Why should I? What would you have me celebrate? The theft of a continent and the genocide of the people living there? Global leadership in mass incarceration and record shattering recidivism rates? Bottom of the barrel health care in the developed world? The complete disregard for women being able to manage their own health? The compounding legislation that is stripping away the rights and dignity of people that are LGBTQ?

No, America, I will not celebrate your birth, nor your independence. You have yet to prove yourself worthy of celebration. You have claimed your glory on the backs of indigenous people and people of color. You continue to systematically prey on the less fortunate through your individual-glorifying systems of capitalism and Christian Nationalism. You show no signs of remorse or attempts at restitution. You are failing at humanity. 

But I will celebrate the people living in these United States. I will celebrate the people that are fighting to make this country as grand as our July 4^th celebrations would lead us to believe it is. We, the people of America, are indeed worthy of celebration. We are people of good hearts and good intentions. We are people that would drop what we are doing to help a neighbor in need. We are a people that recognize that the economic, political, and theological systems running this country are not perfect and at times terribly broken. We are a people that are working hard every day, and every year, to fix those systems and to make this country into something truly worth celebrating, by all people, everywhere.

For now, America, I will respectfully take a knee during your National Anthem. I do not make this decision lightly and I do not make it out of disrespect. I will bow take a knee as a sign of sadness for the weary, burdened, and marginalized that are being left behind by your proud, selfish, and greedy ways. I take a knee to pray for you America, and for all the steadfast humans living within your sphere and following your leadership in this brave new world.

I was recently asked about my “stance” on transableism. My succinct stance is… I support it. I support those that are considering it and those that have started or completed a transition. But let’s back up a little and talk about transableism, what it is, what it looks like for the individuals involved with it, and what it means for society as a whole.

Transabilism is medically identified as Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID). A person with BIID can have “an intense desire to amputate a major limb or severe the spinal cord in order to become paralyzed” (Blom et al). As you might imagine, BIID is an extremely rare condition that has had very little research study done on it and carries a relatively strong negative stigma. Those suffering from BIID are usually undiagnosed as they are unlikely to express their needs because of the negative social stigma. This can unfortunately prolong a person’s suffering and may increase comorbidities of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations (Blom et al).

What causes BIID? The cause remains unknown. One study discovered that the symptoms of BIID parallel those of somatoparaphrenia, a syndrome occurring secondary to right parietal lobe damage by a cerebral tumor or stroke. This similarity, coupled with the early onset, suggested to the researchers of that study that BIID could be a congenital disorder, [born with it] (Blom et al). But again, the studies of BIID are minimal and all major studies on the topic point out that the aetiology, or nature of BIID, is still unknown and that further study is needed to determine such.

Is it Ethical? Ethics and patient consent (autonomy) are closely connected with treatment of people with BIID. Back in my days of being an EMT we extensively studied the topic of patient consent. In general, a person always had the right to accept or deny medical care. Because of the nature of EMT work, we would occasionally come across patients that were unable to make those decisions for themselves. For example, for an unconscious patient we would assume that they would want care and begin treatment. Sometimes it wasn’t so clear though, a diabetic patient could be exhibiting signs of severe mental distress yet still able to verbalize that they didn’t want our treatment. What then? Would we still consider these patients to be of “sound mind” able to make autonomous decisions for their own medical care? 

A comprehensive analysis of the ethical considerations of recognizing and treating persons with BIID was completed by Tim Bayne and Neil Levy and published in the Journal of Applied Philosophy in 2005. Here is a link to their work https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15948330/. In summary, Bayne and Levy concluded that, “BIID sufferers meet reasonable standards for rationality and autonomy; so long as no other effective treatment for their disorder is available, surgeons ought to be allowed to accede to their requests” (Bayne).  They go on to note, “It is well-entrenched maxim of medical ethics that informed, autonomous desires ought to be given serious weight. An individual’s conception of his or her good should be respected in medical decision-making contexts” (Bayne).

In a dissenting article to the Bayne/Levy study, D. Patrone remarks, ““So it is the autonomy argument that does the lion’s share of the justificatory work. It also provides the greatest cause for skepticism.” As I mentioned in the case of a diabetic emergency, it’s not always easy to decide if a person is “of sound mind” to make their own medical decisions. Patrone is pointing out that this is of special concern for patients that are considering a permanent disabling surgery. To be sure, while it isn’t appropriate to assume that persons with BIID are of unsound mind, a team of medical professionals should be available and involved for patients considering these life-altering transitions.

Rianne Blom et al. point out in their study that simple acknowledgment and respect are of extreme value to the person with BIID. “Next to surgery there is no effective management strategy at present, but the sheer acknowledgment of and respect for the desires of BIID individuals may decrease the huge burden of BIID on their lives” (Blom et al.)

What about the persons with BIID? “BIID individuals prefer being in harmony with one’s identity, even if it results in physical disability. Surgery appears to result in permanent remission of BIID and in impressive improvement of quality of life” (Blom et al). Let me repeat that… “surgery appears to result in permanent remission of BIID and in impressive improvement of quality of life.” Wow! 

There are horrific stories, rare as they are, of person’s with BIID finding their own ways of dismembering or disabling themselves. When a person’s mind and body live out of integrity with each other, self-harming behaviors are often the release. This can so easily be avoided by simple societal recognition and respect of people with BIID.

One of the sources I came across in my research was an extensive study and presentation of people with BIID. This study was compiled primarily form a decade and a half following of a web community on a website known as transabled.org. “As an outlet run by and for PWBs (persons with BIID), made up of supportive and like-minded others, we can therefore think of transabled.org as a site of mutually verifying interaction and moral stigma resistance” (Davis). Unfortunately, this website disappeared into cyberspace about 10 years ago. As with any marginalized community, the best way to gain understanding of their life experience is to become a part of their life experience. You can read into the lives of person with BIID here https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/sop.2012.55.2.319

What are the societal costs? One of the first rebuttals I heard for providing BIID transitions was, “I don’t want my taxes to pay for that”. The tiny fraction of cost that these transitions would entail seems hardly worth debating. I live in a country that spends obscene amounts of money on warfare and corporate bailouts. Nit-picking BIID transitions would be akin to pulling a gnat’s hair out of a hayfield. It’s just not even worth discussing in my opinion. The authors of one of the research studies succinctly put it, “The costs might be offset by the benefits of amputation in some cases but not in others” (Bayne).

Another interesting refute I came across was in Purple Political Breakdown podcast in which the creator of the podcast declared that society cannot function with such abstract norms? This concept intrigues me the sociologist in me. I will be digging into this in a future post. What are “norms”? Who gets to decide what in “normal”?  For now, I am content to place my bets on societal diversity being a greater benefit than societal “norms”. 

The real cost to society as I see it comes in the form of “othering”. Anytime a society creates “others” it fuels division and xenophobia. “Individuals and groups who do not fit well within socially prescribed categories call into question the established social order and are punished through stigmatization and marginalization. This exclusion occurs because that which we cannot easily define brings about discomfort. We alleviate this discomfort by socially rejecting the things and people that exist in liminal spaces” (Davis).

Is Transableism a Slippery Slope from Transgenderism? No, I don’t believe that it’s a slippery slope from transgenderism, certainly not in a negative way, but rather an empowering of voice. So many unique, and wonderful, humans have been silenced by shame and societal castigation. Most people just want to be heard. We, as a society, have the power to hear people and by doing so, we provide the simplest, yet most effective form of support available.

So yes… I hear, support, and respect people of the transabled community. I believe that people with BIID should be allowed access to a medical team that is willing, and able, to work with them to develop a treatment plan that will help them live a life that is filled with happiness and harmonious body integrity.

This is my stance, what is yours?

Works cited:

Bayne, Tim, and Neil Levy. “Amputees By Choice: Body Integrity Identity Disorder and the Ethics of Amputation.” Journal of Applied Philosophy, vol. 22, no. 1, 2005, pp. 75–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24355072. Accessed 31 May 2023.

Blom, Rianne M et al. “Body integrity identity disorder.” PloS one vol. 7,4 (2012): e34702. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0034702

Davis, Jenny L. “Narrative Construction of a Ruptured Self: Stories of Transability on Transabled.Org.” Sociological Perspectives, vol. 55, no. 2, 2012, pp. 319–40. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1525/sop.2012.55.2.319. Accessed 31 May 2023.

Lewis, Radell. Purple Political breakdown Podcast. Accessed 2 June 2023.

Patrone, D. “Disfigured Anatomies and Imperfect Analogies: Body Integrity Identity Disorder and the Supposed Right to Self-Demanded Amputation of Healthy Body Parts.” Journal of Medical Ethics, vol. 35, no. 9, 2009, pp. 541–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20696636. Accessed 31 May 2023.

                                                  By Ella W.

What is the landscape like in Brazil? What animals and plants are in Brazil? How many cities and what’s the capital of Brazil? Well, let’s find out! In this article we will explore Brazil and find out what the landscape is like, what animals and plants there are, what the capital is and how many cities there are! First off, Brazil is located in South America and is the biggest country in South America.

What is the landscape like in Brazil? Well, according to En.K2-Builders.com, it varies. Brazil is most known for its dense forests, which includes the world’s largest jungle in the north, the Amazon. The land also has dry grasslands, sprawling wetlands, a long coastal plain, and even more. The Amazon rainforest is a tropical rainforest, home to a lot of different animal species and plant species. In fact it has the greatest variety of animals of any country in the world! I wish I could visit the Amazon rainforest. 

What animals and plants are there in Brazil and how many different species are there? According to Wikipedia, Brazil has over 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish species, 1,294 bird species, 427 mammal species, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles! Scientists have also described between 96,660 and 128,843 invertebrate species! That’s crazy in my opinion. Some of the most common plant species found in Brazil are the Passion flower, Princess flower, and the Tropical lily. Some of the most common animals are Jaguar, Pink dolphins (and yes they are actually pink), Spix macaw, and Poison dart frog. 

What is the capital and how many cities are there in Brazil? According to Wikipedia there are around 5,570! That’s crazy! The capital is called Brasilia, and is located near the middle of Brazil. The population is 216,422,466! That’s a lot of people! I would love to go to Brasilia.

In conclusion we learned a lot about Brazil. We learned about the landscape, what animals and plants there are, how many cities there are, and about the capital! I wish I could visit Brazil and see everything, how about you? Do you wish you could visit Brazil?

Today’s post has been brought to you by my wonderfully passionate daughter Ella! Thank you for learning about the amazing country of Brazil!

It is the time of the transfiguration,

a moment of exhilaration for your deliberation,

I’m pretty sure I’d think I was high,

if my friend began to transmogrify,

my respiration and perspiration might have 

reached a state of desperation,

as I processed this liberation and separation of my station.

I must admit that until my relatively recent runnings with the Episcopalians I knew, or at least remembered, nothing about the Biblical event known as “The Transfiguration”. Greek Orthodox traditions will often refer to this event as “The Metamorphosis”. If you want to read the story directly from the source, you can find it in the Bible at: Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36. Here’s the Jeff’s Notes version: 

Jesus says to his disciples Peter, James, and John, “Hey my dudes! Grab your water bottles, we’re going on a hike.” So they hiked, and hiked, and hiked, to the top of a mountain, but not just any mountain, a “high” mountain. Peter, James, and John are admiring the view when it suddenly seemed much brighter out. They turn around to see Jesus’ face glowing “like the sun,” and his clothes became “dazzling white!” Before they can decide if this is altitude sickness or the mushrooms they were snacking on just before summiting, Moses and Elijah appear in the clouds beside Jesus. That’s right, looooong dead Moses and Elijah (well… Elijah didn’t really die but that’s a story for a different day). Peter, not wanting to miss this opportunity to be the hostess with the mostest, offers to set up tents for everyone to hang out in and rest their weary heads. While starting to scramble for tent building materials, a “bright cloud” shows up, and a voice from the cloud says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!” That’s it for Peter, James, and John, they immediately hit the deck, certain they are having a bad trip. Next thing they know, Jesus is tapping them on the shoulder saying, “Get up my dudes, no need to be afraid.” They get up and see only Jesus there, in his normal, non-illuminate, skin and clothes. On their way down the mountain, Jesus orders the disciples to tell no one what they saw “until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

In many Eastern Christian traditions this story carries more significance than does the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. As a westerner, it’s difficult to imagine an event could be more significant that the death and resurrection of the Christ. But there is something about the miraculous blend of mortal and divine on that mountaintop that has enamored so much of Eastern Christianity for the last two thousand years. 

How about the cameo appearances of Moses and Elijah, what’s that all about? The consensus among most of Christendom is that Moses was there to represent “the laws” and Elijah was representing “the prophets”. The glowing Jesus was then representative of a “new way” of navigating this world in which we live. A way that did not depend on strict adherence to laws, or the unnerving testings and preachings of prophets.

Why did Peter want to set up tents? The account recorded in the book of Mark claims, “He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.” So, maybe a moment of panic, or confusion? Maybe it had to do with hospitality, maybe Peter was a fanboy, since childhood, of Moses and Elijah and wanted to hang out with them for a while. I know if Prince, and Christopher Reeve showed up with Jesus at my front door, I sure as heck would be inviting them in for a visit! Tents were an important symbol for the Israelite people because of the time they spent in them on their 40-year journey across the desert. In fact, today’s Jewish people, and some Christians, celebrate something called the Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles which is celebrated in the fall and involves erecting tents to remember the importance of the tent to their Israelite ancestry. 

Perhaps some of you are saying, “What a minute, the Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated on August 6^th, why are you talking about this in February?” This is a great question. The timing of this celebration varies across Christian traditions. Some celebrate it during their lectionary journey during the transitions of Epiphany and Lent, which is typically in February. And other traditions celebrate it on August 6^th. Why August 6^th?  Because Pope Callixtus III declared it so as a way to commemorate the raising of the siege of Belgrade (1456). Go figure!

What’s the moral of the Transfiguration? Bring your own snacks when hiking with Jesus! Seriously though, could it be to let Biblical readers know that there is something special about Jesus? That we would perhaps do well to live our lives as he did, with love and compassion?

Wowzers! Some sort of 14^th century plague (not Covid) found its way through my immune system a couple of weeks ago, and right along with it came a healthy dose of guilt, and shame.  Why guilt, and shame? Is this normal, or is this just me? I did find some consolation by doing a quick google search and learning that “sick day guilt” is actually a common affliction. Let’s talk about this! 

Why do we do this to ourselves? Why, when our bodies need to heal the most, do we allow emotions like guilt, and shame, to intrude on our healing process? Is it the expectation to produce and perform instilled in, or forced upon, us from Capitalism? Is it fear of job insecurity? Is it because the US offers so little protection, or a financial safety net, for those that need time off? Perhaps it comes from theological systems rooted in individual salvation through “works”? Is it only individualistic societies that suffer this demise? Are these maladaptive behaviors unique to the United States? Western civilization?

Guilt vs Shame

First things first, even though I am using the terms “guilt and shame” simultaneously, they are very different creatures. Guilt is a response that can be beneficial in helping us to realize that something is askew and may need to be rebalanced. Shame, on the other hand is almost always maladaptive. In a 2013 blog post, renown speaker, professor, and author Brené Brown defined shame as, “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.” She goes on to state, “I don’t believe shame is helpful or productive.” I wholeheartedly agree with Brené. I tossed and turned through four decades on this planet before realizing how much of a driving factor shame had been in my life. Most days, I can recognize when that old “friend” tries to creep back into my psyche, but when I am sick, my defenses are down, and my emotional regulation is hindered, and those shame gremlins have a way of showing up to party. Bottom line, when I’m sick, I’ve come to recognize the importance of putting guilt, and shame, in a little box to be dealt with once my immune system has completed its work. It’s difficult to deal with our mental health when our physical health in compromised (and vice-versa!)

OCD Feeds the Guilt and Shame

For me, it’s especially important to recognize the part that OCD plays in my processing of guilt and shame. With OCD comes an overwhelming sense of responsibility. It’s the root of OCD. The amygdala of the OCD brain is in a constant state of flight or fright and is always looking for the path of certain safety. But it can never find it. It can never find it because the neural connections just aren’t there. So, the OCD brain obsesses, and obsesses, indefinitely. When that 14^th century plague attacks me, my defenses, and my OCD management techniques, are diminished. This makes it much more difficult for me to remember that I am not solely responsible for keeping the world in revolution around the sun. For example, if I don’t clean the house, because I am sick, my OCD brain can become quite certain that my family will get a brain eating amoeba. Or if I am not making the family’s meals, my OCD brain can decide that my family will suffer malnutrition and make their immune systems shut down, which of course will lead to a greater chance of the brain eating amoeba getting to them. And then, oh my gosh, my household will have become a breeding ground for brain eating amoebae that are going to decimate the mammalian population of the Earth! I realize to most of you this sounds like hyperbole, but I can assure you that this is a very real path that an OCD brain can take. Most of us can recognize the unlikeliness of this type of apocalyptic event, but the OCD brain can easily get trapped in these repetitive thought ruminations. All of this to say, when I am sick, and my OCD defense mechanisms are suppressed, it is very easy for the guilt and shame of failing myself, failing my family, and failing the whole of society to become front and center of my thoughts. But, there are also societal factors that play into this.

Societal Influences on Guilt and Shame

The United States is built on individualism, “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” From the very beginning of our country, individual rights were holy ground. This ideology is still prevalent today as our government representatives spend a significant amount of their time legislating for individual rights, rather than the rights of the collective. Then there is the beast of capitalism. Is it a good economic system? Oftentimes yes, but it is not without some serious deficiencies. Among those deficiencies is that capitalism reinforces the success of the individual at any cost, especially of our neighbor. Capitalism in rooted in “private” ownership. Adding strength and emphasis to the motives of the US government, and capitalism, are the religious beliefs of the country. Most religious denominations in the United States are doctrinally based in “individual” salvation and “personal” relationships with God. On top of that, some of those faith systems depend on doing “works” as the method of getting right with God. Would God’s grace cover me for a few days off while I heal? This can be a question of great concern for some people within these religious influences.

What Do We Do with Sick Day Guilt

The first step is to ignore it. Make the chicken noodle soup, make the tea, find a good book, or favorite TV show, and rest. Once you are in your happy place, (and this might not be until you are feeling a LOT better), you can start to work on processing any feelings of guilt, or shame, that you are experiencing. Sit with those feelings and recognize them for what they are. Those feelings are you, trying to take care of you. It doesn’t mean those feelings are right, or wrong, they are just feelings. Lean into positive self-talk. Reaffirm to yourself that you are worthy, and good. Give yourself a pat on the back for a victory, large or small, that you had in the last week or two. Enjoy thoughts of thanksgiving for your body, and brain, that are taking care of you. Give thanks for the chicken noodle soup in your cupboard, and the book next to your tea.

It’s not easy to take time off in today’s culture, but your physical and mental health will appreciate the time that you can give to it to heal. Especially when you can give it time without the weight of guilt and shame.

If guilt and shame, for any reason, are frequent visitors to you and your life, check in with a mental health professional. Your brain, your body, and you deserve it! Be well my friends.

John the Baptist, of course! 

Christian churches around the world will be preaching and teaching on the Baptism of Jesus this coming Sunday. Much to-do will be given to Jesus and his experience of the event. Stories will be told of John questioning Jesus’ authenticity, of Jesus submitting to John’s baptismal practices, of spirit-filled doves descending from the heavens, and of God declaring Jesus as his son. But who exactly was John the Baptist?

Who was this street preaching, camel hair wearing, grasshopper eating, head on a plate voice from the wilderness?  

Across religions and times

John the Baptist is famous in many different faith traditions and his novelty has survived the tests of time. Biblical texts suggest that John was Elijah reincarnate (John 1:21). For those in the Islamic faith traditions, he is regarded as the prophet Yayha, and the Quran declares, “we gave him Wisdom even as a youth” (Surah Maryam 19:12). Ever wonder how Mormon founder Joseph Smith got his authority? According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, our man John made an appearance in Pennsylvania, in 1829, to ordain Joseph Smith into the Aaronic priesthood. Jewish historian extraordinaire Josephus gives John’s execution a shout-out in Chapter 5 of The Antiquities of the Jews. All of this to say, that it is notable that John the Baptist has been held in high regards by many different faith traditions, and for a very long time. In fact, many Biblical scholars would attest that John’s coming was prophesized thousands of years ago by the Old Testament prophets. Perhaps John would have a big head being such an important figure of mankind, but the Quran describes John as being “not-arrogant” and in the New Testament Gospels John humbly declares that he is merely preparing the way for someone truly great to come.

A Voice in the Wilderness

It seems fair to say that John lived a life similar to that of a 19^th century North American “mountain man”. He is recorded as wearing clothes made of animal hair. Some sources say camel, others suggest goat. He reportedly ate “locusts and honey”. Here, too, there is some discrepancy on interpretations of what “locusts and honey” actually means, but the larger point is probably that he lived off the land and wore and ate what the wilderness gave him to wear and eat. I don’t think we would’ve found John at Walmart stocking up on Wranglers and Hamburger Helper. 

Now, about that “voice in the wilderness”. John’s wilderness voice seems to have a deeper meaning than the literal sounds of a mountain man talking to the trees. He was preaching love and kindness and doing right by your neighbor. For those that try to espouse these lessons to their friends and family, or on social media, the lack of likes, comments, and action can make it feel like one is indeed talking to a wilderness of trees.

John was a practitioner of the ritualistic cleansing practices of the day. That’s where the John the “Baptist” part comes from. The word baptism comes from the Greek “to immerse”. John would, like today’s Christians, use water immersion, or baptism, as a symbolic tool for people to cleanse themselves of their unrighteousness and pronounce their commitment to loving thy neighbor. 

The whole “love your neighbor” message can be threatening to those in power, and the fundamentalist religious leaders of John’s time once wandered into one of his baptismal sessions and John calls out their hypocrisy with the term of endearment, “You brood of vipers!” (Matthew 3:7) and tells them they will only find their cleansing through the commitment of their change of behavior.

Unique in Birth and in Death

John’s mouth got his head served on a platter, but more on that in a minute. Let’s start with his birth. The Bible book of Luke finds the event of John’s birth to be significant enough to start out with. Of all the things that Dr. Luke could begin to write about, it seems significant that he chose John the Baptist. Luke records John’s parents as “righteous”, “blameless”, and “getting on in years” (Luke 1:5-7). According to Luke, an angel appeared to John’s father to break the news that his wife would soon be pregnant with a child that they would name “John”. Unfortunately, we don’t have any extra-Biblical sources to corroborate this story, but it does fit in nicely with other Biblical birth announcements. Luke weaves together a parallel narrative of the birth stories of Jesus and John in his first few chapters. Perhaps it would be fun to explore those parallels in another post.

Let’s get back to that bit about John’s mouth getting his head served on a platter. New Testament texts tell us that John had publicly shamed the King (Herod) for divorcing his wife and then marrying his sister-in-law. Long story short- the new wife didn’t like the shame and gave King Herod the ultimatum of John’s head on a platter, or else. Jewish historian Josephus tells the story a little differently, suggesting that it was John’s influence over the people that could lead to a rebellion that led to his execution. There is some fantastic artwork that has been done over the centuries of John’s head on a plate if you feel like wandering down a google rabbit trail.

John the Baptist. A man who wears animal hides and eats from the forest. A mountain man who dunks people in the river and tells them to love one another. A man who reportedly made a path for Jesus to walk the earth. A man who has been immortalized across cultures and times. Anyone for honey-dipped grasshoppers?

For most of my life, I knew I had Tourette’s Syndrome. At some point, in my Tourette’s journey, I learned that people with Tourette’s often have comorbidities of Attention-Deficit/Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). But I never in a million years thought those comorbidities applied to me. I was well into my 40’s before I learned that they very much apply to me, and that those comorbidities had profoundly affected my life.

Comorbidities, despite the dreary sounding name, is simply a term used in the medical field to identify medical conditions that exist simultaneously with other medical conditions. Sometimes science is able to clearly understand why the connections exist, and other times science can only identify correlation, but no causation. In the case of Tourette’s and ADHD/OCD, science’s best theory is that it has something to do with brain chemistry and neural networks. Despite the relatively small size of the brain, understanding it is an enormous task, and one that humans are just starting to scratch the surface of.

It was primarily the stereotypes, and stigmas, of ADHD and OCD that prevented me from considering them as components of my own mental health. I didn’t know much about ADHD, but I wasn’t bouncing off walls (in retrospect I can see it though), and I wasn’t on Ritalin (probably should’ve been), so I figured I didn’t have ADHD. Stigma. Turns out there is SO much more to ADHD and we’ll talk about that in another post, for now we will keep our focus on the OCD. In my limited knowledge of OCD, I thought it meant that a person washed their hands until they were raw or stood at a light switch flipping it on and off a certain number of times. OCD can be this, but I have learned that OCD is like a giant tree with many branches. Like that picture of the iceberg where we see just what’s above the water, but so much more is going on that isn’t as visible.

OCD, in simple terms, is characterized by excessive thoughts and fears (obsessions), that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). This basic definition is what I refer to as the trunk of the OCD tree. The branches are all the different thoughts and fears that the OCD brain grabs onto, and those branches are as vast as the human imagination. People with OCD can experience one or more of the branches at a time and they can even jump to different branches throughout their lives. 

One of the more common branches (obsessions) that you might recognize is contamination, or germ, OCD. This is a common obsession because it an easy one for the OCD brain to grasp. Germs are everywhere, and it doesn’t take much effort for the brain to identify germs as a threat over which it can obsess. The obsession becomes so intense for the person with OCD, and the fear becomes so debilitating, that compulsions are formed in an attempt to “neutralize” the threat. For a person with contamination OCD, the compulsions might present as excessive hand washing, or sanitizing. The compulsions can also present in more subtle ways, such as avoidance. Examples of avoidance can be: not going to public places, not touching handrails, not wearing shoes in the house, throwing out food that is at or near “use by dates”. You might be thinking, “I do that- does that mean I have OCD?” Probably not. It is when the obsession and compulsions become “excessive”, and debilitating to our daily lives, that we are entering the realm of OCD. This determination should be made with the guidance of a mental health professional. 

A personal example that comes to mind is not allowing meats to touch produce when I am grocery shopping. Because of my OCD tendencies, I can be obsessively careful when placing items in my cart to make sure that meat products are well spaced from produce items. Sometimes, when my cart gets full and chaotic, like during those Costco trips, I start to worry that the contamination barrier between meats and produce might be threatened. I recognize at that point that I have a strong “compulsion” to stop my shopping, even if I’m running late or plugging up traffic in an aisle, to completely empty and reorganize my cart in a way that will ensure the meat and produce are “properly” separated. I even consider putting the meats down below the cart- but then I obsess about floor germs contaminating the meat- and round and round I go. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. 

What do I do when these obsessive thoughts and fears get wrapped up in the OCD cycle? I practice mindfulness and ERP (Exposure Response Prevention). ERP is a “gold-standard” OCD management technique that I will explore in greater depth in another post. In my shopping example, the mindfulness step would look like taking a breath, or a few, and getting present with myself and my surroundings. Once grounded, I would move onto the ERP. In this example, I would keep shopping. I would leave the cart as is, knowing the possibility of contamination exists. This is the “Exposure”. The “Response” is my anxiety level rising because of the fear of contamination. The “Prevention” is me preventing myself from doing the compulsion of stopping my shopping to reorganize the cart. It is me embracing the uncertainty of possible contamination and all that might mean. Again, more on this later, but essentially, I am reprograming the neural pathways of my mind to teach my brain that this “threat” is not as big of a deal as my brain has made it out to be.

Why does the OCD brain do this? Why does the OCD brain obsess on these threats so much that is drives a person to compulsions? To keep us safe. The why’s and how’s of how it gets to that point are vast and varied, and scantily understood by modern science. Ultimately the OCD brain wants to keep us safe, and it gets hypervigilant about doing so. 

Some other common themes of OCD that I will dig into in future posts are Harm OCD, “Just Right” OCD, Hoarding OCD, Sexual Orientation OCD, Pedophilia OCD, “Hit and Run” OCD, “Real Events” OCD. Some OCD themes that have been particularly present in my own life, that I look forward to exploring with you are: Relationship OCD, Religious OCD (also known as Scrupulosity), and Pure OCD.

So many different branches, right? But remember, all the branches stem from the same trunk: excessive thoughts and fears (obsessions), that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Learning about OCD in my own journey has been life changing. It has helped me to recognize and manage a variety of anger, addiction, and avoidance issues that plagued my life for far too many years.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed or trained mental health professional. I am writing from my own research and experience. If you are concerned about the health of yourself, or a loved one, please seek the advice of a mental health professional.

Every piece of land claimed in, or by, the United States of America, shall be returned to the indigenous peoples of those lands, effective immediately. Every other asset owned by white Americans shall be given to the people of color on whose lives those assets were gained, effective immediately. Complete control of the US government shall be turned over to the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) population of the United States, effective immediately. 

There is no other path that will be bring healing to the hearts and minds of those who have stolen, enslaved, and exploited their way from sea to shining sea. There is no other path that will bring healing to the hearts and minds of the white American. Without a complete, and repentant, relinquishment of assets, the cancer of the white American’s dastardly deeds will continue to harden their hearts and their wounds will continue to fester. There can be no final healing, no final heaven achieved, until the white American has freed themselves of their self-applied chains of bondage.

That’s not my problem, I worked hard for what I have

I believe that you did. I believe that you worked hard to achieve your success in life. The problem is that you did it with stolen tools, stolen resources, and within systems of institutional privilege. Let’s imagine that someone burglarized a construction site, and they stole every tool and every piece of lumber on the jobsite. That person then sells their spoils to you with a great story about how they came by those materials through providence and destiny. You shrug your shoulders and say, “it’s none of my business where the tools and lumber came from.” Because you are white, no one is going to question you coming into a large stash of tools and building materials. You then build a beautiful home, using undocumented workers because you can pay them pennies on the dollar, on some prime real estate that was given to you by your father, who got it from his father, who got it from a guy, that knew a guy, that knew a guy. Again, none of your business where it came from, it’s “family land.” You now rent out the property and are rolling in the dough that you “worked hard for” …using stolen tools, stolen resources, and within systems of institutional privilege. White Americans are now several generations removed from manifest destiny, indigenous genocide, and chattel slavery. Because of this distance in time, most are unaware, or refuse to believe that they are where they are today because of theft and oppression. But their souls know, if you are science-minded, the neural pathways of their genetic traits know, if you prefer to think in Biblical terms, “visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7).

Radical repentance and reconciliation is the only path to healing the soul, the genetic pathways, and the iniquities created by the White American’s conquest and oppression of their neighbor. Unless radical steps are taken, the fear, guilt, and shame cycle of the American heart and mind will continue in perpetuity.

Speaking of the Bible

Let’s consider some of the main, over-arching themes of the Bible: loving your neighbor, righting wrongs, and rejecting systems of oppression. These are the very foundations of the Holy Bible. Nearly every Bible story, from Genesis to Revelation, brings to light behaviors of oppression and restitution. Early in the Old Testament, we are given the story of the plagues of Egypt that were caused by systems of slavery and oppression. The Old Testament also teaches a concept of “Jubilee”, where every 50 years debts would be forgiven, and land would be returned to the original owner. (Where are the Biblical literalists on this one?) In the New Testament, we are told the parable of the rich man who is asking Jesus what he must do to get to heaven. After some back-and-forth banter, Jesus replies with, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). You can open the Bible to just about any page and find a story condemning behaviors of abuse and oppression. Sadly, the America that some would claim as a Christian nation, was built on these maladaptive behaviors.

This radical ideology will just make things worse

Will it? Or is that our white narcissism projecting itself again? Do we fear that with BIPOC in control, the white American will become oppressed? Perhaps we should reflect on why we believe that people in control will choose to oppress other people? Will making such a radical change in American structure, systems, philosophies, and governmental operations cause economic chaos and threaten national security? Maybe. Maybe not. But what it will do for certain is that it will model what it means to be a true Christian nation, it will make us global leaders in creating paths to restitution, it will bring light to the shadows of institutional discrimination and oppression, and it will bring a lamp to the path of spiritual healing for all of humanity. It will advance the coming of Heaven on Earth.

As a privileged white American, the thought of giving it all away and putting my fate in the hands of someone who may choose to cause me harm based solely on my skin color sounds frightening and uncertain. Paths of healing often are. Perhaps there is a less radical solution than the one I am proposing here, but that should be for the BIPOC in America to decide. The white American has had their chance, and they chose to abuse and oppress. The white American continues to cling to this power with desperate virulence and cannot be trusted to right this wrong. The parable of Jesus and the rich man concludes with, “When the rich man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.”

Was Jesus born on December 25? Probably not. Some Biblical scholars suggest his birthday was in September, others suggest April. It’s fair to say that we really don’t know. December 25^th has been the traditional day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday since the fourth century when Romans started the tradition. The 25^th of December seems to be as good of a day as any. But let’s dig a little deeper, what if Jesus wasn’t born at all? What if the whole Jesus story is allegory, metaphor, and myth? 

Hang with me on this thought experiment if you will. If your faith system relies on a substitutionary atonement theory (Jesus dies for our sins), it’s probably very difficult to imagine a world without a literal Jesus having walked among us. Because, if Jesus wasn’t born, then Jesus couldn’t die, and if Jesus didn’t die, then there was no blood to wash away our sins, and so now what? No one gets a pass to heaven? we are all doomed for hell? If this is you, please humor me with a few minutes of your time to explore the metaphor.

Myth?

From the very beginning, the Jesus story has the aura of mythology. The idea of a virgin birth was rather common in ancient mythological belief systems. Some of the names from virgin birth stories you might recognize are: Romulus and Remus, the alleged “founders” of Rome; Ra and Horus, the Egyptian gods; Dionisius and Persephone from Greek mythology; and Attis the Phrygo-Greek god of 1250 BCE who, get this, was born of a virgin mother on December 25^th and after his death, was resurrected in the Spring! Perhaps the Biblical writers wanted to make Jesus’ birth relatable to the people of the day, and “lightly” embellished the Jesus story to fit in with other common god stories of the era?

Scientifically speaking, the probability of parthenogenesis (virgin birth) among mammals, no less the human species, is as near to zero as one can statistically get. If parthenogenesis were to happen to a human, because of the whole XY chromosome thing, the offspring would most assuredly be female. What a minute, does that mean that Jesus was female at birth? That sounds like a great topic to explore in another post!

But God can do anything! Sure. I have no argument that can counter an “Appeal to God”. If blind faith enriches your spirituality, and helps you to better love yourself and others, then by all means, you do you! I happily stewed in blind faith theology for decades, so I can appreciate the comfort and warmth that lies in that kettle.  

Modern Culture?

Jesus is the Reason for the Season, right? I mean, look at the hymns and carols we sing. A few that come to mind are “Away in a Manger”, “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, and “Silent Night.” They paint such a romantic and quintessential picture of a divine birth, that it’s hard to dismiss the validity of the event as we know it today. 

I don’t know if you’ve ever been around animals enough to see an actual manger, also known as a feed or water trough, but they are gross. Ain’t no way a new mamma is going to set her newborn infant down in that filth. As far as the “three kings from orient are” goes, they weren’t kings, they weren’t from the orient, and we don’t know how many there actually were. Silent night? Even with the birthing and the animals braying, I’m going to let this one ride because I’m not ready to give up those transcendental Christmas Eve candlelight services of my youth. 

Historicity?

Unfortunately, we have very little evidence of Jesus as a real person outside of scriptural texts. Jewish historian Josephus mentions Jesus in one paragraph out of his tens of thousands of pages of writings. However, that paragraph feels very out of context and a bit forced into the surrounding text. Roman historian Tacitus writes about Jesus, and did so as a non-Christian, so presumably was offering an unbiased telling of the Jesus story. Tacitus was also a Roman Senator and as such, may have had insider knowledge of Jesus’ execution. However, his writings came decades after the synoptic gospels (Mathew, Mark, and Luke), so it is possible his accounts were merely a copy and paste of earlier Christian writings. There is a smattering of other potential Jesus references throughout the centuries, but one needs to be rather liberal in their interpretations to connect them to the story of Jesus of Nazareth. To be sure, there is evidence on both sides of the debate over a historical Jesus, but the fact remains that there is no definitive evidence to prove, without a doubt, that the Jesus story, as told in today’s Bible, is historically accurate. So, it comes down to faith, which takes us back to our original thought experiment… what if Jesus was never born at all?

What does this mean?

As we mentioned earlier, if your faith system requires that a perfect god-man walked the earth and died to wash away your sins, then it is probably paramount to you that Jesus was born on this earth. If you are using those interpretations to better love yourself and your neighbor, I don’t think there is an inherent problem with walking the path of Biblical literalism. On the other hand, if you refuse to read the Bible through any lens other than a literalistic lens, we are going to run into problems, which we will discuss at length in future posts. If you’re not held to an either/or interpretation, or if your faith system doesn’t rely on a god becoming man and dying for you, then you are likely to be okay digging into the allegorical and metaphorical possibilities of the Jesus story. 

Perhaps this is where we can glean wisdom from the cultural blending of December 25^th as both a religious and secular holiday experience. Some common characteristics we might recognize of both Jesus and Santa Clause are generosity, gentleness, joy, peace, kindness, and patience. We can practice these characteristics, modeled by both Jesus and Santa (whether real or mythical), in our own lives. We can savor the magnificence of the Jesus story as told by the Bible, the mystery of the story told in the hymns, the metaphor of the Christ among us, and the tangible experience of a 21^st century Santa Claus all at the same time. 

For me, the world is big enough for both Jesus and Santa Claus to be the reasons for the season. For me, it does not matter if Jesus was born on December 25, April 25, or September 25. For me, it does not matter if a literal human known as Jesus was born at all. I will strive to love myself and to love my neighbor with all my heart and all my soul whether the story of Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, is myth or real.

If you were presented with definitive proof that the Jesus story is all myth, would anything change in your life?

Yes. Emphatically I say, YES! …and…

And built into that legislation should be support for parents and families. Support that will increase the social-emotional skill sets of parents. Support that will decrease institutional racism, discrimination, and other family stressors such as low and unequal wages, inaccessible healthcare, and exorbitant childcare costs. Why do we spank children? What are the costs for the child and the family? But I was spanked, and I turned out fine, right? 

Punisher ideologies

What is at the root of spanking? Is it Fear? Power? Status? Control? A combination of those? I often find myself dancing around conservative Christian social media sites and the number one answer given from that demographic comes from the Bible, or as they would say, “the Word of God”. Without variation, Proverbs 13:24 will be quoted, “Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.” This is often improperly paraphrased as, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” The particularly well-versed conservative Christian will also cite Proverbs 22:13, “Folly is bound up in the heart of the boy, but the rod of discipline drives it far away.” We could dig into the actual context of these verses and talk about how the shepherd’s rod was a tool used to guide their sheep and not beat them, but I’m not a fan of proof-texting, or defending, individual verses of the Bible. I believe the big picture, and over-arching themes of the Bible, is where the wisdom is to be gleaned. But this takes dedication and study. It’s not a stretch to think that an over-arching theme of the Bible is that of a vengeful, punisher God. Time and time again, the Bible seems to tell stories of God destroying and punishing the disobedient. It is important to recognize that Biblical stories are stories of an ancient people trying to understand and explain their universe. When they won, it was because God favored them; when they lost it was because they had disobeyed God, and their trials must therefore be the punishment of God. 

Punisher ideologies are also prevalent in the American prison system. I will be giving attention to American incarceration in future postings, but it is no secret that punishment is one of the primary goals of the American prison system. Sadly, this punisher mentality trickles down to our families, and our children’s rear-ends. 

Lazy or Ignorant parenting

Some parents know there are other ways to guide children’s behaviors but still choose the “easy” path of spanking. It’s quick, and it usually leads to submissive compliance. The fear, guilt, and shame of being perceived as failing parents often leads to these “quick and easy” methods of forcing submissive compliance. Guiding and coaching our children through life, without hitting them, requires social emotional intelligence on behalf of the parents, and learning social emotional skills requires work and diligence. It wasn’t until the last 10-15 years, that social emotional skills started to show up on the radar of things we should be learning. Some parents, and school boards, are still refusing to acknowledge it as something of importance, calling it “woke”. 

Some parents just don’t know any other way. They were modeled spanking, and their parents before them were modeled spanking. Heck, teachers had paddles in schools until the 1980’s and 90’s. The state of Pennsylvania held out until 2005 before they put legislation in the books to prohibit spanking in schools. For many parents, historical norms have taught them that beating someone into submission works. But it does not. It, in fact, causes psychological damage to both the person being hit and to the person doing the hitting. 

What does spanking do to the child?

Modern research shows us that spanking children leads to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). Humans, as a species, are only allowed so many ACEs before significant childhood trauma develops. For a child, being hit by their “protector” adds up ACEs exponentially. The child’s brain struggles to comprehend the difference between a “swat to the butt” and a “full on beating” when it comes to a trusted caregiver causing them pain and fear. The child isn’t the only casualty when the parent resorts to violence as a method of discipline. The neural networks of the parent must reconfigure the neural pathways to make it acceptable to harm their own offspring. The Bible refers to this as “hardening of the heart”. Siblings are also affected as they learn to look the other way, and cower out of sight, when bad things are happening, lest they become the target of the wrath. Spanking has profound effects, negative effects, on all members of the family and household in which it happens.

“But I was spanked, and I turned out fine.”

You didn’t, because you think that hitting children is okay, and that’s not fine. I would bet that with a little digging we could uncover other evidence of trauma in your life tracing back to your childhood spankings. To my knowledge, there is no peer-reviewed research to show that corporeal punishment is an effective method of managing behavioral problems. On the other hand, the evidence against corporeal punishment that has been published in the last 20-30 years is astonishing, and should cause us all to pause and reconsider the methods we are using. 

“But making laws against parenting will infringe on my rights to parent as I see fit!” 

Yep, and because of the rampant punisher ideologies that are so prevalent in American society, I believe that the United States needs to take legislative action to make spanking a child illegal.