Upvote Upvoted 0
2 responses
Good morning, Anth:

I just wanted to say "hi", and let you know how much I respect you and really enjoy listening to you, as well as Brodbeck and Goyech. I'm probably one of your biggest "Best Episode Ever" fans. In fact, I've been having a sort of "withdrawal" this week, looking every day for a new podcast on Best Ep Ever, and just waiting it out, missing hearing the 3 of you converse back and forth. What joy I get from that (along with all the memories of the retro tv I grew up on: I was born in '64 myself).

This is only the second "Love Hate Things" podcast I've listened to so far, but I'll keep checking them out while waiting for the next BEE podcast. I listened to this one because of the image of Jesus (I assume it's from the Mel Gibson "Passion" film?). I am what I would refer to as a "Jesus follower", and a very serious, very dedicated one (I avoid the term "Christian" at times, because I can't stand being lumped in with war-mongering Repubs, gay haters and the like (all of which is as anti-Christian as can be, but you know how it is).

I want to let you know that, while I've always enjoyed listening to you, my respect for you went up even more during this here podcast. For 2 reasons: the way you offered to pick up podcasters from the Hamilton airport (like you once offered to lend out your own copy of a dvd season of WKRP, I believe it was), and then the way you handled the whole Easter/Gethsemane thing. Wow. Thank you so much. I think that we all have a lot to learn from each other, and I appreciate how you, as a self-proclaimed atheist, do not bash Christians nor others' beliefs. Have you ever read any Donald Miller? I guess he's what people call an "Emergent Believer" in Christ, and has a ton to say about how vastly important the idea of story is in our lives. The things you had to say in this podcast reminded me a lot of Don Miller. Stories are WAY too underrated, and someone (like you and me) need to keep them going.

Keep on keeping on, my brother!
Take care,
Your friend Ken

— Ken Wright
Ken, thanks a lot for your thoughtful feedback, and I'm glad you "got" what I was trying to say via religion. I'm glad you found a migration path here from Best Ep Ever. (I'm not sure where the pic is from btw, but that it prompted a listen is probably worth it by itself.)
I haven't read Miller or much in the way philosophical/theological texts since university. In fact I find myself not reading too much in the way of books over the past few years, encompassing my reading world (for right or wrong) within the web. That said, I do believe that, like stories, people's beliefs (secular or not) have very defined parameters.
We all have faith in something. We all have core values and beliefs. We all identify something as a spirit or soul within us when our reactions, motivations are undefinable. We all cast villains and heroes from people who don't know or care if they're villains or heroes to us. These archetypes unify us in a way that is far more primal than any single Faith or ideology could. Would that some people would ruminate on the similarities more than the differences, methinks the world would be a better place.
I'm glad you found something that connected with you in this episode and hope you find a few more to your liking along the way.
— anthony marco