by Johnny Townsend The religious right is ramping up for a modern-day crusade. That’s not a metaphor. Racially motivated killings are in the news every day. Homophobic and transphobic murders are committed regularly. Poor men and women are forced to work in conditions that will kill a significant portion of…
Author: Johnny Townsend
The Answer to Climate Denial Can Be Found in Porn
by Johnny Townsend I work in an adult video store, a job that’s given me unexpected insight into the motivations of good, religious people willing to continue accelerating global warming no matter how much personal suffering they experience as a result. Granted, I have other experiences—four years at a Baptist…
The Gospel of Misery
by Johnny Townsend “Man is, that he might be miserable.” Mormons are moral ascetics, demanding secular bans on alleviating misery whenever possible. Could the state of Utah or the U.S. federal government afford to provide healthcare to its citizens? Yes, but that would improve everyone’s quality of life. Could the…
That Time King Noah Had Our Back
by Johnny Townsend A former missionary colleague told me President Trump “has our back” in regard to tariffs, climate, and pretty much everything else. He said I was being manipulated to believe the “Angry Swedish Girl” over Trump, who is looking out for us by abandoning the Paris Agreement, which…
A Stingy God
by Johnny Townsend On the surface, Mormons are generous. They give a full ten percent of their income to their church. They donate countless hours every week to various “callings,” as Sunday School teachers, Nursery leaders, temple workers, and janitors. The bishop of every congregation may volunteer 20 hours each…
Does the Second Anointing Explain Mormon Support for Trump?
by Johnny Townsend I am baffled that so many Mormons support Donald Trump. At one point, the percentage of Mormon Trump supporters was the highest of any religion (61% according to a 2017 Gallup poll). While some Mormon opposition has existed from the start, the vast majority of Mormons heartily…
Climate Crisis Threatens the Mormon Church
by Johnny Townsend While the devastating effects of the climate crisis will help fulfill prophecies about the terrors of the “last days,” that’s about the only benefit the Mormon Church will receive from them. Virtually every other effect will weaken the Church. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of…
Woe unto Them That Are with Child
by Johnny Townsend If you were a Jewish couple in 1938 Berlin, would you choose to bring a child into the world? Groups like Conceivable Future and Birthstrike are among several that have formed recently as more and more young people watching weather reports every day face a question most…
A War on Religion
by Johnny Townsend Religious conservatives often accuse secular or inclusive people of conducting a “War on Christmas!” or “War on Religion!” or “War on God!” I would rephrase that. I and many others are anxiously engaged in conducting a war against ignorance, a war against bigotry and selfishness and greed…
Eyes in the Back of My Head
by Johnny Townsend In the life of every atheist raised in a religious household, there comes a moment when we encounter our first question that can’t be answered. For me, it was when as a young Mormon teen reading lots of science fiction novels, I encountered aliens with amazing abilities….