I am a SEXAGENARIAN and a white Southern man born and raised in a Protestant—read: Southern Baptist—family in rural Alabama. This is a place I once heard described as the "notch in the Bible Belt," which makes perfect sense in my experience.
I went to church as a kid and have known more "ministers" in my family and among the people I grew up with than I can count! What I can count is the number of TRUE Christians I have met and continue to have in my life. That being said, yes, I am an ordained minister and recently officiated the wedding of friends—the main reason I became a minister.
I served my country in the U.S. military, and I am proud of that fact. My father was a highly decorated combat veteran in Vietnam, and I grew up with a healthy pride in and patriotism for my country. According to some people in this country, I am unpatriotic for not supporting President of the United States (yes, the Orange tainted buffoon currently turning the White House in to a "white trash, dime-store brothel" ). One has nothing to do with the other. Blind devotion is ridiculous and stupid.
How did my DAILY, expletive-strewn existence evolve? I vented my frustration through expletive-laden rants online. Over the years, I have developed a very healthy vocabulary in what I imagine some of my family consider "gutter talk." I make no apologies for this and will continue doing so for my own amusement!
I got into electronics early on, which naturally progressed into IT. After the military, I went to college for telecommunications management. I'm A GEEK, NERD, and COMPUTER NUT.
I believe in Good over Evil, have great respect for the faith of one's convictions, and respect everyone's right to worship in their own fashion. Some of our ancestors came to this country to escape religious persecution, not to define the ONE Right religion. Extremism is present EVERYWHERE in religions all over the world! Christians are not immune to this, and extremists are not a rarity within the Christian faith!
That being said, I do not hold back my revulsion and abject sorrow over what certain individuals have come to believe constitutes patriotism, American savvy, ingenuity, and our standing in the world. And, of course, there's the absolutely ridiculous idea that the United States of America is, or ought to be, solely a Christian Nation.
The First Amendment — Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses
The most direct constitutional protections are in the First Amendment, ratified in 1791:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”
The first part is the Establishment Clause; the second is the Free Exercise Clause. Together, they protect religious liberty and place constitutional limits on government involvement with religion. See Congress's Constitution Annotated.
That said, here are a few items to ponder as you hopefully take the time to read what I hope is more than just my screaming at the moon! Just of the few points I want to share with the world.
January 6th was, in my NOT-so-humble opinion, TREASON! Plain and simple. That is my political judgment, not a claim that anyone was convicted of the federal crime of treason.1 DOJ convictions document seditious conspiracy, a different offense. Get over yourselves. You were misinformed if you voted for a self-aggrandizing, bent motherfucker who is not there for you or this country! Voted for him twice, three times, and/or still support him? Face it: you are a fucking MORON!
Christianity is NO BASIS for A GOVERNMENT. NO RELIGION SHOULD BE! HISTORY HAS PROVEN THIS. Consider the Spanish Inquisition, religious persecution in early modern Europe, and direct papal rule. Six documented examples appear in the footnotes below: the Spanish Inquisition2, French Wars of Religion3, English Reformation4, Papal States5, Thirty Years’ War6, and Ireland’s mother-and-baby homes7.
America seems to me to be populated by many more uneducated, oblivious, sanctimonious morons than I could have imagined. What happened?! Mommy or Daddy didn't hug you enough?! CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IS EXTREMISM! Don't get it twisted that it isn't extremism. WAKE THE FUCK UP, Pharisaical mouth-breathers! The truly frightening part is what has been done to our nation in the name of GOD, RIGHTEOUS conservatism, racism, sexism, and, frankly, an extreme lack of anything resembling freedom. That, to me, is one of the most pervasive EVILs in the world.
Immigrants have been, should be, and hopefully will continue to be a source of growth and strength for this nation.8 The National Academies’ assessment documents economic contributions and differing impacts. Many came to escape persecution, greed, and power-hungry individuals preaching RIGHT, hypocritical religious Zionism, and fervor. You point at people you think don't deserve to be here, whom GOD doesn't want here, and you think that if they don't look or believe exactly as you do, they need to "GO BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM!"
I am not a Christian. No hate. It is, however, my RIGHT and CHOICE! That is the legacy of my Southern Christian upbringing! My choices are mine, in a country that allows me that freedom of choice. DO NOT FUCK WITH THAT FREEDOM! Your god—or gods—are not yours to impose upon others without consent. DO NOT PROSELYTIZE AT ME! For one, it is rude! Secondly, IT IS FUCKING RUDE! DON'T ASSUME SOMEONE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR RELIGION OR THAT THEY NEED SAVING! This is a personal pet peeve of mine, so YEAH, I am a bit touchy on the subject!
IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO DISRESPECT OR CRIMINALIZE AN INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE THEIR CHOICES. no matter who you are, THINK you are!
White Christian Americans are not automatically righteous, and they are not patriots by default! For FUCK's sake, you are also not the inheritors of the world just because you go to church or worship twice a week!
Who I am, whom I spend my time with, whom I love and call family and friends, and whom I choose to fuck are, quite simply, none of your—or your god's—business.
By the way, all of you moronic, phony fucks: Yes, if Jesus is returning for you, BE FOREWARNED—SHE WILL BE PISSED OFF!!!
(Observational note: If you have faith—and I sincerely hope everyone has faith in something—don't just scream it at others who don't want what you're selling. Don't put down others because of how or where they were raised. Don't hate people for who or what they are or for the choices they've made. Learn your own fucking religion and live it, or don't. Be it, or don't! You worry about yourselves and let others worry about themselves.)
One may support Jewish people and Palestinian people, decry the Israeli government or its leaders, and condemn terrorism in ALL its forms. That does not, by itself, make one antisemitic.9 The IHRA working definition makes clear that context matters.
RACISM, SEXISM, AND INHUMANITY ARE EVIL! DEAL WITH YOUR PERSONAL SHIT ON YOUR OWN TIME AND KEEP IT OUT OF THE FUCKING UNIVERSE!
Hopefully, you are here for my perspective on these things, or you find humor—and even instruction—in them. And you may just think I am BATSHIT crazy! Fine. That doesn't lessen the point I am making.
I have this pouring out of me on a level I have never experienced. With my sixty-something years of life experience and disdain for phony fucks and scene-whores willing to burn this nation and its people—our TRULY GREATEST STRENGTH—for money, power, and legacy, I'm done keeping it to myself. I need to share.
Now, if you turn to Jethro Tull's Hymn 43 ... read the lyrics, watch the live performance on Jethro Tull's official site, or listen to the original studio recording. I feel it is very applicable to the points I have made.
Of course, I am a complete anomaly. I am from Alabama. I am white, non-Christian, pro-choice, and a believer in the Second Amendment to the Constitution. I am a disabled veteran, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. And I am not willing to stand down, stand by, or keep my mouth shut! Okay, then—maybe that last one is the Southern in me.
Why REDNEKTEK?
Redneck: a word with a history
Redneck has long been used as an insult aimed at rural, working-class people, especially white Southerners. The familiar explanation points to the sun-reddened necks of people working outdoors. The history is more complicated than any one tidy origin story: an 1830 use of the term referred to Presbyterians in North Carolina, while late-nineteenth-century sources document the word as a class insult directed at poor rural whites. In the twentieth century, striking coal miners also embraced red bandanas as symbols of solidarity; that labor history is real, but it did not invent the word. Sources: Online Etymology Dictionary; Southern Cultures; Wordorigins.org.
I know the word's baggage. I also know the people, the places, the ingenuity, the humor, and the contradictions behind it. I'm not interested in pretending Southern identity comes neatly packaged as one religion, one politics, or one way of thinking. It damned well doesn't.
What is TEK?
TEK is a play on TECH and an acronym for Traditional Ecological Knowledge: place-based knowledge, practices, observations, and responsibilities developed and passed through generations among Indigenous peoples. It may sound "fashionable" used here, but I appreciate the definition and use it as a play on words. Source: Oregon State University's Traditional Ecological Knowledge Lab.
I respect that distinction. REDNEKTEK does not claim Indigenous knowledge as my own or suggest that growing up Southern makes me an authority on it. What appeals to me is the insistence that knowledge has context, that experience matters, that people should pay attention to the world they inhabit, and that learning never stops. Those are values I want this publication to take seriously. TEK is specific to Indigenous knowledge systems; I do not intend to present it as a synonym for Southern folk wisdom or knowledge.
And why spell it REDNEKTEK?
Because it's mine, and because I'm a computer nut with fondness for making language do a little extra work. REDNEK deliberately drops the c from redneck; TEK nods to the spelling of tech while also inviting a conversation about Traditional Ecological Knowledge. It's a name, not an academic credential, a claim of Indigenous identity, or a neat equation between technology and TEK.
The dropped "c" and the intended double meaning of TEK are my explanation, and neither is intended to disparage anyone. It also points to my innate NERDOM!
A Southern upbringing. A lifelong fascination with electronics and technology. I have a healthy respect for knowledge earned through observation, experience, and questioning. And an absolute unwillingness to let someone else decide what a redneck is supposed to believe.
That's REDNEKTEK. The spelling is funny on purpose. The questions and statements are frank, serious, and all me.
ENJOY, AGREE, TAKE IT IN, SHARE OUR WEBSITE! PEACE OUT!
Sources and historical footnotes
These sources substantiate specific historical and factual claims. The author's political opinions and personal experiences remain his own. The historical cases concern different forms of church–state entanglement; they do not prove that all religious participation in public life is harmful.
Additional references
- U.S. Constitution — First Amendment
- U.S. Constitution — Second Amendment
- Oregon State University — What is TEK?
- Southern Cultures — history of redneck
January 6, 2021. The Capitol attack disrupted congressional certification of the presidential election. Some participants were convicted of seditious conspiracy, a federal crime distinct from treason. “Treason” in the article is the author's characterization, not a judicial finding. Sources: U.S. Department of Justice — Oath Keepers convictions; House January 6 Committee report; Constitution, Article III.↩
1. Spanish Inquisition (1478–1834). The Spanish monarchy, with papal authorization, used religious tribunals to enforce conformity and consolidate royal power, including persecution of suspected heretics and converts. This was crown–church collaboration, not clergy acting alone. Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Spanish Inquisition; Britannica — Inquisition.↩
2. French Wars of Religion (1562–1598), followed by revocation of toleration (1685). Religious divisions between Catholics and Huguenots became entangled with royal and aristocratic power. The Edict of Nantes granted limited Protestant rights; Louis XIV revoked it, prompting persecution and emigration. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Edict of Nantes.↩
3. English Reformation and compulsory religious conformity (sixteenth century). English monarchs asserted control over the established church, and successive regimes penalized religious dissent. This demonstrates state enforcement of religious doctrine, rather than simply clerical control of government. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Reformation.↩
4. Papal States (approximately eighth century–1870). Popes governed central Italian territories as temporal rulers, directly combining religious leadership with civil administration and political power. This is an example of clergy actually governing. Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Papal States; Britannica — papacy.↩
5. Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Catholic–Protestant divisions helped drive a devastating European conflict, alongside dynastic, territorial, and constitutional interests. It was not caused solely by religion. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Thirty Years' War.↩
6. Ireland's mother-and-baby homes (1922–1998). A government commission investigated institutions, many run by Catholic religious organizations, and documented serious failures affecting unmarried mothers and children. This illustrates harmful institutional entanglement of church, state, and social policy. Source: Government of Ireland — Final Report.↩
Immigration. The National Academies identifies immigrants' contributions as workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and innovators, while also examining varied labor-market and fiscal effects. The research supports a contribution to economic growth, not a claim that every effect is positive. Source: National Academies — The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration (2017).↩
Antisemitism and criticism of Israel. The IHRA working definition expressly distinguishes ordinary criticism of Israel from antisemitism, while noting that context, discriminatory double standards, antisemitic tropes, and blaming Jews collectively can change that assessment. The application of this definition is debated. Sources: IHRA definition; U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; American Historical Association statement.↩