Interview with Dennis Blue, Author of "Rethinking Jesus: When the Walk Fails the Talk"

At the suggestion of a personal counselor, the author penned a review of the Judeo-Christian Bible in 2017. Research was undertaken at that time with the intention of uncovering biblical deception and scriptural incoherency. In conjunction with a fearless and exacting inventory of his life, Dr. Dennis Blue measured the promises of "God's Word" against the realities of his earthly existence. When he was completely honest with himself, it became apparent that a pattern of rationalization, dismissal and denial had been integral to his Christian walk. As the truth emerged, it became increasingly clear that the believer's willingness to elevate belief over reality was essential to experiencing a successful Christian life. Upon opening the eye of reason, an accurate worldview is restored.

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Rethinking Jesus was written to inspire beleaguered Christians in a way that allows them to see their own truth and to embrace it wholeheartedly. In doing so, it may be possible for those dispirited souls to walk away from a faith that is founded on false premises and powerless promises. The book's design is meant to provide encouragement through confidence so as to allow readers to experience freedom from doubts and fears. It boldly reexamines the life of the self-appointed Messiah, bestowing a cognitive understanding of Jesus that is unbiased by contrived theologies. Rethinking Jesus challenges Christian indoctrination by employing the Bible's own words against itself.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Tell your readers a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in California where I received my primary and secondary educations. As fate would have it, I was the first child born into our devout Christian home. Following WWII, my father had attended Bible college prior to entering full-time Christian ministry in Southern California. Ten years later, he moved our family to northern California where he spent the next 40 years pastoring a Baptist church that was founded on fundamentalism. It was in the late 1960s that I returned to the Los Angeles area to attend UCLA. In 1974, I graduated from the University of California at San Francisco with a doctoral degree in dental surgery. Following that I found my professional niche in family practice dentistry. In 2012, I retired early when a work related orthopedic disability rendered it impossible for me to treat patients. A few years later, after retiring, I took advantage of an opportunity to relocate to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I am now settled in the foothills west of Denver.

What inspired you to author your book?

Having suffered for decades from the cognitive dissonance associated with my religious doubts, a personal counselor familiar with religious trauma recommended that I undertake a comprehensive exploration of the Judeo-Christian Bible. It was submitted that the process of sorting through Scripture to expose biblical fallacies, a faulty theology and incoherency might help me clarify and resolve the biblical issues my mind was struggling with. Further, the suggestion was proffered that it could be beneficial if I coincidentally underwent a fearless and exacting inventory of my life. This was intended to identify if my experiences and overall condition in life were consistent with the promises made to me by "God's Word." The approach was meant to deliver a truthful understanding that would hold the key to freeing me from the snares of indoctrination. It would speak truth to power. Concluding that the Bible was mostly myth ended up lifting an emotional burden off me that I had carried for a lifetime. It soon became obvious that I needed to share what I had learned in the hope that others might benefit from my exploration.

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Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?

I wanted the cover to reflect the discouragement and oppression that religious doubt and biblical indoctrination brought me. The subtitle, "When the Walk Fails the Talk," is meant to imply that a person's life path can be fraught with dispiriting failures and personal tragedy that faith in Jesus simply does not address. The primary tool that believers employ when things go awry is prayer. When prayers go unanswered, only rationalizations can protect the faithful. Believers often end up asking themselves, "Where was Jesus when I needed him?" Befuddled followers spend a lot of time second-guessing themselves but, as the book's main title suggests, perhaps they ought to be second-guessing Jesus, instead.

Who has been the most significant influence on you personally?

I would identify my father as having the greatest impact on me. It was his forceful and overbearing influence that authenticated biblical content in my mind. My pastor-father represented God's authority, so he carried a lot of weight. This created confusion as I have always been analytical and inquisitive. I consider myself a truth-seeker. It didn't take long to realize that human history and scientific fact do not fit with biblical teachings. I sometimes felt like a full-on hypocrite. I was being pulled in two directions by strong forces, and it was traumatic. Following my deconversion, I have garnered strength and encouragement from people like Dr. Darren Slade and GCRR. Likewise, I must say that Dr. Marlene Winell, a pioneer in religious trauma, was the first to shed light on the fact that I was not alone in my struggles. She was also the first to offer a way out, and I owe her dearly. Other organizations like Recovering from Religion offered resources and encouragement, as well.

What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?

Being a new author, I had virtually no idea what was in store when it comes to writing a book. I have never taken a class in writing. I learned as I went and benefited from a helpful proofreader and copyeditor. Unfortunately, my computer skills were marginally acceptable, and I became very frustrated at times. It was a long process, but was it was well worth the effort. I have come a long way as a writer.

Who is your target audience, and why?

The book is actually directed at beleaguered Christians who need permission to let go of a toxic faith. Those whose prayers go unanswered will relate. They are burdened by the inconsistency of Jesus' own promises. These poor souls have huge doubts that they tend to keep to themselves. They are hard-pressed to act on them. My book hopes to empower these individuals so that it becomes possible for them to make spiritual changes and leave the codependent toxicity inherent in Christianity.

If you were going to give one reason for anyone looking at your book to read, why should they buy it?

There are a multitude of Christian authors who play the same tune over and over again. They promote the notion of maintaining faith even though it is that very obstinance that often keeps rational people from letting go when toxic faith besieges their mind. Their books offer hope in the form of rationalizations, excuses and denials. Rethinking Jesus cuts through biblical storytelling in an unabashed and revealing way.

What do you consider your greatest success in life?

My most gratifying efforts, those things that were most meaningful to me, have been the volunteer events I participated in for many years. Along with others, I helped to bring medical and dental health programs to the indigent populations of Mexico. I was also privileged to help develop a neonate aeromedical transport service on the Navajo and Apache reservations of the desert southwest. This program has saved the lives of countless Native American infants in the years since the program's inception.

What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?

I believe I represent a sort of religious counter culture. I offer a different explanation that is closer to truth. I try to give my readers permission to think outside of the traditional biblical box. The confidence brought to the table by Rethinking Jesus helps to dissolve the fear that comes from challenging one's faith.

Tell your readers anything else you want to share.

Rethinking Jesus loosely borrows from an approach that has been used in deprograming those who have been victimized by cults of personality and their irrational teachings. It points out the spurious nature of what the leader (Jesus) has taught. It attempts to restore rationality. The process then asks the victim to be truthful as to how the cult and its teachings have impacted their lives. They are encouraged to see and embrace the unadulterated truth of how they have been used and molded by a master manipulator.

Rethinking Jesus: When the Walk Fails the Talk

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