Skip to Content
Opinion

We Want to Know If You Believe in God for This Week’s (Second!) Open Thread

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

Promotional still

Two Open Threads in one week? It's an August miracle!

And speaking of miracles, in today's Open Thread I want you to talk about your religious background. (Heavy stuff for a summer Friday, huh?) The thought came to me while I was writing about hardline Lutherans and Tim Walz yesterday. Sectarianism is fascinating stuff.

I'll start. I was raised Catholic and became unduly devout in my pre-tween years, wanted to be a priest and everything. First, adolescence killed my dreams of celibacy and then a broader skepticism set in until I was properly lapsed in college. When I got sober in 1998, I experimented (not unsuccessfully) with prayer and even met with a priest about rejoining the church. But I soon realized the belief just ain't there, no matter how I went through the motions.

I'm still somewhat envious of the community that religious people have. (Though ideally, a modern society would offer more secular opportunities for community-building.) But I've still got enough Catholicism in my bones that it'd feel wishy-washy to me to become a Unitarian or something.

OK, your turn! What do you believe? What did you believe? What do you wish you believed?

Or, as I always say, you can ignore this prompt and talk about whatever you want. This is your Open Thread, after all.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Racket

Seeking Defense Dollars, University of MN Rubber-Stamps More Secret Research Projects

Plus dumb leg bills, more ICE links, and the national sindex results in today's Flyover news roundup.

Pow! Pow! Prime? Amazon Accidentally Mails Minneapolis Man Loaded Handgun.

Plus bad news for breweries, this year's new weed law proposals, and how to help with rent relief in today's Flyover news roundup.

February 27, 2026

Let’s Talk Local Merch on This Week’s Open Thread

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

February 27, 2026

Sack’s Back: MN’s Greatest Political Cartoonist Un-Retired Because He’s ‘So Fucking Pissed’ at Trump, ICE

Before launching his Substack, Sack had to re-learn to draw using his non-dominant hand.

February 27, 2026
See all posts