Throughout history and across the world, people have asked questions about where the world came from, who they are, and what their purpose is in life. These questions have different answers for different people. Some say that there is more to life than just the physical world, and some say that by living life in a certain way the answers can be found.* I was raised in a Christian (Methodist) home. Ditto for both of my parents’ upbringings, though the religious denomination di

If you read through the Texas Republican Party’s 37-page long list of “principles,” it is hard to find many of the 334 items included that don’t mention God, religion, and exclusively Christian values in some form or another. It’s no secret that the Republican Party doesn’t exactly leave religion out of their politics, and living in our red state as a non-Christian—or as one who simply does not subscribe to an outdated and oftentimes oppressive lifestyle—means enduring polici

The music fills the chapel and even those can’t, sing happily along belting the words out more or less in rhythm with the choir and band. The preacher soon takes the pulpit and give a sermon filled with passion talking of love and forgiveness for those who truly repent. This same scene is repeated across the country and world countless churches, synagogues, and houses of worship of every denomination and faith. There is one glaring difference here though. Every member of this

Jesus Christ is such a revolutionary! What radical grace to die the way he did, to change the world through non-violence and his relentless love for mankind (John 17:20-25). How backwards to social hierarchy to embrace everyone with zero judgement (Matthew 7) and to give benefit and honor to the lowly as a vehicle to teach the strong and wise (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). What a slap in the face of the American dream to ask us to give away our possessions and money (Mark 10:21-31

When H.P. Lovecraft was 5 years old, after losing his father to mental illness, it was revealed to him that Santa Claus was not real. A young Lovecraft must have been slightly broken, because he angrily responded, "How is God not equally a myth?" Over his life, he would pen great monsters and present horrid visions on the world in an effort to keep finding or creating order when he saw only lies and greater fictions than his characters Azathoth or Cthulhu. He was a man who ne

...Nature, Consciousness, Allah, Buddha Nature, Creation, Krishna, Brahman, Om, Jesus, God… whatever your belief is, meditation brings you closer to The Divine Ground of Being, to truth, and it closer to you. I would like to share with you a simple, accessible form of meditation that transcends all religions and dogmas. Though its origins are Eastern, the practice of mantra meditation, repeating a mantra, called japa in Sanskrit, is common in religions the world over. Repea

The facts about single-use plastic straws: average lifespan is less than 30 minutes; Americans use 390 to 500 million single use plastic straws per day - enough to wrap around the earth 2.5 times; plastic straws take 200-500 years to decompose; and plastic straws are not recyclable. Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN), an ocean conservation group in Galveston is joining a worldwide movement to protect the environment from an increasingly urgent threat: single-use pl

If you live in Galveston or visited our island over the past decade, you most likely have had an experience with seaweed. Even though it sometimes disrupts our surfing, swimming, or beach activities, seaweed is a very valuable resource for wildlife. When seaweed is removed, the beach atmosphere changes, leaving many animals and plants without a place to live and eat. Sargassum is on our beaches; the brown or dark green macroalgae that floats on the surface of the ocean and is

I am a 10-year veteran, IBC Galvestonian and still eagerly exploring and bringing stories back to my chosen community to show us all how large, diverse, and exciting our own backyard can be. I am writing this from an adventure along the Texas Coast finding new stories and learning about the ways we help and hurt our environment along the way. But this is not a story of only beautiful scenery and luscious Texas vistas; this is a story of diesel exhaust, trashy highways, and po

Climate change is a growing concern in our society, spurred by rising temperatures, devastating natural disasters, catastrophic predictions, and counter-productive environmental policies enacted by President Trump in recent years. Climate change deniers exist among us, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz. According to the Texas Tribune, Cruz stated in 2015 that “global warming alarmists are the equivalent of the flat-earthers.” In effect, he was comparing a phenomenon recognized

According to recent estimates, over 8 million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. Over 150 million metric tons of plastic currently circulate our oceans. The United Nations stated during a General Assembly high-level meeting that we have until 2030 to prevent irreversible damage from climate change. Hundreds of thousands of whales, sea turtles, fish, sharks, and seabirds die each year from ingesting plastic. Species that have been inhabiting the earth for millions o

As scientists are continuously evaluating the vital signs of our Earth, the diagnoses are coming back less and less promising if we continue our society’s way of life in this unsustainable direction. So, we’ve all heard it before – climate change. There are seemingly endless lists of negative ramifications that are the result of human perturbation on natural ecosystems including the alteration of land use in physical and chemical ways. Due to anthropogenic activity (industri

What did you do? Did you touch a soul and breathe a life into mind? One warm flicker so he could get it, now your folding cadence as the...

It’s a warm Thursday morning as I pull up to Seeding Galveston on 33rd and N Avenue. The sun hasn’t fully come out yet; Seeding Galveston co-founder Debby, who will be giving me a tour of the farm, warned me to come by before it gets too hot. I’m excited to see the turkeys, goats, and chickens that live there, but I’m a little nervous about the tour. I don’t know the first thing about gardening, farming, or what composting even really is. I’m a city girl, and it shows. I app

COOKIES INGREDIENTS: • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/2 cup of Cannabutter Cannabutter Recipe - Leafly.com/news/lifestyle/ recipe-how-to-make-basiccannabutter • 1 1/3 cups of chocolate chips • 1 1/3 cups of flour • 1/3 cup of sugar • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract • 2/3 cup of brown sugar • 1 egg DIRECTIONS: • Mix the baking soda, flour, and salt and set aside. • Mix together the sugar and cannabutter. • Mix in egg and vanilla and blend together. • Mix i

My name is Xach Blunt Yes, that is my real name No, I am not a stoner However, I do like weed In moderation It helps take the edge off I prefer Blunts over bowls Bowls over bongs Joints over all I’m not picky about my paper I don’t fuck with synthetic Indica is okay Sativa is more my strain But hey, If all we got is Reggie That’s cool too Let’s blaze the fuck up! I can get you high Like I can get you real high Like I can get you so high You wouldn’t be able to finish a se

While the Texas Uniform Narcotics Drug Act became effective on Sept. 1, 1937. It wasn't until Jan. 6, 1938, that Capt. J.H. Wheatley, Chief Enforcement Officer for the Department of Public Safety, narcotics division, stated that the "rigid enforcement of the act would begin immediately." Capt. Wheatley was in Houston to meet with law enforcement officers to address the illegal narcotic and marijuana activities that had been going on. Prior federal and state laws had proved

Culture Clash spoke with David Bass, a U.S. Army veteran, founder of Texas Veterans for Medical Marijuana, and the director of Veterans Outreach at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) of Texas. David is vocal about his own challenges with PTSD and chronic pain after retiring from the Army in 2006, and how vital medical marijuana has been in treating these conditions. “When I came back from serving in Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division in 200

The smell wafts into my cell and stings my nose. Like burning paint and paper, it is a thick, acrid smell. Not at all like the sweet smell of burning weed that I remember and occasionally still smell around here. This is far nastier. Like a burning cat turd soaked in roach spray. It might even be exactly that! No one knows what is in the shit they are smoking to get high around here. It’s killing folks though. We know that. It is commissary day on my wing here at the Pris

Marijuana has held a special place in my life for years. I remember the first time I ever smoked - I can’t say that I exactly knew what I was getting myself into. I was 15 years old and at my first high school party. One of my girlfriends told me she had some weed she wanted to smoke with me. Being a curious person who is open to new experiences, I eagerly sat down to join her. From that moment, I gradually started exploring what it would be like to have a relationship w