Bouncers at the door of heaven

Who is allowed at the table?

This post is late, because I’ve been toying with writing it for a few weeks—and by “toying with,” I mean “agonizing over.” This isn’t the usual thing I write. This is much more personal.

If you follow me, it’s likely because you found my attempts to make heads or tails of the statistical paradoxes hidden in covid narratives useful, because you liked my book, or because you enjoy stories of life as a global surgeon working on a hospital ship.

This post is none of those. Although I’ve tended to avoid talking about my own faith journey in what I write, today I’m dipping my toes into exactly that.

Last month, one of the bigger religious denominations in the US voted to expel from membership any churches with women pastors. Also, pride moth just finished, a month that brings…um…strong opinions from some of my co-religionists.

Like this one, from Laura Witzke (whose bio reads, “Christ First 2020 GOP Nominee For US Senate | Christian | Nationalist”):

She captioned her DaVinci-Code-level reparsing with

Christians are DONE taking crap from the LGBTQ Mafia. We’re cancelling Pride Month, pouring out your Bud Light, shutting down your Targets, and we’re taking back the rainbow. We will also stand up for…