𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘~𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗦, 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝗝𝗘𝗛𝗢𝗩𝗔𝗛'𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝗔𝗡'𝗧 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡

 

"What is it about a tsunami wave that CAN be predicted?" my 9th grade science teacher asked.

My arm extended nearly out of its socket, but Mr. McConnell ignored it, calling on everyone else first.

"OK, Barton, tell us," he finally said.

"The direction of wave energy from an earthquake," I responded, exhausted from holding up my arm.

As I thought later about the whole tsunami phenomenon, the first tiny fissure in my faith, credulity, belief in YHWH was forming, not viewing him as "dead" like Thomas Altizer, but as guilty of child endangerment at the very least.

Just like a mother or father who allows the hands of their two year old to slip out of their grasp into city traffic, a Gawd who's seen tsunamis develop a zillion times before, yet doesn't even shout out a warning to their earthly sons and daughters, is no Gawd of mine.

When two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints saw me emptying my apartment trash into a dumpster, the Holy Spirit moved them to ride there bicycles over to convert me. 

"Your God is Elohim," I told the two young men from Utah, dressed in short-sleeved white shirts and black pants.

They were surprised I knew about Joseph Smith, the angel Moroni, the golden tablets, Brigham Young, the Pearl of Great Price, all the basics of their religious heritage.

We talked three hours and they left on good terms. . . . . 

When I told them how tsunami waves make me feel about any religion's Almighty One, they were saddened, but had nothing to say beyond the common religious excuse about free will.

I've had similar discussions with the Amish, Jehovah's Witnesses and Brownsville's foremost religious expert, Roman Perez, but Ana told me not to bother the Buddhist monks walking along the roadway in identical orange gowns in the Philippines.