Mobile Phone Users with Class

In episode 10 of Drunk Ex-Pastors, “Free Whiskey, Bad Teachers, and Sex Education”, I relate a story about my daughter having her phone taken away in class last year. The issue was that, while her regular teacher allowed phone usage in class, the substitute she had that day did not, so her phone was confiscated. To retrieve the phone, I had to make a visit to the school, which ended up with me inadvertently making a more public stand against The Pledge of Allegiance than I had intended. Again, the full story is available in the podcast below. (My thoughts on The Pledge of Allegiance are also available here.) However, this brings up another question: should mobile phone usage be allowed in class? I have two boys about to graduate high … [Read more...]

To School or Not to School

In our discussion during Podcast #10 about education, I remarked that I don’t remember much, if anything, that I “learned” in school. As a matter of fact, most of what I know and use now, besides the basics, I learned after I graduated. It’s not because I was a bad student. I actually graduated with honors. It’s because, for the most part, I wasn’t learning, I was memorizing. If I learned anything, it was how to pass a test! During the podcast, I brought up “unschooling,” which is a non-traditional philosophy of education. It’s also an easy idea to make fun of because the idea of not attending school regularly is ridiculous, right? That idea is mostly for religious zealots and militia members, right? Sometimes our conditioning gets the … [Read more...]

Podcast #10: Free Whiskey, Bad Teachers, and Sex Education

In this edition of Drunk Ex-Pastors, Jason and Christian enjoy their first taste of sponsorship, and love it. (Probably because it tastes like Whiskey.) Christian recounts how his family’s recent vacation to Hawaii caused some problems for his daughter at school which opens up a discussion about education in general and how to keep their kids from becoming mindless drones. A listener’s message moves the conversation from education in general to sex education, which causes some disagreement between Jason and Christian. Perhaps it’s because Jason doesn't have all the years of parenting experience that Christian has, or perhaps it’s because Christian’s years of parenting experience have caused him to become jaded. You’ll have to decide. After … [Read more...]

The News’s Skewed Views

One of the questions that comes up in podcast #9 at 28:45 (available for listening below) is whether or not the news media unfairly represents police officers. If you watch the news frequently, the majority of what you’ll hear about the police (minus the occasional feel good story) is negative: cop beats homeless man, cop shoots black man, cop pepper sprays peaceful protestors, etc. A plethora of these kinds of stories being reported will usually elicit cries of bias and misrepresentation. Really, this is a question that can be applied to any group the news reports on: politicians, bankers, Christians, doctors, etc. When the news reports that a politician is taking bribes, that bankers are manipulating the system, that a pastor had an … [Read more...]

Podcast #9: Cops, Calvary Chapel, Hell, and Football

In this episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors, Jason presents Christian with a gift that he needs but will never use; the discussion turns to whether or not the police force attracts people who were picked on in school and therefore need to take out their frustrations on the powerless and weak; we discuss the recent controversy surrounding the lawsuit against our former church, Calvary Chapel, by two of its now-deceased founding pastor's children; we answer a Twitter follower's question about whether Jesus and Paul thought hell was a real place of eternal torment; and lastly, Jason exhibits his laser-sharp understanding of how to win at football (besides just shooting lots of homeruns, which is obvious). … [Read more...]

Racism: For Whites Only?

In podcast #8 (available for streaming and download below), one of the topics we discuss is racism. Jason brings up a quote from the first season of MTV’sThe Real World  where Kevin Powell (a black cast member) is accused of racism and in response says, “Black people cannot be racist. We don’t have the power to control. . . .” At first hearing, I dismissed Kevin’s statement as ignorant. After all, racism, to me (a white male), means considering someone to be inferior in some way simply because of their race. While this is a  valid definition of racism, it’s not the only  definition of racism and not even the main  definition. A quick search through the various definitions of racism will show that racism also  has to do with the exercise … [Read more...]

Podcast #8: Offensive Words, Passive Seduction, and Selfies

In this episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors, Christian gives Jason a very special gift (hint: it's small, sings like a little Canadian boy, and you put it in your mouth); we take feedback from a female listener who is frustrated by her former time in the church when all her "sisters in Christ" thought she wanted to steal their husbands; we delve into the issue of language and labels, focusing on whether and when it's OK to use "the N-word" as well as whether jokingly labeling stuff "gay" or "retarded" is a retarded, gay thing to do; Jason bitches about his culinary needs never being met, while we hoist a poignant shot which Christian saved for the very end of the show. … [Read more...]

Podcast #7: Scary Movies, Dead Americans, and Mark Driscoll’s Penis

In our seventh episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors, Jason explains why he doesn't like movies containing red-headed twin children or the Holocaust; Christian reveals some sobering facts about ISIS and their plot to take over America (or just kill us all, we're not sure at this point); we take some listener feedback asking about Mark Driscoll's penis and who it really belongs to; and lastly, Christian complains about the insensitivity of certain drivers' parking habits, while Jason laments all progress in general. … [Read more...]

Podcast #6: Poker, Nude Selfies, and Rape

In this edition of the podcast, Jason and Christian discuss Jason's lack of proper decorum at the poker table, and then spend the remainder fielding a listener question about the infamous celebrity selfie leak. This topic leads pretty naturally into a discussion of rape culture, during which Christian accuses Jason of contributing to it, thereby displaying his lack of philosophical nuance and sophistication. … [Read more...]

Say Hello to My Little Friend!

It’s a fact that America has more guns per 100 people (88.8) than any other developed nation. It’s no surprise then that America also has more gun deaths per 100,000 people (10.2) than any other developed nation. Coming in second is Switzerland with 45.7 guns per 100 people and 3.84 deaths per 100,000 people. I find it interesting that while we have less than twice as many guns per 100 people, we have 2.5 times more deaths per 100,000. In other words, not only do we have more guns, but we kill more people with them! (Twenty times more than the average of other developed nations, to be exact!) Go ‘Merica! Number one! These numbers are taken from  ABC News and it also went on to say, “that the U.S. has 88 guns per 100 people and 10 … [Read more...]