Author: rexnipper

I have been thinking lately about Christians. Specifically, the Evangelical version. You know, the ones with stadiums, and rock concerts, who spew sexism, racism, hate, and right-wing dogma from the stage while their henchmen roam the concert hall carrying plastic buckets begging for spare change like the homeless they wouldn’t give a quarter to? Those ones.

Being a proud atheist, it might shock you to find that I whole-heartedly embrace the teachings of Christ, even if I fail to follow them most of the time. However, the difference between me and the average Evangelical is that I actually know the teachings. How a message of love, repentance, grace, and tolerance, coupled with compassion for the sick, the poor, and the outcast turned into a gospel of greed, gluttony, and judgment astounds me. Yet here we are.

There isn’t a day that goes by where you don’t hear from someone who claims to be so Christian that Bibles fly out of their ass support the removal of free meals for school children, housing for the poor, and the separation of families who want nothing more than a better life. Not to mention the production of a golden statue of their idol. I guess I misunderstood that whole idea of “No other Gods before Me.” 

I have known a few real-life Christians in my time. I don’t mean the ones with the fish on their cars or who take every opportunity to point out their affiliation (because if they didn’t you would have no way of knowing). I mean the ones who exude kindness and grace in a way where you don’t have to ask. It just pours out of them through how they live.

Being a Christian used to mean something. It meant you were humble, giving, loving, and kind. Now it seems to have turned on its head, and it means the opposite of those things. That certainly seems true for the modern Evangelica anyway. What’s interesting is I have seen people with no faith at all express deeply the actual teachings of the man Evangelicals will fight to the death to claim they love, missing entirely the irony of that position.

I lost my faith long ago, but I never lost my love for what it taught me. Perhaps that’s what has happened to a lot of Atheists. We just couldn’t take the hypocrisy anymore. Zig Ziglar once responded to someone who said they didn’t like church because there were so many hypocrites. “Well, come join us, one more won’t hurt.” The problem is it has hurt. It’s hurt so much that it’s damaged the brand. Perhaps we should stop acting like it hasn’t.

All this to say just because you don’t believe in God doesn’t mean you can’t follow the teachings of the Gospel of Christ. They’re really, really good teachings. Love your enemy. Give to the needy. Provide shelter. Forgive. Have grace. Love. It’s not a bad way to live your life really. It certainly beats thinking everyone who doesn’t look like you, live like you, or think like you, is less than you. For that I give you…the modern Evangelical.

Rex

I was raised Lutheran.  ELCA for those in the know.  I was also extremely close to my father’s mother who was a Jehovah’s Witness.  My mother wanted her children to understand other religions to ensure that we were accepting of other beliefs and other faiths.  It was very common that on any given Sunday or Saturday we would be taken to a Church or Synagogue and given an education on how ideas could be different, but the people were all the same.  Even in my own Lutheran Church guest Pastors, Priests, and Rabbis were often present to help teach us about their respective religions.  Therefore, it’s safe to say that my religious upbringing was, shall we say, diverse.  

Modern Christianity seems to have strayed from the ideas and morays from my childhood.  I was taught that my ultimate goal was to be like Christ, not to just worship Christ.  The idea was like Jesus, I was to be in service to others, not myself.  My salvation was strictly determined on that premise.  Today however, self-proclaimed Christians have turned from the gospel they claim to cherish and bastardized it into a prophecy of profit and self-indulgence.   No more are you to be in service to others but you’re taught if you pray and believe you’ll be rich and powerful.

In addition to the modern Christian value of self-importance, it seems to have taken on a very dark side where you’re supposed to hate the other.  “I love him but hate his life” is a common refrain.  Christianity has become synonymous with racism, sexism, child abuse, sex abuse, and misogyny.  The idea that you can claim to be a Christian and at the same time have zero tolerance or aspire to have power over others is completely missing the point of the religion you claim to follow.  I’ve seen nowhere in the New Testament that I’m supposed to hate pregnant women, minorities, other faiths, or the struggling.  Yet, here you are…killin it!

If you have read the Bible it is very hard to criticize Christ.  However, it is very easy to criticize Christians.  The hate and bile that is constantly spewed from the pulpit makes it look more like a Klan Rally than a fellowship of souls.  People seem to spend more time focused on how others should change their lives rather than looking inside and changing their own hearts, which, really, was what the founder of this proclaimed faith was trying to get everyone to do.  

I’m not saying I’m perfect by any means either.  My grace stops at my doorstep.  Outside of my family unless you’re a child or a dog, I could give a fat rat’s ass about who you are or what you do.  I have little patience for people who think my hard work and time are something for which they should profit.  However, I also know that’s an attitude that flies directly in the face of Christianity and really every other religion on the face of the earth.  But I’d rather go to hell as an honest man than go as a hypocrite.    

My grandmother was someone, more than anyone, who taught me that being Christian wasn’t about me, it was about others.  She walked the walk and if you asked would talk the talk.  Sure, she was that person who knocked on your door Saturday morning, but she would also quietly walk away if you showed little interest in what she had to say.  She also left your door with an unshakable belief that what she was doing was what she was called to do, which was , as the scriptures say, to “spread the word.”  Faith, true faith neither requires your approval, nor your acceptance.  It just is.

So why am I now an Atheist?  I lost my faith when my grandmother died.  I was so angry at a God that could be so callous as to remove the center of my world.  Since then, it has died repeatedly by what I’ve witnessed in this world from people who claim to be the faithful.  It’s the thousands of cuts after the initial thrust that has killed any faith I have had in God, or man.  It is so rare in my existence to see anyone who like my grandmother, could show such compassion to so many, even those who wronged her, working to understand and not to judge.  If more people adopted that philosophy rather than trying to figure out how to get even or how to punish, or how to get rich, maybe my faith would still be intact.  

But don’t bet on it.

Rex 

I can no longer take part in what society is doing to itself.  It’s like trying to stop a fast-moving train with your own body from hitting the car on the tracks.  It’s futile.  You can either commit suicide or report on the carnage.  I have chosen the latter.  I recently landed on a George Calin interview where he described my already formulated perspective.  It’s the only way to keep sane.  I no longer have a vested interest in the outcome, but I’m free to report on the irony and hypocrisy.  I’m paraphrasing what Calin said, but you can see the interview excerpt here.  

“I’ve begun to develop a different perspective.  I’ve found a very liberating position for myself.  I gave up on the human race.  I gave up on the American dream and culture and Nation and decided I didn’t care about the outcome.  That gave me a lot of freedom to watch the whole thing with a combination of wonder and pity.  I love people as I meet them one by one, if you look in their eyes, you can seen the entire Universe.  You really can.  They are fascinating.  But as soon as they group, they begin to change.”  

George Carlin

That pretty much sums up my perspective as well.  To quote Agent K “A person is smart.  People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.”  Once people group they become morons.  I was going to say they become more unpredictable and reactionary but really, they are even more predictable.  You can pretty much predict exactly what will happen in any situation with “panic” being the common theme.

When I take a step back and look at what is happening in this country and the world it’s extremely easy to determine the cause.  Sure, you can say that religion is the problem, race is the problem, or the rich are the problem, or that even the poor are the problem.  None of that is true.  The problem is humanity itself.  Our needs, wants, perspectives, prejudices, and personal experiences make us all culpable.  We want to blame others, or the other group for our challenges, but really it’s just us. We are the problem.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t comedy along the way.  Even in chaos there is laughter.  So that’s where you will find me, at the center of the great American hurricane, laughing my way through.  As you make the attempt to travel through the flood of madness, I’ll be easy to find.  I’ll be in the eye of the storm where the sun’s shining, the guy in the lawn chair with the umbrella and a sweet tea on the side of the road telling you where its flooded only to watch in amusement as you ignore the advice to turn around and drive through anyway.  

Rex

I was sitting down and writing a long-awaited rant when I realized that it’s 2022!  I write a lot of rants that never make it onto my blog so you can only imagine what I DON’T post.  Anyway, Happy New Year everyone!  Yep…I’m that observant.  Just ask the wife.  Seriously at my age one year runs into the next in such a way that it really doesn’t matter anymore.  I just make sure I’m fed and get plenty of exercise.  It’s either that or I’ll need medication and plenty of professional observation.

Well…I think all of us can honestly say that the last three years have been the proverbial shit-show.  However, it hasn’t been without its good side for me.  Professionally and economically my life has improved dramatically from just a decade ago and this practice of working from home fits right into my anti-social tendencies.  Sure, I put on a show during the day like the trained monkey I am, but when the zoom camera is off, so are my pants (ok…sometimes even when it’s on).  

The world has changed a lot in the last few years and so much the better for those of us with anti-social tendencies.  I walked around with alcohol wipes and hand sanitizer years before Covid so adding the mask just comes as a bonus for me.  It fits in greatly for my desire for social anonymity.  I can now put on a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, and even walk into a bank without anyone taking notice.  It’s the movie star life without the movie star pay, but at least I can dream.

This last year has seen the addition of a new truck, new job, and even an addition of a new house my wife bought so she had a place to stay when visiting the grand kids.  Consequently, we have become snowbirds, living the summers in the Colorado mountains and the winters at her beach condo or now just outside of Vegas.  I have to say I never thought of this life when I was sitting in Mr. Borracci’s history class in 9^th grade.  He certainly never thought I’d have it.  To be honest, most of the people who knew me then never thought I’d make it past 16.  They’re right of course.  I haven’t.  Again…just ask my wife.

Regardless of what’s been happening in the world, I’ve been having the time of my life.  I have a great new job, mountain bike when I want, live in forever summer (or at least forever Spring), and am married to someone who loves me even though I drive her crazy.  

So, with that I hope you all have a happy new year.  I’m heading out for a mountain bike ride.  The house in Vegas is a stone’s throw from Sloan Canyon and I’m taking advantage of a long ride while the grandkids sleep on the couch.   Here’s hoping you and yours are safe and well and that the coming year settles down a bit more than the previous two.

Rex

I have worked in the technology and healthcare industry for my entire adult life. It’s always amused me how things change, but still stay the same. The one constant in the universe is the slow, glacial pace, at which business leaders accommodate change. With COVID dramatically altering the business landscape they still haven’t caught onto how it impacts their business. Prices are high, and jobs a plentiful. It’s not just the food that’s gone up in price, it’s the labor. If you want good help it’s going to cost you, and we’re not living in the office anymore.

This is my little way of hoping the message gets back to leadership that times have changed. Some people like the office, and some people don’t. What has always annoyed me is that when I was in an office, I’d lock my door, and get on conference calls from the time I got there till the time I left. If I had any face-to-face interaction, it was to talk about the weather, not about the work. So, spending $500.00 per month in gas (that was pre-Covid) and three hours of my life on the road every day just doesn’t make sense anymore.

I’m not alone. A growing number of the Great Resignation are people being told by leadership that they have to start driving back into the office. These folks look at daycare costs, fuel costs, bad food, and other expenses, as well as their work roles and go “what the hell for?” They then quickly find that they can do the same job for someone else at a higher salary and not bother leaving home.

Some small to medium organizations seem to have caught on. However the big players are still struggling with the concept. For example, I work for a company that divested themselves of their real estate holdings, saving millions, and gaining capital in the process, by moving to a mostly remote workforce. That doesn’t mean that we don’t sometimes meet face-to-face, but it certainly lowers the overhead.

I know, there are managers our there saying, “but how do I know they’re productive, unless I see them working?” My response is “How do you know they’re productive if you see them working?” I’ve seen a lot of unproductive people in my time look busy as hell. It’s not about looking busy, it’s about moving the ball. Too many people create a whole lot of commotion, and accomplish nothing while calm cool waters consistently provide nourishment to the business. It’s not about looking busy, it’s about being effective.

There are tools and processes that enable leaders to track progress. The options are endless. The argument that you have to see work happening to know it’s happing is so out-dated today that the idea has become silly. “How do I know I’m getting what I need?” The same way you know today. You actually got what you need.

I’ve decided that when contractors reach out to me about an opportunity, I’m going to reply to them, regardless of my interest in the position, with my complete compensation package and what I’m actually looking for in a job.  This is for the following reasons:

• I want them to keep me in mind for other positions and let them know that I will forward their job to others who might be interested.  You never know…they might have something interesting.
• About 25% of the people who contact me are for salaries that are 30% to 50% below the industry standard. With people able to work remote for higher wages, I want them to know they need to up their game.
• Some companies still haven’t realized that only a fraction of workers are coming back into the office, and that fraction is getting smaller every day. Most folks are shooting for 100% remote, and a few are hybrid. So…I tell them my salary, and that my company sold all their properties and is 100% work from home.

I hope I never again have to ever drive into an office every day. For at least the last 20 years it has made zero sense for my role. It I wasn’t on a business trip, I was holed up in my office on a conference call. It made not sense in the least and was a waste of time for me, and money for my company. There was just no reason for any of it. With that said, I wouldn’t mind an occasional business trip though. Oddly…I do miss those. Once a month is fine, but the twice a week got old FAST!