The World According to Bill Pickett

Thomas McFadden Eulogy

This is a recorded eulogy for Thomas McFadden.  He died in early December and the memorial service was held on December 17, 2022.

It is all about you and me, God.

I have been living for many years with three different misconceptions about Christianity.  This podcast deals with the first one that religion, or at least Christianity, is just about my relationship with God and the sins that disrupt that relationship.

Why "Black Lives Matter" matters to me.

When our pastor put up a BLM sign in front of the church, he received both positive and negative comments.  He invited parishioners to express their views by writing a piece for the weekly bulletin.  This is mine.

George Edward Pickett: Is Fort Pickett a good idea?

Fort Pickett in Virginia was named for Maj. Gen. George Edward Pickett, CSA.  Is this a good idea?  Pickett was a traitor who led troops against the United States in a civil war that took the lives of 750,000 Americans.  The war was fought to preserve the rights of people to own other people,  the abomination of chattel slavery.  I am a distant relative of Pickett and feel a special responsibility to answer this question.

I'd like you to take a pledge against racial polarization.

Recent events have made clear that America has reached a tipping point.  While government action is called for, the most important thing for each of us is to open ourselves to relationships with those of different races and belief systems.  That is the only way that hearts can be changed and unless that happens the underlying racism that infects our country will continue its destructive course.