Rant of the Exiles

I talked with a lapsed Catholic who doubts the existence of God and believes all religions are the same. He asked some good questions and it got me thinking. If there is no God, how would I live differently? If I had grown up without believing in the existence of God (which I did until I was 13 years old), what would my life look like?  It's a more of a practical question than a philosophical one. I thought about it for awhile. It felt a little strange to imagine life without God.  But then I decided my life would not be that different.  I would have gone to college. Probably the same school. All my friends from high school went to college. I would have chosen the same major - business administration - because I didn't like math but needed a technical-sounded field that brought honor to my Asian-ness. I would have a job. Of course I wouldn't be a pastor but I would probably work in high-tech. After college, I would have gone into management consult...

Wikipedia says: Racism is actions, practices or beliefs, or social or political systems that consider different races to be ranked as  inherently superior or inferior to each other , based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities. [emphasis mine] This definition is inadequate for two reasons: 1) It quells rational observation and discussion about race Any time I want to make an observation based on racial/cultural characteristics, I am being racist.  If I comment that Ethiopians, on average, make superior long distance runners because of their body type, I am being racist.  If I observe that African American family formation in the United States is inherently inferior due to a high rate of out of wedlock childbirth, I am being racist. If I brace myself for inferior driving when I go to Cupertino's Ranch 99 Plaza, I'm stereotyping Asians as poor drivers and am therefore being racist. 2) It's not helpf...

My friend walked into the church from the parking lot. She had just returned home from college and was greeted boisterously by the overseas-born mom of one of her friends. The woman gave my friend a hug and at the same time, blurted out in Chinese: Wow - looks like you've gained some weight! All of us present laughed out loud while inwardly cringing. I felt so uncomfortable for my friend. Chalk it up to another case of tactless Chinese people making public comments about a person's body.  As part of an immigrant church, I hear Asian parents make these kinds of remarks all the time. And throughout childhood, I've witnessed relatives make rude comments to their younger kin. You've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you Have you gained weight? Or better yet, the back-handed compliment:  Wow - you lost weight. Keep it up. And the you-can't-win comment: You're too skinny. You need to eat more. Or the veiled fat remark: You...