would agree with Adrienne that “Pocha-hottie” and company are offensive costume ideas (H/T). Feel free to discuss the difference in this week’s comments. Speaking of Halloween and racism, well… let’s start with racism. As much as…
Building on a Religious Background
The following is an article I wrote for the October / November 2011 issue of Free Inquiry (the magazine of the Council for Secular Humanism), reposted here with permission from the editors. The Oct/Nov issue is a special issue on Mormonism, and one other MSP regular also contributed to it….
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Ladies First Edition!
Fortunately someone came up with a satirical response to that awful tree (among other worthy targets). Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only nonsense the women had to put up with this past week — from minor slights on women’s music to major concerns about women’s health and safety. But women have…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: The “C” Word Edition!
What a wild week! Somewhere in the Republican–Christian world Mormonism got called a cult, and since then people have jumped in to analyze (or write stories about) every aspect of the cult question! Just how cultish is Mormonism? Some explain why Christians don’t consider Mormons Christian, others encourage Christians to…