Southern Baptist leaders release new analysis of their decline

We don’t get treats like this very often. Savor it.

Avatar photo by CAPTAIN CASSIDY FEB 01, 2024

Overview:

This analysis contains some information we don’t usually see out of the Southern Baptist Convention, including an egregious example of goalpost-shifting to avoid dealing with the metric most indicative of decline.

Reading Time: 8 MINUTES

For years now, Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) members have watched their denomination decline in both cultural dominance and memberships. Recently, the branch of the denomination devoted to information gathering and analysis, Lifeway Research, released some new information about that decline.

In short, that decline’s nowhere near over yet.

How Southern Baptists use the Annual Church Profile—and how they don’t

The Annual Church Profile (ACP) is a yearly survey of Southern Baptist churches. It asks them a variety of questions about:

Baptisms
Total membership
Attendance in-person (and online, since the pandemic)
Sunday School and small group enrollment and attendance (a small group is something like a Sunday School class for adults; members pray together, study the Bible, and have Jesusy discussions)
How much money the church has given to SBC projects

The SBC operates as a kind of mother ship to dozens of state-level conventions. Most American states have one. Some states have so few Southern Baptists that they must combine with other states, while others are so large they have more than one. But generally, each state has its own state convention. Churches operate more or less independently, as do the state conventions representing them. Each state-level convention runs its own ACP.

Note two major facts about the ACP.

First, some state-level conventions sometimes ask questions in a different way than others. Or they may leave out some questions entirely.

Second, it’s completely voluntary. Southern Baptist leaders do not require participation in it. So a church may elect to answer all questions, or just some, or only one, or none at all. Participation has no effect on membership in the denomination.

For the ACP discussed here today, 69% of Southern Baptist churches participated by answering at least one question on the survey.

Sidebar: Now consider why a Southern Baptist church might not participate

Given what we know of the SBC as a whole and about Southern Baptists in particular, we can make some educated guesses about churches that refused to participate in the ACP.

I’m betting that the 31% of churches that didn’t participate weren’t exactly doing great, metrics-wise. If they’d been baptizing people left and right, running stunningly effective evangelism programs, and growing so fast their pastors’ sermons were standing-room-only, no way no how would they forget to tell the mother ship about it, or simply refuse to participate.

It’d be extremely interesting to see what Southern Baptist stats would look like if the denomination’s leaders required ACP participation. But I don’t think it’ll ever happen. When such two-edged proposals come up, Southern Baptist leaders begin sweating greasy droplets of muh autonomous local church.

(That’s also why Southern Baptist leaders in the Old Guard faction don’t want to do anything about the denomination’s sex abuse crisis. They’re just so incredibly concerned, you see, about muh autonomous local church. But of course, when those autonomous local churches decide to be inclusive toward gay people or hire women to be pastors, suddenly even the Old Guard faction finds its teeth; archive.)

What Southern Baptist analysts found in the 2022 ACP

You can find a summary of the 2022 ACP here. It looks like the state-level conventions are still gathering the information together from 2023 to send to the mother ship for last year. On the site for the California Southern Baptist Convention (archive), I found a due date for the 2023 ACP: March 1, 2024. So we’re a ways off from knowing how the denomination did last year.

Usually, though, Southern Baptist leaders release a little tickle in the early spring. They like to do that in the run-up to their big Annual Meeting every summer. So keep an eye out for it around April. For now, we’ve got 2022 to keep us company.

And oh, what company it is!

Overall, this new analysis paints a picture of deep decline that is nowhere near even bottoming-out yet. In almost every single way imaginable, Southern Baptist congregations are in trouble. The pandemic only accelerated their decline.

This is probably one of the most dire graphs I have ever seen out of the SBC:

That can’t have been easy for some poor Southern Baptist graphic artist to make. But it’s truthful. After their disastrous pandemic drop in 2020, Southern Baptist churches rebounded all the way to 180,177 baptisms. And even that’s awful. They haven’t seen that small of a number since around 1920, when churches dunked 173,595 people.

(Info about specific years’ performance comes from Annual Reports on the official SBC site. The reports contain info about the previous year. So the 2023 Annual Report contains info about 2022, and so on and so forth. If I give a date like 2018 for a figure, it can be found in the next year’s report, so in this case 2019.)

This is Southern Baptist info we don’t normally get

Years ago, I ran across a report released around 2014 by the Pastors’ Task Force on SBC Evangelistic Impact & Declining Baptisms. It’s an analysis of the 2012 ACP. It is an absolutely eye-opening document, too. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in evangelical-watching.

And I recommend it for one important reason:

It reveals that Southern Baptist leaders have access to a wealth of information about baptisms that they don’t generally make available to the public. One of the most important metrics they reveal is the age of the people getting baptized. I’ve never seen this exact information provided anywhere else.

In the 2012 ACP report, as the Task Force revealed, 25% of Southern Baptist churches had zero baptisms. 60% of respondents didn’t baptize anyone between 12-17, while 80% reported “0-1 young adult baptisms (age 18-29 bracket).” Worse, the Task Force revealed this damning bit of trivia: “The only consistently growing age group in baptisms is age five and under.”

This new analysis of the 2022 ACP makes a good chaser for it, because it, too, reveals a lot of information that doesn’t usually appear anywhere else. For instance, it mentions that about 43% of Southern Baptist churches had no baptisms at all in 2022, while 34% had 1-5. That’s a lot more coming up empty than did in 2012.

Of note, in 2012, churches baptized about 315k people and counted 15.8M members. In 2022, they recorded 180,177 baptisms and 13.2M members.

I’m extremely interested in knowing how the ages broke out in those 2022 stats. If the mother ship had that info in 2012-2014, then it does now.

And they’re not talkin’, which makes me strongly suspect that most of the reported baptisms are the under-18 children of existing adult members and returning members who want to make a public demonstration of their re-affiliation.

And stuff most people could probably guess about Southern Baptist churches generally

As one might guess, Southern churches saw more baptisms, as did urban churches and new churches (less than 20 years old). Rural areas have a lot fewer potential new recruits living nearby, and well, Southern Baptist churches always did do well in the American South. It’s in the name!

New churches, as well, saw a lot more baptisms than old ones did. A church established more than a century ago is probably pretty stuck in its ways and traditional. It’s had time to attract and then alienate all the people in the area. But a lot of evangelicals’ ears perk up when they notice a brand-new church in their vicinity. They think it’ll be different than the ones they’ve tried. They’re willing to visit and check it out.

Churchless believers, those Christians who believe but have left church culture and membership behind, seem particularly open to trying brand-new churches. Often, they’ve been burned hard by other churches, but many say they want to find a good church to join.

Alas, new Southern Baptist churches often have trouble surviving past about five years. The people they attract might leave, taking their wallets with them, or the church’s leaders might turn out not to know how to lead volunteer groups very well.

As a May 2023 article hints (article), the mother ship’s general strategy for about 15 years now has been to scattershot new churches everywhere imaginable in the frantic hopes that they outweigh the number of churches closing each year. Every one of those struggling churches needs a pastor, even if that pastor will also need a day job.

“I’m glad I’m retired,” said one former Southern Baptist pastor in 2022 (archive) of the entire situation with pastors’ overall short tenure.

Selling Southern Baptist church membership on the basis of real-world social benefits

I’ve noticed lately that Southern Baptists have been talking up the real-world social benefits of joining their churches. That’s a wise strategy, far better than the one they’ve been using:

Convince marks that the Bible is literally true and Jesus is literally a real god who does real stuff in the real world (and will send the disobedient to Hell)
Then, sell marks active, engaged SBC church membership as the only way to Jesus correctly

Pushing harder on real-world benefits will generate a lot more interest, as long as they can deliver on their promises.

And so we see in the 2022 ACP analysis that churches with very active, engaged members also tend to bag the most baptisms. The more people participate in small groups, in particular, the generally higher their baptism rate—but churches that claimed 100% participation tended to have way fewer baptisms on average (5.9) than those claiming 75-99% participation (7.2).

What’s really interesting about that figure is that churches claiming 25-49% participation got 6.4, and those claiming 0-24% participation got 5.5. So that 100% participation figure of 5.9 baptisms is definitely a strange one.

Also, very large churches with 500+ attending weekly worship services tended to be the only ones that increased their number of baptisms between 2017 (5.2) and 2022 (5.6). Most regions were doing well just to maintain their 2017 numbers.

The Southern Baptist baptism ratio still blows chunks

The number that Southern Baptist leaders consider their very most important is what they call their baptism ratio. That’s the ratio of baptized people per existing Southern Baptist members. It asks: How many Southern Baptists’ resources did it take to get one person baptized?

And it’s why Southern Baptist leaders have known about their decline for about 50 years. That number speaks to the effectiveness of Southern Baptist recruiting and retention. Until about 1974, their ratio hovered in the 1:20-1:29 range. They liked it there. But after 1974, it never dipped that low again.

(Note: The SBC’s Conservative Resurgence began in earnest in the 1970s. This takeover by ultraconservative schemers and hypocrites finally ended in the late 1990s with solid victory.)

In 1985, the baptism ratio hit 1:41 at last. Despite Southern Baptist churches doing everything they could think of to fight it back down into the 1:30s again, it hit 1:50 in 2012. I saw a lot of Southern Baptist panicking around that time. It didn’t do any good then, either, because in 2018, it reached 1:60. I heard nothing about it that time, though.

Then, the pandemic blasted that already-struggling baptism ratio to smithereens:

2019: 1:62
2020: 1:114
2021: 1:88

As of 2022, they’d clawed their way back up to 1:73.

Which leads to the most hilarious bit of Southern Baptist goalpost-shifting I’ve ever seen

That is just shockingly bad, by Southern Baptist standards. That gets evangelicals to wondering if maybe Jesus just doesn’t like the denomination or something.

So the analysts behind the 2022 ACP report have figured out a way to move the goalposts!

Now they’re going to give a ratio between baptisms per every 100 people attending worship services. And doing it that way, they get a baptism ratio of 1:20 for 2022!

However, that’s still a decline, as they tell us themselves:

Another way to examine baptisms and rates for churches is by considering the number per worship attendees. Unfortunately for Southern Baptists, that number is also in decline. With worship attendance also falling, that means baptisms are falling at a faster rate than attendance. [. . .]

Among Southern Baptist churches that reported attendance in 2022, for every 100 people attending a worship service in a Southern Baptist church, five people were baptized on average. In other words, it took 20 Southern Baptists to reach one person. While that is the best number in the past four years, it’s still a decline from 2017 (5.9 per 100) and part of an overall negative trend.2022 ACP Analysis, Lifeway Research

Man alive, I really and truly don’t know how Southern Baptist leaders are going to deal with this in the next few years. Sooner or later, someone’s going to remember that the Conservative Resurgence was supposed to fix the decline. That’s how its architects and leaders sold it to the flocks. But it seems to have done the exact opposite.

Worse, pushing hard on the supposed real-world social benefits of joining Southern Baptist churches won’t work unless the people in those churches live up to the hype. And most of them just don’t, which we know because they’re falling apart across the board.

That simple truth may explain the relative success of the largest churches in the denomination: Plenty of stuff to do, plus a much higher chance of finding someone nice to make friends with. But if there’s another group that offers those same benefits for less hassle, watch out!

To grow, Baptists need to up their affability game in ways they have never had to do for their entire existence as a denomination. I just don’t think they’re up for the challenge. And I strongly suspect their leaders would agree with me there.

Novel Excerpts–The Boaz Secrets, Chapter 19

The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.

The Boaz Secrets, written in 2018, is my third novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.

Book Blurb

Fifteen year-old Matt Benson moves with Robert, his widowed father, to Boaz, Alabama for one year as Robert conducts research on Southern Baptist Fundamentalism. Robert, a professor of Bible History and new Testament Theology at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School enlists Matt to assist him as an undercover agent at First Baptist Church of Christ. Matt’s job is to befriend the most active young person in the Church’s youth group and learn the heart and mind of teenagers growing up as fundamentalist Southern Baptists.

Olivia Tillman is the fourteen year old daughter of Betty and Walter Tillman. He is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Christ. Robert and Matt move to Boaz in June 1970, and before high school begins in mid-August, Matt and Olivia become fast friends. Olivia’s life is centered around her faith, her family, and her friends. She is struck with Matt and his doubts and vows to win him to Christ. Over the next year, Matt and Olivia’s relationship blossoms into more than a teenage romance, despite their different religious beliefs.

June 1971 and Matt’s return to Chicago comes too quickly, but the two teenagers vow to never lose what they have, even promising to reunite at college in three years after Olivia graduates from Boaz High School.

The Boaz Secrets is told from the perspective of past and present. The story alternates between 1970-1971, and 2017-2018. After Matt left Boaz in June 1971, life happened and Olivia and Matt’s plans fell apart. However, in December 2017, their lives crossed again, almost miraculously, and they have a month in Boaz to catch up on forty-six years of being apart. They attempt to discover whether their teenage love can be rekindled and transformed into an adult romance even though Matt is 63 and Olivia is 61.

In 2017, Olivia and Matt are quick to learn they are vastly different people than they were as fifteen and sixteen year old teenagers– especially, when it comes to religion and faith. Will these religious differences unite them? The real issue is the secret Olivia has kept. Will Matt’s discovery destroy any chance he and Olivia have of rekindling their teenage relationship?

Chapter 19

February 1971

I had never changed my clothes, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and walked five blocks so fast in all my life. Betty, Mrs. Tillman, opened the front door before the doorbell’s tune ended. “She’s in the living room. Thanks for coming Matt, she really needs a shoulder to cry on. Go on in and I’ll check on you in a few minutes.” Olivia’s mother turned and walked away, and I figured her last statement was her subtle way of telling me, ‘Oh boy, I’m watching you every second, don’t you dare try to get fresh with my little girl.’

I almost tip-toed over to the large archway that led into the living room. Olivia wasn’t there. She must have gone to the bathroom or something. “Matt, come on in.” Just for two seconds my mind played one of its jokes on me. I thought Olivia was invisible. She was now an angel. She was here, I could hear her voice, but I couldn’t see her. The punch line was wordless. Olivia set up from the couch that backed toward the archway. She had simply been laying down when I walked in and she had made her statement.

Olivia got up and ran over to me and surprisingly put both arms around my waist and pulled me close. She started to cry but whispered, “hold me Matt. I need you to hold me.” I didn’t resist. Was this Heaven or what? I’m glad no one else was there to witness my awkwardness. My arms seemed unnatural, overlapping hers. I was glad she resolved my problem by withdrawing her arms and moving them up around my neck. My arms then felt just right around her waist. She buried her head into my neck. I couldn’t help but catch the smell of a fragrance I have never forgotten. I really don’t think it was perfume. It was just Olivia. She was an angel. She wasn’t quite human. She was my goddess. I began to worry Olivia’s mother would return and see me so close to her daughter. She might scream or look for a gun. My mind alternated between dread and evaluation. The later activity was more enjoyable. With my hands connected behind Olivia’s back I could feel her shape. My mind flashed back to her cheerleader tryout. I was feeling one of the curves that I had seen from a distance. Not since that day had I realized how wonderfully shapely Olivia was. I was just turning my attention to what I was experiencing with my chest, nestled only a hair’s width from Olivia’s already well-developed bosom when I heard a man’s voice, “Olivia, why don’t you and Matt sit down. You are probably too weak for any activity.” I thought it was an odd statement but then I heard a burst of laughter. I turned, and it was Wade imitating his father. And, doing a darn good job at that.

I immediately released Olivia and stepped to the side as Wade walked over and embraced Olivia. During the next few minutes I gathered that he had spent the night at Club Eden with the other four members of the Flaming Five. He had not heard about the car accident until a few minutes earlier when he arrived. My thoughts seemed to always come unprepared, like I don’t have much control over a lot of them. I kept thinking, ‘Wade, why were you not at church this morning? Did Pastor Tillman approve, or does he pretty much let you do what you want?’ It was a strange and virtually irrelevant question.

Wade left, and Olivia and I sat down. She sat on the couch and I chose a wingback chair near one end of the huge coffee table. “Sit by me. I need you close.” Olivia was unlike any time I had ever seen her. Again, I didn’t resist. As soon as I sat down she took my right hand in her left and placed her right hand on my knee. “Matt, I don’t know if Kyle and Kent were Christians. I told you about Tina being saved just last week. I’m not worried about Brenda. She was committed to Jesus, active at Second Baptist Church in their choir and youth group. As far as I know neither Kyle or Kent went to church. I failed them. Kent was in my class, had been all my life. God is showing me that I have to care about all those around me.” As I sat and listened to Olivia make this somewhat disjointed statement, it was clear what was coming.

“Matt, please. Let’s talk about you. It’s been a while since I asked you to accept Jesus as your savior. I’m not your judge but it seems like if you had changed your mind and given your heart to Him that you would have told me.”

“Olivia, first let me say, and this isn’t like me at all. Ever since I first met you I have been a different person. I’ve never liked a girl so much in my life. I’m very torn because I want to please you. I know it is selfish of me to say but I have been tempted to fake a relationship with Jesus just to try and win you over.”

“Matt, in a way that touches my heart, makes me all giddy to think you care that much for me. Right now, right here and now, forget about me. Why can’t I persuade you to get serious about your life and where you will spend all of eternity?” Olivia said reaching up with her right hand and pulling my face more towards hers. I wanted to kiss her but didn’t think it was the right moment.

“Sweet Olivia, know I am being serious. Double know that I would eagerly accept Jesus as Lord of my life if I didn’t know what I know, if you could just give me a little evidence.” I really didn’t want to talk about Jesus. I wanted to get back to consoling Olivia. Surely, she wasn’t fully consoled. Yet.

“Matt, you keep trying to figure God out. You think He is like you and me. He’s not, He’s God. His ways are not our ways.”

“That’s what I keep hearing. I also hear that He is all loving and all powerful and all present.” I said hoping to persuade Olivia that she needed to talk about Kyle and Kent, and Tina and Brenda.

“You are correct. My God is these things.” Olivia replied pulling her hand away from my leg. She set up straighter as though she was trying to show me how confident she was in what she was saying.

“Olivia, how does a loving God, one that loves His children beyond what the most perfect parents could do, why does this God allow such pain, heartache, and suffering?” I had thought about this type question many times. The only answer I had ever come up with, actually I borrowed it from a book I had read, was that either God was incapable of preventing horrible car wrecks where teenagers died a violent death, or he flat out didn’t care.”

“Matt, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Your question gives me more trouble than anything I’ve ever encountered when it comes to God. I’ve talked with Dad about this several times. He says that ‘because of the Fall, you know, the sins of Adam and Eve, we live in a sinful world. Bad things happen. When God created humankind, he gave us freewill. We are free to make choices.’ I guess we have the perfect example right before us. Kyle chose to drink beer and drive. God didn’t stop Him. I must let my faith take over. I must not try to figure God out. I must trust God that He has a plan, and it is all good. God loved us enough to let us choose wrong, to reject Him. But, I must admit, at times, like right now, Dad’s answers are not very satisfying.” I could tell Olivia was troubled. I sensed I was seeing Olivia at a very vulnerable moment. She was showing me her human side.

“I know reason, our use of reason is of the devil, from what I keep hearing, but I believe it is the most important resource we have to live our lives. We couldn’t survive without exercising our reason. You use yours every day. You wait on a car before crossing the street. You naturally used your reasoning ability to conclude that it would be unsafe to attempt to walk to the other side, the car is coming too fast.”

“I cannot argue against that.” Olivia said putting her hand back on my leg next to my knee.

“Olivia, I learned a long time ago, from Dad, that religion was part of life and that it was okay, actually, it was imperative, that I utilize my reasoning ability when considering religious claims. That’s what I do and that’s why I don’t believe in God. Consider this, if God is all knowing and all powerful, he knows everything that is going to happen. That means, in a real sense, everything is predetermined. At least from God’s standpoint. If that is so, then He does not have the power to change His mind and to cause something different to happen. So, he is not omnipotent.”

It was weird timing but right as I completed my statement my left leg got a cramp. I couldn’t stay seated. I immediately regretted being so lax about my running routine. I think Olivia thought I was about to have a seizure or something. I hobbled around, stopped, jumped, rubbed the back of my leg. The pain subsided within a few seconds.

“Cool move Matt, but as I’ve told you a dozen times. I will never give up on you. I intend to win your heart to God.” Olivia said. She didn’t realize that she had already won my heart.

I was still standing when Mrs. Tillman came in with a tray of cookies and some lemonade. “Matt, help me convince Olivia that she needs to eat something. I know sweets are not what she needs but it beats nothing.”

For the next thirty minutes Olivia laughed like she didn’t have a care in the world. I sat back down beside her and fed her cookies. She even let me hold her glass up to her lips. I played airplane with the cookies and she relaxed. So much that she joined me. After she dropped a cookie on the floor and sat up on the edge of the couch to reach for it, she picked it up and blew on it as though cleaning off some dirt or dust. She then turned to me with the chocolate chip cookie. “This little cookie lost its way.” She lifted her arm high and then slowly hummed her best airplane gliding sound as she gently landed the cookie on my lips. She then urged me to chew and swallow, making me take two sips of my lemonade. When I stopped chewing she leaned towards me, put her left elbow on the couch and with her right hand pulled my face towards hers.

The kiss didn’t last near long enough, but it was anything but a quick little peck on my lips. The two of us were obviously new to this activity. We both turned our heads, leaned our heads, the opposite of what we should. We both giggled but she kept steady with her attempt to reach my lips. I will never forget our first kiss. It was real intimacy. I could have lived in that moment forever.

It probably was over in less than a minute. She turned and sat back beside me. Neither one of us said a word for minutes. But, we did hold hands. I thought a lot during that time. My mind raced from ‘I wonder when we will kiss again?’ to ‘this doesn’t mean what I hope it does. Olivia is not in her right mind, having suffered such a traumatic event.’ One thing I knew as Pastor Tillman came in and told Olivia that it was time for her to get ready for church, I no longer needed to concern myself with whether Heaven was real. I now knew it was real. I had been there, and I would forever long to return.

New map captures explosive rise of the nonreligious

Here’s the link to this article.

Avatar photo by ADAM LEE JAN 26, 2024

Overview:

The rapid, unprecedented growth of the “nones” continues apace. The nonreligious are now larger than any single religious group in America, and they’ve become the majority in several states.

Reading Time: 4 MINUTES

Beyond the tumult of elections and the noise of the news cycle, there are bigger trends that will shape the future of our world. One of these trends is the growth of the “nones”—the Americans who identify as atheist, agnostic, or who just don’t belong to any religion.

Decades ago, the nones were a tiny minority. But in the early 21st century, their numbers started growing. And that growth was rapid: less like a gentle ramp, more like a rocket blasting off.

In a little under two decades, the nones rose from insignificance to national prominence. They became a force to be reckoned with, counterbalancing the influence of the religious right and arguably swinging presidential elections.

And they’re still growing. As recently as 2019, the nones were as numerous as Roman Catholics and evangelicals, the two largest religious groups in America. However, that three-way tie isn’t a tie anymore.

According to a 2024 Pew survey, the nones have moved into the lead:

When Americans are asked to check a box indicating their religious affiliation, 28% now check ‘none.’

A new study from Pew Research finds that the religiously unaffiliated – a group comprised of atheists, agnostic and those who say their religion is “nothing in particular” – is now the largest cohort in the U.S. They’re more prevalent among American adults than Catholics (23%) or evangelical Protestants (24%).“Religious ‘Nones’ are now the largest single group in the U.S.” Jason DeRose, NPR, 24 January 2024.

In the not-too-distant future, if the nones continue this growth, it’s conceivable they could become a majority of Americans—period.

Too good to be true?

Does this sound too good to be true? Then consider the evidence in this post: Which States Are the Least Religious? Which are the Most?, from political scientist Ryan Burge’s site Graphs About Religion.

Based on data from the Cooperative Election Study conducted in 2008 and in 2022, it shows how much American opinions have shifted in just the last fourteen years. Here’s the big picture, which the color coding makes dramatically clear. With the nonreligious population represented in blue, it looks like a tsunami washing across the country:

credit: Ryan Burge, via Graphs About Religion

In 2008, the nones were a minority in every state. Even in the liberal New England states, they were a fraction of the population.

In 2022, the nones have become an outright majority in seven states—Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska (!), Montana (!), New Hampshire and Maine. Several other states, including California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, are in the high forties. Even in the rural Midwest and the ex-Confederate Deep South, you have to look hard to find a state where the Nones aren’t at least a third of the population.

Some of this may be sampling error, especially in sparsely populated states. Burge notes that those Montana results, for example, are based on just 224 respondents.

Still, the overall trend is dramatic and so sharp as to be undeniable. Their population share has increased everywhere (except, apparently, North Dakota). In some states, like Connecticut, they’ve almost doubled. Georgia and Mississippi are now less religious than Michigan and Colorado were in 2008.

Who’s losing, who’s gaining

Most of this growth has come at the expense of Christians, especially Protestants. And their decline is only getting steeper. As Mark Sumner notes:

The percentage of Americans who call themselves Protestant—including evangelicals—has dropped from 70% in 1953 to 34% in 2022, according to Gallup. That’s a decline of more than 0.5% a year. Since 2016, the rate has averaged 0.67% a year.“Donald Trump is filling the God-shaped hole in Republicans’ lives.” Mark Sumner, Daily Kos, 15 January 2024.

As slow as it can seem on a human scale, on a societal scale, this is a massive and unprecedented shift. The nones have grown in every demographic group that’s been surveyed, both among white people and racial minorities. For example, in a recent Pew survey of Asian American ethnic groups:

Like the U.S. public as a whole, a growing percentage of Asian Americans are not affiliated with any religion, and the share who identify as Christian has declined, according to a new Pew Research Center survey exploring religion among Asian American adults.

…Today, 32% of Asian Americans are religiously unaffiliated, up from 26% in 2012.

Christianity is still the largest faith group among Asian Americans (34%).

But Christianity has also seen the sharpest decline, down 8 percentage points since 2012.

The graying of the church

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the nones will keep growing until we’re a majority in every state. There may be some natural limit that we’ll eventually run into. Or organized religion could go through a spontaneous nationwide revival.

However, there’s another data point that indicates that this cultural shift isn’t going to stop any time soon. Namely, frequent churchgoers are older than the American average. Meanwhile, those younger than the average are even less religious:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey, 17% of Americans are 65 and older. In FACT’s study, 33% of U.S. congregations are senior citizens.

The other age group where congregations differ dramatically from the U.S. as a whole is 18-34 year olds. Young adults make up 23% of the population but only 14% of churches.“Average U.S. Pastor and Churchgoer Grow Older.” Aaron Earls, Lifeway Research, 1 November 2021.

This means that, as ordinary generational turnover proceeds, we have every reason to expect that religion will keep fading away. The regressive, bigoted and anti-democratic political currents that draw their strength from religion, likewise, will continue to weaken and fragment.

While it won’t solve every problem in the world, it can only be a good thing that religion is losing strength and influence. The toxic manifestations of fundamentalism, which have oppressed humanity and held back progress for so long, are headed for a future of steady decline and eventual disappearance.

Novel Excerpts–The Boaz Secrets, Chapter 18

The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.

The Boaz Secrets, written in 2018, is my third novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.

Book Blurb

Chapter 18

December 17, 2017

The walk home from Warren and Tiffany’s had the opposite effect than my earlier walk to their house. I was almost sweating as I reached my front porch and unlocked the door. No doubt in my mind, Rickie’s words, “Rumor was she was pregnant by John Ericson,” had pierced my mind and heart like a flaming arrow.

I didn’t sleep at all. For hours I tossed and turned on my sleeping bag. I finally got up at 3:30 a.m., made a pot of coffee, and sat in my ‘Alabama’ beanbag chair. My mind was spewing out every imaginable what-if scenario it could, even attempting to go rouge on me offering up little tips on how to find the truth. ‘Sit in the Alabama Crimson Tide chair. It knows the truth, it knows because John spent four years at the University of Alabama.’ It was crazy stupid. By sunrise I had solid proof that hearing an unexpected statement could throw one’s seemingly organized, structured, and predictable life, into a tailspin. One, almost like falling out of an airplane without a parachute.

By 8:30 a.m., I had drunk more coffee than any one person should consume. I think it helped to counter the illogical leaps my mind was experiencing and offered some direction. It may not have been the coffee at all.

John, Paul, and I had exchanged cell phone numbers before we all went our separate ways outside the Cracker Barrel in Trussville. The two of them had even invited Olivia and me to come join them for a few days as they hiked the Appalachian Trail. Olivia had quickly declined saying that she was too afraid of bears and snakes. She didn’t care if it was winter. I had indicated to John and Paul some interest in spending at least one day and night with them out on the trail.

John answered on the second ring. Even though it was almost 10:00 a.m. in Georgia, they were not yet hiking. John laughed saying that he and Paul were not as tough as they used to be. In fact, yesterday afternoon they had left the main trail and hiked into Ellijay and found a Bed and Breakfast. Within five minutes I had spoken to both John and Paul and had arranged to meet them, where they were, in four hours. Google Maps said that it was less than a three-hour drive, but I wanted to allow myself plenty of time.

I had called Olivia before I left Boaz. I told her about my spur of the moment decision. At first, I started to tell her a little fib about what I was doing or where I was going, just to not raise the possibility of her becoming suspicious, but I realized that it was more than possible for her to be talking with her two boys. Anyway, she knew John, Paul, and I had discussed the possibilities of me joining them for a day or so. As I drove for nearly three hours I attempted to plan my every move. Of course, I wanted to spend quality time with my boys. I still clung to Olivia’s story. What reason would she have to lie to me? If I was not the father, why would she tell me I was? Maybe she didn’t know. Maybe she thought I was the father. She could think this even if her and John had had sex themselves. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around the notion of her and John being intimate. It didn’t fit at all. I had almost a perfect memory of Olivia when we were teenagers, her in the ninth grade and me in the eleventh. I was certain she would not have been having sex with John. Anyone. Then, it dawned on me. What if I was wrong? What if her and John had had this dirty little secret? They were sexually active. And, what if they had safe sex? I hated that phrase. Meaning, John always used a condom. And, I hadn’t. The night before Dad and I had left for Chicago, Olivia and I had had unprotected sex. The situation had surprised us both. Not the being alone, but our feelings knowing we would likely not see each other for months and months, possibly up to three years. Our emotions had taken over and, I remembered Olivia’s words in response to my concern that “I don’t have a, you know what.” It was the most awkward statement I had ever made. She had said, “Matt, I know this is wrong, but I also know it is right. We are already one in spirit. I want to make us one in body.” It had surprised me. It hadn’t sounded like the Olivia I had known for nearly a year. As I neared Ellijay I concluded that someway Olivia knew beyond all doubt that John and Paul were our children. I was their father. Ericson wasn’t. As I parked and walked toward the front porch of The Martyn House Bed and Breakfast, I knew that my love for Olivia would have no trouble forgiving her even if she had sex with John Ericson.

John and Paul were, as agreed, waiting for me in the great room. The Inn was a huge log cabin structure with probably the biggest fireplace I had ever seen. It was massive. It’s rock face stretched the entire width of the far wall. John and Paul were sitting at a table next to a row of floor-to-ceiling windows along the rear of the lodge. They saw me as I stood looking at the fireplace and walked over. We exchanged our man-hugs and they invited me to join them. They asked about Olivia and relayed their disappointment that she hadn’t come. “Please know it’s not anything personal. If anything, it was my fault. I didn’t really give her a chance. If she had known that hiking wasn’t on the agenda she would have killed me to come.”

The three of us spent thirty or so minutes updating each other on our careers. John seemed especially interested in my genetics research. Paul sit silent as John and I talked about how uncanny it was that Charles Darwin’s theory was proven correct even though he had no knowledge at all about genetics. Paul finally interrupted his brother and said, “even if Mr. Darwin’s theory was correct, although I totally doubt that it was, it changes nothing. God created Adam and Eve just as Genesis says. That’s where humans began. Please don’t tell me that I came from an ape.”

I was anticipating a big row between John and Paul. I had read quite a bit on Lee Berger’s discovery in the Rising Star cave in South Africa sometime in 2014. The many bones found deep in the cave shared similar characteristics with both humans and apes. John had said enough about his work with Berger when Olivia and I had met him and Paul in Birmingham. I knew John had played some role in Berger’s bone recovery project. The man, ape, man/ape had been dubbed, Naledi. I was surprised when Paul smiled at John and said, “Matt, don’t worry that John and I will kill each other. We have a unique relationship. We can argue till the sun goes down or it falls out of the sky, but we won’t get angry and we won’t love each other any less. We both know we will never change each other’s minds, but we still try nonetheless. We just like to argue. He makes stuff up and I simply stick to the facts.”

John couldn’t resist. “Paul is the typical Bible thumper, the typical Christian fundamentalist. He has read only one book, the Bible, and thinks it holds all the information he will ever need. He is a spitting image of an AD 90 desert peasant.”

I didn’t know what to say but I knew I had to say something. “I think it is wonderful that you two are so close and can agree to disagree. Let me go ahead and confess that I don’t believe in God and that I fully believe in the truth of Darwin’s work, evolution by natural selection. It’s the best theory ever offered for how life emerged and has continued to change over millions of years.”

“You and your son John may think you can gang up on me but I have God on my side.” Paul said. Seriously, but then burst into a laugh.

“Brother, how many times do I have to tell you that you didn’t come from an ape. The truth is that humans and apes have a common ancestor. It is a ridiculous argument for someone to say, “if I evolved from an ape, why are there still apes?” John asked.

“The problem you never want to address is that all the fossil discoveries, what you and your peers consider to be evidence that humans have evolved from, for simplicities sake let me say, an ape-like creature, doesn’t truly address homo sapiens. Those fossils deal with animals not humans.” Paul said standing up and turning towards the tall windows behind him.

“Paul, your belief that God, in an instant, created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden defies all logic and reason. And, scientific fact.”

I decided to just listen. I wanted to witness whether these two, my sons, could so clearly disagree but continue to respect and love each other.

“John, you have absolutely no proof that an ape-like creature turned into a human.”

“Actually, we do. The fossil records prove this.” John added. I know you will never look openly and honestly at the facts, the evidence I speak of. By the way, take the time to read up on Naledi. What are you afraid of? What you keep your head in the sand over is the huge problem you would have to recognize that there never was an Adam and an Eve. What you know, even though, again, you will never admit it, is the absence of an Adam and Eve destroys Christianity. If they didn’t exist, there was no ‘Fall’ as you call it. If there was no ‘Fall,’ there was no need for Christ to come and save mankind. Paul, my dear brother, your Bible, its credibility, now rests on the tip of a pinhead. Science has filled gap after gap, the holes you and your peers have tried to use in arguing the believability of your one and only book. Here’s something for you. I admit, your good book is holy. It is wholly, that’s with a w, wholly man made.”

Paul turned and looked back at John and me. “The Word says, ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’” He then stopped. I could tell he wanted his and John’s conversation to continue. I suspect Paul had a belly-full to lay out, here, something akin to a sermon. However, he put all that aside to say, “John, you and I can continue this discussion after Matt leaves tomorrow.”

But, John acted as though he didn’t hear Paul and kept going drilling further and further. It was getting old.

For the next fifteen minutes I listened as John and Paul went back and forth, almost like a football game. John on offense, Paul defending. Then the ball changed hands.

Finally, John said, it’s nearly 6:00, let’s go to the dining room. They’re having Buffalo T-Bone steaks.”

“I’m ready to share a meal with my two boys.” I said, glad that the two hadn’t come to blows.

John looked at me. “I want to hear why you and Olivia never got together.”

We three did enjoy a great meal. The Buffalo steaks were perfect, having been cooked over a wood fire. I savored every moment with my two boys. Over an hour passed with John and Paul appearing to savor every word I shared about my love for Olivia and how she had terminated our relationship. By the time we each finished a huge slice of coconut pie, in remembrance of our dear Olivia, we were stuffed.

As we got up to leave the almost empty dining room, John and Paul turned away towards the entrance long enough for me to use each of their cloth napkins to grab the forks they had used during our meal. After I reached my room, I removed them from my pants pockets and sealed them separately in two plastic zip-lock bags (I thought of them as a policeman’s evidence bag) that I had retrieved from my suitcase in Boaz. In two days, my lab at the University of Chicago would be conducting DNA analysis.

The first step of my plan was unfolding. I had to know whether I was the biological father of John and Paul Cummins.

02/02/24 Biking & Listening

Here’s today’s bike ride metrics . Temperature at beginning of ride: 64 degrees. Sunny.

Photos from today’s ride:

None today.

Why I ride:

Biking is something I both love and hate. The conflicting emotions arise from the undeniable physical effort it demands. However, this exertion is precisely what makes it an excellent form of exercise. Most days, I dedicate over an hour to my cycling routine, and in doing so, I’ve discovered a unique opportunity to enjoy a good book or podcast. The rhythmic pedaling and the wind against my face create a calming backdrop that allows me to fully immerse myself in the content. In these moments, the time spent on the bike seems worthwhile, as I can’t help but appreciate the mental and physical rewards it offers.

I especially like having ridden. The post-biking feeling is one of pure satisfaction. The endorphin rush, coupled with a sense of accomplishment, makes the initial struggle and fatigue worthwhile. As I dismount and catch my breath, I relish the sensation of having conquered the challenge, both physically and mentally. It’s a reminder that the things we sometimes love to hate can often be the ones that bring us the most fulfillment. In the end, the love-hate relationship with biking only deepens my appreciation for the sport, as it continually pushes me to overcome my own limitations and embrace the rewards that follow the effort.

Why you should ride:

Encourages Relaxation:

Cycling is not just a form of physical exercise; it also has a profound ability to encourage relaxation. Here are various ways in which cycling contributes to a relaxed state of mind and body:

Physical Activity and Stress Reduction: Engaging in physical activities like cycling can reduce the body’s stress responses. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators, which promote relaxation. The physical effort of cycling also helps to use up the energy created by stress, aiding in calming the body.
Rhythmic Pedaling as a Meditative Practice: The repetitive nature of cycling, with its steady, rhythmic pedaling, can have a meditative effect. This rhythmic motion can help focus the mind, drawing attention away from stressful thoughts and allowing a sense of calm.
Outdoor and Nature Exposure: Cycling outdoors, especially in natural or scenic settings, can enhance relaxation. Being in nature is known to reduce stress and promote a sense of peace. The sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors can be very soothing.
Mindfulness and Presence: Cycling requires a level of present-moment awareness, which is a key aspect of mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. When cycling, the focus on the immediate environment and bodily sensations can help achieve this state.
Cardiovascular Health Benefits: Regular cycling improves cardiovascular health, which can help in reducing tension in the body. A healthier heart and circulatory system can contribute to a more relaxed state overall.
Reduces Mental Clutter: A bike ride offers a break from daily routines and responsibilities, providing an opportunity to clear the mind. This mental break can be refreshing and relaxing, especially after a long day or during stressful periods.
Social Relaxation: For those who enjoy group rides, the social aspect of cycling can be relaxing. Social interactions and the sense of community found in cycling groups can contribute to overall relaxation and well-being.
Achievement and Satisfaction: Completing a challenging ride or reaching a cycling goal can bring about a sense of achievement and satisfaction. This positive feeling can promote a relaxed state, as it counters feelings of stress and anxiety.
End of Ride Relaxation Response: After a cycling session, the body often experiences a natural relaxation response. The decrease in physical activity coupled with the sense of accomplishment can lead to a profound state of relaxation.
Improves Sleep Quality: As cycling improves sleep quality, it indirectly promotes relaxation. Better sleep means the body is better rested and more capable of handling stress, leading to a more relaxed state during waking hours.

In summary, cycling’s ability to encourage relaxation is multifaceted, combining physical, mental, and emotional elements. By incorporating regular cycling into one’s lifestyle, it’s possible to cultivate a more relaxed state of being, beneficial for overall health and well-being.

Please watch

Here’s a couple of links to groups I like. Hopefully, they’ll encourage you to start riding a bike, no matter your age.

Cycling for those aged 70+(opens in a new tab)

Solitary Cycling(opens in a new tab)

My bike:

A Rockhopper by Specialized. I purchased it November 2021 from Venture Out in Guntersville; Mike is top notch! So is the bike. The ‘old’ man seat was salvaged from an old Walmart bike. Seat replaced with new one from Venture Out.

What I’m listening to:

NONFICTION

Creative writing craft books:

Secrets to Editing Success by K. Stanley and L. Cooke

Amazon abstract:

The Creative Story Editing Method

SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS teaches you how to become an exceptional story editor. Whether you’re editing your own story or are an editor wanting your clients to succeed, this book shows you how to make all stories better.

In SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS, you will learn how to structurally edit a manuscript starting by evaluating at the story level and then focusing at the scene level, resulting in actionable advice.

SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS shows you the fastest, most comprehensive route to a successful story edit. You’ll discover the Fictionary Story Editing process and use the 38 Fictionary Story Elements.

Give your draft a creative story edit, so it outperforms the other great books being published today. Use SECRETS to EDITING SUCCESS to edit any novel into a bestseller.

Praise for Secrets to Editing Success

“One of the most frequent questions a novelist asks is “Does my draft contain a story?” Stanley and Cooke have written a practical guide that shows you how to answer that question. Secrets to Editing Success gives you actionable advice and a process to edit and revise your novel so that you can take your novel draft and turn it into a publishable book.”

Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month

“Secrets to Editing Success is every editor’s dream. Whether you’re a new author reviewing your first book or professional editor, this is without doubt, the most comprehensive and detailed guide to editing I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. This book will hold your hand, explain, clarify and give you step by step instructions for editing your novel. Paired best when using the incomparable developmental editing software Fictionary, this guide will change your editing life. Read it. Immediately.”

Sacha Black, Rebel Author Podcast

Blinkest summaries

None today.

Podcasts:

FICTION

Novels:

Listening to a novel draft I’m editing.

Blinkest fiction book summaries:

None today.

Music:

None today.

Here’s a few photos from previous riding adventures:

Novel Excerpts–The Boaz Secrets, Chapter 17

The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.

The Boaz Secrets, written in 2018, is my third novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.

Book Blurb

Chapter 17

January 1971

Saturday afternoon I had escaped from the Lighthouse and Olivia’s attempt to learn about my response to Mr. Johnson’s Poetry assignment. After she had asked me to tell her about my Who Made God? poem, Brother Randy had called out to her from the back of the room. It was both a funny and weird moment. I felt as though God Himself had rescued me with his booming voice from the Heavens. The light rain that had begun when the Flaming Five had left didn’t hurt my cause, my need to flee. As Olivia walked away, I told her I had to leave but I would call her tomorrow afternoon after church and she would learn who made God.

After returning home, I worked on my poem for over an hour before Dad and I made our weekly trip to the Dairy Queen. It was becoming a tradition. The trip, along with sour kraut and extra onions on a foot-long hot-dog, was becoming my weekend meal of choice. By 10:30 a.m., right as the local TV news broadcast ended, my stomach revolted. The rest of the night was spent alternating between trips to the bathroom and laying across my bed wishing I would die. Dad said it was probably food-poisoning and would have to run its course. That it did. By sunrise, the rain had ended, and the evil bug had reached its destination. I finally dosed off to sleep and would probably have slept until Monday morning if Dad had not awakened me when he returned from church. It was a rare moment when I was nostalgic for Sunday School and preaching but as I got up and showered all I could think about was missing Olivia this morning, even though I rarely caught a glimpse of her on Sunday mornings. I guess, it was just the knowing that she was near. No matter if I never got to go out with her, I was realizing more and more how she was crawling inside every cell of my being.

Dad made me eat a small bowl of chicken soup that he had managed to prepare, and to drink some Coca Cola. My stomach was much better. I fought the urge to watch TV and slumber on the couch but instead retreated to my bedroom to continue drafting my “Who Made God?” poem. I was torn. I couldn’t wait to call Olivia, just to hear her voice. But, I was extra reluctant today to speak to her about God. I knew she would attempt to persuade me that God had always existed. She would also try out her best evangelical tricks to persuade me that I needed to accept Jesus by faith.

I knew what I wanted to write but had trouble since starting the assignment. Yesterday, I ditched my whole idea of trying to rhyme every other line. I simply wasn’t ready for this more intense poetry method. Mr. Johnson had said that a poem is what you say it is. There are no rules. I really liked that. I really hated rules even though I was pretty good at following most all of Dad’s. Instead of rhyming, I chose prose poetry. And, I chose to let my dear departed Mother help me get going. She was a devout Catholic and had told me about Thomas Aquinas, probably one of the most famous Catholics. He was still well respected by the Pope and all his underlings. Mother had told me about Aquinas’ five proofs for the existence of God. She had trusted old Thomas nearly as much as she did God. His first three proofs were all similar sounding to me. They involve infinite regress. This was a term I had just learned about. Dad had been able to locate for me an article by a Harvard scholar that he liked and trusted. The scholar had described infinite regress as a continual question arising the farther one goes back in time. Aquinas had said that “nothing moves without a prior movement.” He said something similar about cause and effect, “nothing is caused by itself, every effect has a prior cause.” Whether something is moved or caused, it leads back and back in time to something that moved something or caused something. Aquinas argued, with no real proof that I could ever gather, that God was the first mover or the first cause, something that got everything started. To me, Aquinas argument was feigned. I recalled how I had asked Mother how Aquinas knew this. She had answered, “Faith. He knew this by faith.” To me, then and now, that was not a valid answer. The only logical and true definition of faith was believing something without evidence, not because of evidence.

The first line of my poem read, “Faith made God, and man made faith.” Aquinas also had argued that if we could go back in time far enough we would discover that there were no physical things in existence. He argued that, again according to the scholar’s article, “since physical things exist now, there must have been something non-physical to bring them into existence, and that something is what we call God.” As I was contemplating how to create a visual of what Aquinas believed, here what was referred to as his Cosmological Argument, I realized, as just a 16-year-old, that Aquinas must have been deranged. Where did he learn basic logic? I reminded myself that logic wasn’t needed in Christianity, that it was evil. I couldn’t help but think of Brother G’s talk on the first day of school and how Martin Luther had warned Christians against using reason in their contemplation and relationship with God.

After turning my attention to Aquinas’ fourth and fifth proofs, the argument from degree, and the teleological argument or argument from design, I realized that I wasn’t going about this, my poetry writing assignment, in the right way. I was turning this into more of a research project. I was not using my imagination at all. I was not attempting to connect seemingly unlike things as Mr. Johnson had instructed. I need to be more spontaneous. I sat with my eyes closed for at least five minutes. The thought crossed my mind that I had started off thinking wrong. God, which God? What if I didn’t start with the Christian God? Weren’t there, hadn’t there been hundreds and hundreds of different gods over the years? Couldn’t I start with a wind god or a rain god or a sun god? I wasn’t making much progress. I was already contemplating my next poem, “Where is God Now?”

Somewhat frustrated, I stood up and was walking to the kitchen for a little more Coca Cola when the phone rang. Dad hollered over the blaring football game that it was for me.

“Hello.”

“Matt, it’s Olivia. I’m so upset. I hope you don’t mind me calling.” I could barely understand what she was saying. She seemed to be both crying and out of breath.

“It’s okay. I was working on my poem. I was going to call you in a little while. Why are you upset?”

“You haven’t heard?” Olivia said, sounding more like her natural voice. “The horrible car wreck. Last night.”

“No. I’ve been here all day. I was sick last night and couldn’t come to church this morning. What are you talking about?” I said realizing that I had never heard Olivia being so incoherent.

“Kyle Keller and his younger brother Kent, and Brenda Simmons, and Tina Williams were all killed late yesterday afternoon. Kyle and Brenda are seniors and Kent and Tina are my age, ninth graders.”

“What happened?” I was searching my mind for what to say. I had never had such a conversation.

“Nobody knows for sure, but the police are saying that Kyle was going too fast for the curve on Bruce Road, given the rain. Matt, they found beer cans in the car. Here’s what is tearing me up. They don’t even know for sure who was driving. If the four of them hadn’t had their school ID cards the police wouldn’t have known who they were. They were so mangled.”

“I’m so sorry. Were you friends with Kent and Tina?” After I said it, I recognized that it was a dumb question. What relevance was Olivia’s friendship. If the three of them were not friends, would the accident and Kent and Tina’s death have been no big deal.

“Tina had just started coming to youth group. She was quiet. Matt, she was saved only last week. My heart goes out to her family. Why would this happen?”

I was surprised that Olivia would ask this question, especially that she would ask it of me. “I don’t know. From what you just said it sounds like Kyle, or whoever was driving, made some bad decisions. I hate to say it but, to me, bad decisions usually have bad consequences. I suspect you would have a different take on what happened and why.”

“I usually do. This is the first time I have ever had someone so close to me to die. Before, I’ve always thought, ‘God is mysterious, we do not know, and cannot know what He does, and why He does things the way He does, but we can trust Him because He loves His children.’”

I don’t know if I was simply trying to be a smart ass or what, but I responded, so low Olivia couldn’t have heard me: “Maybe God needed Tina to help him hand out angel’s wings in Heaven.”

“Matt, I didn’t hear you, but were you making fun of me? I need you to console me, to help me get through this. You are the only boy I can confide in.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“Could you? Mother said it would be okay. I asked her before I called.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes. Olivia, I’m glad you called.”

I rode my bike and was excited about seeing her and that she had asked me to come to her, but my heart went out to the families of the teenagers who had died a horrible death.

02/01/24 Biking & Listening

Here’s today’s bike ride metrics . Temperature at beginning of ride: 51 degrees. Sunny.

Photos from today’s ride:

None today.

Why I ride:

Why you should ride:

Encourages Relaxation:

Cycling is not just a form of physical exercise; it also has a profound ability to encourage relaxation. Here are various ways in which cycling contributes to a relaxed state of mind and body:

Physical Activity and Stress Reduction: Engaging in physical activities like cycling can reduce the body’s stress responses. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators, which promote relaxation. The physical effort of cycling also helps to use up the energy created by stress, aiding in calming the body.
Rhythmic Pedaling as a Meditative Practice: The repetitive nature of cycling, with its steady, rhythmic pedaling, can have a meditative effect. This rhythmic motion can help focus the mind, drawing attention away from stressful thoughts and allowing a sense of calm.
Outdoor and Nature Exposure: Cycling outdoors, especially in natural or scenic settings, can enhance relaxation. Being in nature is known to reduce stress and promote a sense of peace. The sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors can be very soothing.
Mindfulness and Presence: Cycling requires a level of present-moment awareness, which is a key aspect of mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. When cycling, the focus on the immediate environment and bodily sensations can help achieve this state.
Cardiovascular Health Benefits: Regular cycling improves cardiovascular health, which can help in reducing tension in the body. A healthier heart and circulatory system can contribute to a more relaxed state overall.
Reduces Mental Clutter: A bike ride offers a break from daily routines and responsibilities, providing an opportunity to clear the mind. This mental break can be refreshing and relaxing, especially after a long day or during stressful periods.
Social Relaxation: For those who enjoy group rides, the social aspect of cycling can be relaxing. Social interactions and the sense of community found in cycling groups can contribute to overall relaxation and well-being.
Achievement and Satisfaction: Completing a challenging ride or reaching a cycling goal can bring about a sense of achievement and satisfaction. This positive feeling can promote a relaxed state, as it counters feelings of stress and anxiety.
End of Ride Relaxation Response: After a cycling session, the body often experiences a natural relaxation response. The decrease in physical activity coupled with the sense of accomplishment can lead to a profound state of relaxation.
Improves Sleep Quality: As cycling improves sleep quality, it indirectly promotes relaxation. Better sleep means the body is better rested and more capable of handling stress, leading to a more relaxed state during waking hours.

Please watch

Here’s a couple of links to groups I like. Hopefully, they’ll encourage you to start riding a bike, no matter your age.

Cycling for those aged 70+(opens in a new tab)

Solitary Cycling(opens in a new tab)

My bike:

What I’m listening to:

NONFICTION

Creative writing craft books:

Secrets to Editing Success by K. Stanley and L. Cooke

Amazon abstract:

The Creative Story Editing Method

In SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS, you will learn how to structurally edit a manuscript starting by evaluating at the story level and then focusing at the scene level, resulting in actionable advice.

SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS shows you the fastest, most comprehensive route to a successful story edit. You’ll discover the Fictionary Story Editing process and use the 38 Fictionary Story Elements.

Give your draft a creative story edit, so it outperforms the other great books being published today. Use SECRETS to EDITING SUCCESS to edit any novel into a bestseller.

Praise for Secrets to Editing Success

Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month

Sacha Black, Rebel Author Podcast

Blinkest summaries

None today.

Podcasts:

FICTION

Novels:

Listening to a novel draft I’m editing.

Blinkest fiction book summaries:

None today.

Music:

None today.

Here’s a few photos from previous riding adventures:

Novel Excerpts–The Boaz Secrets, Chapter 16

The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.

The Boaz Secrets, written in 2018, is my third novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.

Book Blurb

Chapter 16

December 16, 2017

Saturday afternoon Olivia and I had ridden bicycles to Aurora Lake and back. It was almost dark when we returned. We were exhausted. The bikes, although ten speeds, used old chain & gear technology. It had been a spur of the moment purchase decision at Walmart and halfway through the ride we both regretted not having gone to a movie instead.

At Aurora Lake, Olivia had asked me to join her at Warren and Tiffany’s tonight at 7:00. They were doing all they could to minister to Randi Radford and Judith Ericson. These two women were still reeling from the disappearance, and most likely, death, of their husbands. Randi’s Randall, and Judith’s John, had been missing for several months. All investigative efforts had concluded their disappearances were involuntary. According to Olivia and her earlier conversation with Warren, foul play was suspected since rumor was there had been a ransom demand made shortly after John’s disappearance. Warren and Tiffany had invited Olivia and me mainly because, I suspected, we were more contemporaries with Randi and Judith, the four of us having attended Boaz High School together in the early 70’s. I also suspected that Wade Tillman, Warren’s father, had something to do with this little gathering.

Olivia and I sat on the front porch for nearly an hour after returning from our bike ride. I still had no real furniture inside, although I had bought an Auburn and an Alabama beanbag chair at a local thrift store. I had wanted us to go inside but Olivia had requested the cool air and the gentle breeze, saying it would cool us off better, and, “dissipate the smell of sweat.” I hadn’t realized that I was beaming out body odor. Maybe she was afraid we might start something inside that we couldn’t finish before our little get-to-gather. I would have liked nothing better. I think she would have too. Maybe it was all in my imagination, but I thought I had sensed a little vibe rumbling when we had spread out a blanket I had carried with us to the Lake. Couple that with her unexpected reference to the night we had created John and Paul Cummins, my hopes for a passionate kiss were heightened, but not rewarded. After returning, I thought maybe the smoldering embers could be reignited now. Again, it didn’t happen. The swing, and being close to Olivia, were reward and satisfaction enough. For now.

At 6:00, Olivia left to return to Warren’s to shower and dress in time for the gathering. I stayed, showered, and walked the five blocks wishing, the closer I got to Warren’s, that I had driven. The night’s frigid air made me wish I had worn more than the light jacket I had on. Tiffany opened the front door just as I walked up the porch steps. “Hi Matt. Come in, I can’t believe this cold weather. Come in and warm-up.”

I didn’t know Judith Ericson, John’s wife, but I remembered Randi Radford. As teenagers, Randi Bonds and Olivia were the same age and both in the ninth grade when I was in the eleventh during my one year at Boaz High School. They were the best of friends. Randi’s sister, Rickie Bonds, was my age and was in my grade, along with Randall and the other four members of the Flaming Five. Olivia had told me the whole Boaz community had been surprised when Randall had married Randi. Rickie was Randall’s age, a varsity cheerleader, and rumors were, one of four cheerleaders who had hung out with Randall and the other four members of the Flaming Five throughout their high school years at a place call Club Eden. Again, rumor was, it was a secret place out in the woods, owned by the families of the Flaming Five, where Randall and his buddies spent time, with Rickie and three other sexually-active teenagers, when the guys were not playing basketball,

Tiffany led me into a large den where a roaring fire in the fireplace was like a magnet for my chill. “Why don’t you let that fire pull out the chill of the night air. I still can’t believe you walked. You’ll catch your death of cold.” Tiffany was, what I imagined, the typical Southern Belle. She was tall, slender, graceful, and had spent thirty-six or seven years developing the perfect cadence to mesmerize her audience with what, at first, might appear as gullibility. I figured she was anything but gullible, having come from a family of lawyers and judges in Atlanta. “Oh, by the way, Warren and the others are down in the basement. He’s showing off his man-cave. They’ll be right back.”

I stood by the fire thankful for its presence. I imagined the intensity of its heat as analogous to what my heart was beaming to my head. I was still amazed at how, after forty-six years, just the sight of Olivia Tillman had rekindled the love I had let almost die. In less than ten minutes Warren and Olivia appeared followed by three women, none of whom I recognized. Warren introduced me. I had expected Randi and Judith, but not Randi’s sister, Rickie Downs, my eleventh grade Boaz classmate. Warren had us all sit on an assortment of couches and chairs forming a semi-circle around the fireplace. I chose a lounging chair the furthest from the overly fed fire. In ten minutes I had almost set my pants on fire. I sat and listened. Warren seemed determined to keep the conversation light. He focused on college football and whether Alabama would be able to tame the Clemson Tigers this year if that’s how the National Championship Game shaped up in January. Olivia soon tamed Warren and moved the talk in another direction. She told Randi and Judith how sorry she was about Randall and John. Warren’s cell phone sang out a loud ‘Roll Tide’ and he dismissed himself towards what I suspected was the kitchen or dining room. Over the next several minutes or so I sensed a little coldness between Judith and Olivia. It wasn’t anything that had been said. I had always been, or at least I had always thought I was, an expert on reading and interpreting body language. Eyes, body posture, voice pitch and tone, all fit together, along with the motion or lack thereof, from the hands, seemed to be key indicators of relationships, or, the current feelings between two people. I may have been reading too much into it, but it was clear that Judith was an extra cog in a wheel carefully controlled by Olivia and Randi Radford and Rickie Downs.

Just now, I saw Olivia’s smile almost turn to a smirk, Tiffany walked in and politely requested a little help setting the table and pouring the drinks. Olivia and Randi jumped up immediately and almost galloped towards Tiffany. Rickie and Judith remained seated. Maybe it was Randi and Olivia’s youth, albeit, only two years younger than the rest of us, that had launched them from their comfy seats.

Judith’s countenance changed remarkably when Olivia and Randi left. I listened as she and Rickie reminisced. It seemed Rickie had moved away after high school, and Judith had moved to Boaz. It was after her and John had married during college at the University of Alabama. Judith had grown up in Birmingham and had met John at a Christian youth camp one summer during high school. The following summer the two again attended the same camp. In college, at Tuscaloosa, they had rekindled their friendship. I was surprised when Judith turned her attention to me. “Matt, I hear you’re not from Boaz but did spend one year here with these crazy people back in high school?”

“That’s right. This is the first time I have been back to Boaz since the end of the eleventh grade and when my Dad and I moved back home to Chicago in June 1971.” I said, standing up and removing my jacket. The way Judith was looking at me made me feel I was about to be cross-examined. I hoped that my intuition was wrong. There was no good reason to be thinking I was in a witness chair.

“Did you meet Olivia while you were here? I know she’s a lot younger than you.” Judith asked.

I didn’t know how to take her, especially the last statement. Did I look like Olivia’s father? Much, much older than Olivia?

Judith seemed to sense my confusion. “Oh, that didn’t come out right. What I meant was, two or three years difference in age during high school seems like an eternity. You said you were in the eleventh grade. That would put Olivia in, what, the eighth or ninth grade?”

“She was in the ninth grade, her first year of high school, during the year I was here.” I said, wondering the relevance of mine and Olivia’s ages.

Rickie seemed preoccupied with a magazine she had picked up off the coffee table. From my angle it looked like it was a copy of The Pastor, a journal I knew from my Dad, that was published by the Southwestern Theological Seminary in Dallas. “I can’t believe a Tillman is still the pastor of First Baptist Church of Christ. After what his grandfather and father have done.” I couldn’t believe Rickie had said this.

“Right now, nothing has been proven. Don’t be so quick to rush to judgment.” Judith responded.

“Maybe not in court but sure as hell, Wade and James Adams killed Gina.” That’s Warren’s mother.” Rickie said looking at me. “How could he still support his father, I’ll never figure.” Rickie seemed intent on getting some things off her chest.

“Rickie, you always seemed to buy into rumors. That’s all you know, just what you’ve heard. I hear you haven’t lived here in over forty years. Your opinion of Wade and James is based totally on how you remember them from high school. Like John Ericson, my dearly departed husband, Wade and James grew up and became honorable men. They volunteered countless hours to youth in this community, trying their best to lead them to a closer walk with Christ.” Judith eloquently made a good case.

Rickie didn’t back down. “Shit, I’d bet you an ounce of gold that every one of the Flaming Five have continued to have their sexual playmates on the side, even while they were playing their Jesus games. Their lust for female companionship started way before you came along. Not to disparage John but he and his four buddies, and me and three of my cheerleader friends, enjoyed many a roll in the hay.”

“Rickie, don’t talk like that. John is no doubt dead. Whatever he did as a teenager was forgiven by God. John told me everything. We had no secrets. He was ashamed of all that went on when he was in high school, all the times in the big tent at Club Eden. You’re not telling me anything I don’t know. John changed. He became a faithful Christian man.” Judith said as I became more uncomfortable and wishing Tiffany would call us to dinner.

“I bet you John didn’t tell you about him and Olivia.” Rickie blurted out, covering her mouth just as the last syllable reeked out of a mouth that I wish was nowhere around Boaz right now.

Suddenly, I felt sick. At first, I thought I had misheard Rickie. It’s funny how your mind can play tricks on you. I had interpreted her statement to be a reference to the lives of two people, things that had happened independently of each other. Then, it dawned on me that Rickie was implying that Olivia and John had a relationship, a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship during high school.

“What are you talking about?” Judith’s voice now evidenced concern, maybe even a little anger.

“I admit this might just be a rumor. Olivia spent six months or so of her Sophomore year as a recluse, holed up here in this parsonage. Rumor was she was pregnant by John Ericson. Most people in the church and even in the community knew John was charged by Olivia’s father as her protector, at least one of them. Pastor Walter was so fooled by the Flaming Five that he trusted all of them, having made them promise to watch after his sweet, dear Olivia. Word was that Olivia liked John more than her brother Wade, and the other three. Everybody for the most part believed she was so zealous for Jesus that she was trying to save him, get him to confess, repent, and accept Jesus as his savior. But, somewhere along the line, John manipulated her into a sexual relationship. Judith, I shouldn’t have said any of this. I’m sorry.” Rickie’s apology was too little too late.

“Sorry is what you are. You had no right to throw this in my face. May you rot in hell for lying about my sweet and faithful husband.” Judith stood up, walked over to the front door, and walked out. Slamming the door enough for it to have good reason to jump off its hinges. Fortunately, it didn’t.

“Sweet and faithful my ass, surely she ain’t crazy enough to believe that shit. Rickey said just as Tiffany and Warren appeared in the archway from the kitchen. No doubt brought here because of the door’s thunder reverberating throughout the house. “What’s going on?” Warren asked.

“Judith got her panties in a wad and decided she had another appointment. I guess.” Rickie said standing up and moving towards the fireplace.

“What was she upset about?” Tiffany asked.

“I don’t like starting rumors, so I’ll just say she needed to express her response to some news about her late husband. Let’s leave it at that.”

“That’s too bad. None of us will ever know what she’s going through. It must be terrible not really knowing what happened to John.” Tiffany said.

“Whatever.” Warren didn’t seem too concerned. “Come on you two, the steaks are perfect if I do say so myself.”

During the next forty-five minutes I wished I had the courage to run out the door with Judith. I couldn’t enjoy the good meal before me, even though I was hungry. All I could think about as I sat silent and the five others talked non-stop about the good ole days was whether what Rickie said was true or whether it was simply a rumor. I decided it was just gossip. I believed Olivia. I certainly knew the truth about her teenage pregnancy. I was there. Even though it might be a rare thing, one sexual encounter and twin boys appear nine months later. It certainly was way more than possible. I had proof. John and Paul Cummins were my proof. They were my sons. They were Olivia’s sons. And, Olivia and John had been just friends.

By the time Rickie and Randi left and Warren and Tiffany were busy cleaning up the table and the kitchen, my mind was at peace. I would have liked to have stayed longer with Olivia, but she had a headache and we decided to call it a night.

She walked me out onto the front porch, kissed me quickly, and said goodnight.

01/31/24 Biking & Listening

Here’s today’s bike ride metrics . Temperature at beginning of ride: 47 degrees. Sunny.

Photos from today’s ride:

None today.

Why I ride:

Why you should ride:

Encourages Relaxation:

Cycling is not just a form of physical exercise; it also has a profound ability to encourage relaxation. Here are various ways in which cycling contributes to a relaxed state of mind and body:

Physical Activity and Stress Reduction: Engaging in physical activities like cycling can reduce the body’s stress responses. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators, which promote relaxation. The physical effort of cycling also helps to use up the energy created by stress, aiding in calming the body.
Rhythmic Pedaling as a Meditative Practice: The repetitive nature of cycling, with its steady, rhythmic pedaling, can have a meditative effect. This rhythmic motion can help focus the mind, drawing attention away from stressful thoughts and allowing a sense of calm.
Outdoor and Nature Exposure: Cycling outdoors, especially in natural or scenic settings, can enhance relaxation. Being in nature is known to reduce stress and promote a sense of peace. The sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors can be very soothing.
Mindfulness and Presence: Cycling requires a level of present-moment awareness, which is a key aspect of mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. When cycling, the focus on the immediate environment and bodily sensations can help achieve this state.
Cardiovascular Health Benefits: Regular cycling improves cardiovascular health, which can help in reducing tension in the body. A healthier heart and circulatory system can contribute to a more relaxed state overall.
Reduces Mental Clutter: A bike ride offers a break from daily routines and responsibilities, providing an opportunity to clear the mind. This mental break can be refreshing and relaxing, especially after a long day or during stressful periods.
Social Relaxation: For those who enjoy group rides, the social aspect of cycling can be relaxing. Social interactions and the sense of community found in cycling groups can contribute to overall relaxation and well-being.
Achievement and Satisfaction: Completing a challenging ride or reaching a cycling goal can bring about a sense of achievement and satisfaction. This positive feeling can promote a relaxed state, as it counters feelings of stress and anxiety.
End of Ride Relaxation Response: After a cycling session, the body often experiences a natural relaxation response. The decrease in physical activity coupled with the sense of accomplishment can lead to a profound state of relaxation.
Improves Sleep Quality: As cycling improves sleep quality, it indirectly promotes relaxation. Better sleep means the body is better rested and more capable of handling stress, leading to a more relaxed state during waking hours.

Please watch

Here’s a couple of links to groups I like. Hopefully, they’ll encourage you to start riding a bike, no matter your age.

Cycling for those aged 70+(opens in a new tab)

Solitary Cycling(opens in a new tab)

My bike:

What I’m listening to:

NONFICTION

Creative writing craft books:

Secrets to Editing Success by K. Stanley and L. Cooke

Amazon abstract:

The Creative Story Editing Method

In SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS, you will learn how to structurally edit a manuscript starting by evaluating at the story level and then focusing at the scene level, resulting in actionable advice.

SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS shows you the fastest, most comprehensive route to a successful story edit. You’ll discover the Fictionary Story Editing process and use the 38 Fictionary Story Elements.

Give your draft a creative story edit, so it outperforms the other great books being published today. Use SECRETS to EDITING SUCCESS to edit any novel into a bestseller.

Praise for Secrets to Editing Success

Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month

Sacha Black, Rebel Author Podcast

Blinkest summaries

None today.

Podcasts:

FICTION

Novels:

Listening to a novel draft I’m editing.

Blinkest fiction book summaries:

None today.

Music:

None today.

Here’s a few photos from previous riding adventures:

01/30/24 Biking & Listening

Here’s today’s bike ride metrics . Temperature at beginning of ride: 59 degrees. Sunny.

Photos from today’s ride:

None today.

Why I ride:

Why you should ride:

Encourages Relaxation:

Cycling is not just a form of physical exercise; it also has a profound ability to encourage relaxation. Here are various ways in which cycling contributes to a relaxed state of mind and body:

Physical Activity and Stress Reduction: Engaging in physical activities like cycling can reduce the body’s stress responses. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators, which promote relaxation. The physical effort of cycling also helps to use up the energy created by stress, aiding in calming the body.
Rhythmic Pedaling as a Meditative Practice: The repetitive nature of cycling, with its steady, rhythmic pedaling, can have a meditative effect. This rhythmic motion can help focus the mind, drawing attention away from stressful thoughts and allowing a sense of calm.
Outdoor and Nature Exposure: Cycling outdoors, especially in natural or scenic settings, can enhance relaxation. Being in nature is known to reduce stress and promote a sense of peace. The sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors can be very soothing.
Mindfulness and Presence: Cycling requires a level of present-moment awareness, which is a key aspect of mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. When cycling, the focus on the immediate environment and bodily sensations can help achieve this state.
Cardiovascular Health Benefits: Regular cycling improves cardiovascular health, which can help in reducing tension in the body. A healthier heart and circulatory system can contribute to a more relaxed state overall.
Reduces Mental Clutter: A bike ride offers a break from daily routines and responsibilities, providing an opportunity to clear the mind. This mental break can be refreshing and relaxing, especially after a long day or during stressful periods.
Social Relaxation: For those who enjoy group rides, the social aspect of cycling can be relaxing. Social interactions and the sense of community found in cycling groups can contribute to overall relaxation and well-being.
Achievement and Satisfaction: Completing a challenging ride or reaching a cycling goal can bring about a sense of achievement and satisfaction. This positive feeling can promote a relaxed state, as it counters feelings of stress and anxiety.
End of Ride Relaxation Response: After a cycling session, the body often experiences a natural relaxation response. The decrease in physical activity coupled with the sense of accomplishment can lead to a profound state of relaxation.
Improves Sleep Quality: As cycling improves sleep quality, it indirectly promotes relaxation. Better sleep means the body is better rested and more capable of handling stress, leading to a more relaxed state during waking hours.

Please watch

Here’s a couple of links to groups I like. Hopefully, they’ll encourage you to start riding a bike, no matter your age.

Cycling for those aged 70+(opens in a new tab)

Solitary Cycling(opens in a new tab)

My bike:

What I’m listening to:

NONFICTION

Creative writing craft books:

Secrets to Editing Success by K. Stanley and L. Cooke

Amazon abstract:

The Creative Story Editing Method

In SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS, you will learn how to structurally edit a manuscript starting by evaluating at the story level and then focusing at the scene level, resulting in actionable advice.

SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS shows you the fastest, most comprehensive route to a successful story edit. You’ll discover the Fictionary Story Editing process and use the 38 Fictionary Story Elements.

Give your draft a creative story edit, so it outperforms the other great books being published today. Use SECRETS to EDITING SUCCESS to edit any novel into a bestseller.

Praise for Secrets to Editing Success

Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month

Sacha Black, Rebel Author Podcast

Blinkest summaries

None today.

Podcasts:

FICTION

Novels:

Listening to a novel draft I’m editing.

Blinkest fiction book summaries:

None today.

Music:

None today.