Religion

For We Are One On The Journey

by

When it comes to religious and spiritual interactions, we’ve all experienced both deep connection and deep conflict. I’d like to talk about the connection, specifically how is it that we can connect with people on seemingly different spiritual paths? I’m sure we’ve all experienced something like that, where there’s a theological disconnect, but a deeper connection anyway.

In 2026, I find this question even more relevant. I find myself in agreement with the Pope despite being neither a Christian and having some problems with the Catholic Church. I find myself in sync with Christians sincerely protesting monstrous behavior. I am, as noted, a theist in my own way, but also have many friends who are atheists and we think a lot alike.

I mean I’m a Taoist and syncretic neo-pagan, so my beliefs are inclusive, but still, it’s interesting to see people I feel accord with in a time where religious conflict is oft present. It’s also nice to feel that accord.

So I find myself asking why we have this sense of sibling-hood. I mean I’m glad for it but why does it exist?

I think it’s a question of the sincerity of the journey.

Whatever your spiritual starting point, some people are on the quest. They want to figure out what’s going on. They want to be better people. They want to tune in to the Big Picture. There is something bigger than them, and they are going to do their best to find it.

This also means they start by taking their spiritual path seriously – and that’s actually a good starting point. You have to start somewhere and give it a try, you have to hold to your principles to find out what they mean and ask really hard questions. We’re often asking the same questions on the journey, and facing stark reality.

There’s a camaraderie in this, of all we people on the journey. We don’t start from the same place, we aren’t necessarily in the same place, but we’re all trying to figure “it” out. We can all relate to the journey. We can appreciate that someone cares.

But also everyone on that journey also have places of similarities. We ask the same or similar questions. We’ve faced the same or similar spiritual crises. We’ve probably had similar experiences in spiritual readings and research, even if we’re not necessarily in agreement.

Almost certainly out of these we’re going to find similar values. We’ve asked the questions, done the research, and in many cases come to the same conclusions. I don’t believe there’s some secret perennial philosophy created by an ancient civilization waiting to be rediscovered – but I believe there are similar conclusions we always keep coming to. Also maybe we should listen to those conclusions, because we keep forgetting them.

We’re all on a journey, all trying to figure it out, and our conclusions are often hard-won and surprisingly similar.


There’s a camaraderie in all of this. A similarity because we’re all on a journey.

I keep thinking of the TV series Babylon 5, a show I was a deep fan of back when it first ran. The Episode “Grail” in Season 1 sees a religious seeker come to this space station in the far future, seeking the Holy Grail. An alien ambassador notes her respect for a person on a mission that others may see as mad – a sincere seeker hoping for healing and regeneration for people. I appreciate that message, and I think it illustrated what I found.

Who is my sibling? Someone else on a journey like me.

–Xenofact

Maximum Exposure, Maximum Influencer Brain

by

The term “Influencer Brain” is one that I’ve been using a lot lately. It basically refers to the way some people get so used to trying to be Social Media influencers, it warps how they think. They think in hits and likes, stirring up controversy and making memes, maximum exposure, maximum talk. Everything gets warped through the Social Media bubble, to the point where even meaningful things are meaningless.

I’m sure you’ve seen Influencer Brain. It’s probably gotten some of your friends and family. It’s definitely gotten quite a few politicians, media stars, and supposed business geniuses. It’s also really goddamn annoying because it’s hard to have a human conversation with someone who has Influencer Brain.

Now one area I’ve noticed Influencer Brain hitting hard is Very Online Christians and some Christian media stars. There’s the “Jesus Glow-Up” people who, I guess, use good lighting to show how Jesus made them more photogenic? There’s people gladly seeking controversy to raise their profile and probably get a gig on some blog or get donations for, I don’t know, being a jerk. It seems pretty weird considering Jesus even warned people about praying in public.

Is Christianity (in American) more prone to this kind of Influencer Brain? Well, that’s actually not what I want to explore. Because here’s the thing.

Christianity is the dominant religion in America. It is quite politicized thanks to various social-political efforts and traditions. So simply put if you see a lot of annoying Christian Influencers, how much of that is simply by the odds? If you’re going to see annoying people with Influencer Brain, wouldn’t they practice (well, pretend to practice) the dominant religion, especially one that is politicized?

I think we pretty much can guess yeah, it probably is. I have larger theories but let’s be honest, the numbers are a big thing here.

I think of this as a good warning, and a bit of humility. It may be easy for non-Christians like myself to have a good laugh at them. We may also take the fact that we see such widespread behavior very seriously as some of these Influencers do outrageous and dangerous stuff. But under different circumstances we might be at risk.

We might even be at risk in our own spiritual practice. What if your particular brand of paganism gets popular? What if you suddenly have a book on meditation take off? What if you just get pissed at these people, make reaction videos, they become a hit then you face audience capture?

I think it’s important as we understand Influencer culture to tease out the different parts of it, moreso when it comes to spiritual and political practices. There is some damn pathological stuff out there, but it might also be literally due to the odds, and we can read too much into it – and get too arrogant.

Besides, as we tease out these threads, we can further get to the important spiritual issues – without trying to sell a course or get in the news or whatever.

– Xenofact

Evangelical Christianity All The Way Down

by

Something I’ve seen coming up in a number of podcasts and videocasts are people talking about – and dealing with – just how American (and Western) cultural thinking is a essentially Evangelical Christianity. It doesn’t matter what your religion is, if you grew up in America, you’ve probably got a good shot of fire-and-brimstone apocalyptic evangelism in your head.

The more I think about it, the more I see it. Yes that may be pattern matching, but I think there’s something really there.

There’s a streak of righteous punitive cruelty in American culture. Yes, we’re used to it in the “God hates everyone I hate me types.” But I also see it in people supposedly with progressive or humanist values, suddenly ready to throw out their beliefs to enjoy watching “them” suffer. There’s also a strong belief that people will actually learn from punishment, believed by the people who A) aren’t being punished and B) will probably say that they don’t change their beliefs just because someone threatens them.

There’s a kind of “Divinity-seeking” as well. There’s people, again who are distinctly NOT Evangelical Christians, who are still looking for a Big Daddy to tel them everything. Maybe it’s a political figure, maybe a writer, maybe some activist. They may even claim to have some belief in principles, but those principles are expressed in very anthropomorphic ways. Ever heard someone talk about “what science wants” or “what the economy” desires?

There’s the evangelism. Look, I’m a believer, I’m a guy that likes to speak and preach good ideas. I do enjoy it, but I wonder how much of this is cultural influence, wonder what I’d be with less influence from Evangelism. How many talks on technology, ecology, whatever sound like church services – it’s enough to lead you to find mind-numbing TED Talks soothing.

But most of all, over it all, is the waiting for Judgement Day. America has a huge streak of waiting for/wanting the Big Boom/Big Uplift. Once you think about it it’s hard to not see it everywhere.

It’s in our fear of Nuclear War hanging over our heads for decades – an understandable reaction.

It’s in talk of an Eco-apocalypse, which also includes no small number of people who hint darkly that we deserve it and that they will survive in a new heaven.

It’s in endless speculation about social collapse – and the order that follows. It’s not just racist internet fantasies, it’s people who happily talk about how Capitalism will fall apart and then we get heaven on Earth (without the effort of building it, apparently).

And as of this writing it’s in the speculation on “Artificial Intelligence” which apparently will both kill us all, and lead to an enlightened new world, and also give us AI girlfriends/boyfriends. The apocalypse is a selling point, be it edgy fear of “being so powerful” or talk of utopias (without covering the economic issues of the same). AI evangelism feels so familiar, the God in the Machine indeed.

I’d recommend taking a good look at how much of your life and actions is just repurposed Evangelical Christianity that you absorb like spiritual microplastics. Trust me, it’s worth examining.

Maybe at some point, I might even have to followup on my own experiences . . .

–Xenofact