Free Since 1983 – Sid Galloway BS, M.DIV. (PhD? not quite)
Agnostic, Marcelo Gleiser PhD – Theoretical physicist, cosmologist, philosopher of science
“….I honestly think atheism is inconsistent with the scientific method.
….I believe we should take a much humbler approach to knowledge,
in the sense that if you look carefully at the way science works,
you’ll see that yes it is wonderful — magnificent — but it has limits.
. There is a difference between ‘science‘ and what we can call ‘scientism‘,
which is the notion that science can solve all problems.”
To Encourage and Educate, not to Entertain
NOW RETIRED, this site reflects a lifelong commitment to Good Shepherd Compassionate Love – meaning genuine concern and active care for everyone, especially the most vulnerable: abused children, the oppressed, the disabled, and yes even sentient animals. I am not at all a professional website developer, but somehow I’ve managed to personally create and maintain an online presence for over 30 years. I’m also more of a speaker and counselor than a writer, so hopefully despite my lack of writing skill, at least my heart and central passion will still be clear.
Agape-Compassion
Our (mine & my wife Linda’s) perspective is grounded in the life example and profoundly simple teachings of Jesus of Nazareth about agape love, – the highest valued human character quality. The ancient Greek term agape means unselfish, sacrificial care for the genuine needs of all others. Jesus and his first followers expanded the meaning of agape to include even those who act like “enemies”. Having mentioned my focus on Jesus’s “way” of agape-love”, please know that we are talking about the ongoing process of growth toward mature human character qualities in all dimensions of life – individually, relationally, and communally. In addition to Jesus’s way, we also value learning from any and all worldviews, religions, and philosophies that promote humility, compassionate love, and constructive cooperative conversation. Today, you actually can find many sincere followers of Jesus’s “Way of Agape”, yet they are often hard to find. Jesus said the road is narrow and few are on it – because it is simple yet not easy. So, in that light please note that we do not agree with the many cultural, commercialized, or politicized expressions of “Christianity” so common today. We are independent, not republican nor democrat. We recognize that both the left and the right have valuable insights that are necessary for the formation of balanced, wise principles, policies, and practices of life, family, community, and government.
NOT Cultural “Christianity”
Sadly, many individual people and “church” groups who claim to be “Christians” have absorbed and now reflect the world’s way of an “us vs. them”, competitive survival of the coolest mentality. Linda and I fell into that attitude many times in our past. Most people who reject “Christianity”, and/or many practices of institutional “churches”, do so because they have been hurt by the immature character of many supposed Christians. Additionally many “unbelievers” have been turned-off by false interpretations, doctrines, and practices that were later added on-top-of the profoundly simple teachings and life-example of Jesus of Nazareth. Especially in modern churches, the focus seems to be on busy-ness, buildings, business-budgets, and the quantity of bodies (members) needed to maintain it all. I feel the same way about so much of that. After decades of doing conflict-resolution for churches and denominations, I’ve come to realize that most neglect or intentionally avoid the practical and difficult psychotherapeutic (soul-therapy) principles and processes necessary to help followers grow to maturity in agape (see my articles on the RESOURCES webpage). Agape is the very essence of God’s nature reflected in the image and character of Jesus. Too often – even in churches that talk a lot about “love” – there’s a lack of truly humble, teachable heart attitudes actively seeking to listen and learn from others (outsiders). Remember, the most helpful others are those who disagree with you, and therefore potentially have valuable alternative insights that could provide a more balanced view of reality and help toward cooperatively producing a better world – for everyone.
GOOD NEWS – There Are People Who Do Humbly Practice Agape
Having described above the negatives about the history and current state of “Christianity”, please realize that those merely represent typical human beings – just like regular people everywhere – reflecting the “natural” character of this broken competitive world. In contrast, the positive good news is that there are many people, families, and small community groups who are sincerely practicing and growing in agape-love character. Many of these embrace the label, “Christian”.
Including Some Non-Christians
However, there are many other people who do not embrace Christianity, yet they do humbly practice the way of agape-love. They are people from other faiths, different theologies, and alternative worldviews. Just like sincere Jesus followers, they humbly realize there is a universal law of pure compassionate love. And they acknowledge their personal need to seek forgiveness from the transcendent (supra-natural) Source of love, for their human self-serving lack of pure love. And they depend humbly on the transcendent Source of love (not on their own self-righteousness) for increasingly growing in the way of love. These people include the many who lived and died long before Jesus walked the sandy roads of the Middle East. And this includes those people today around the world – some who have never heard of Jesus or Christianity or the Bible, yet who humbly depend on the Source of the Cosmos (not self-righteousness) for change and growth in love.
For me, the term “God” is what I use for the transcendent, yet immanent Source of all things. Not only theology and philosophy, but now even quantum physics and cosmology reveal that the ultimate Source of the Universe, cannot be fully understood by our limited minds. “God” the Source is in many ways a mystery for each of us, which is why humility is the best and the only starting place.
A Simple Conviction
Selective compassion is not true compassion, it’s self-serving emotion.
Showing partiality is merely partial love, it’s not pure and mature.
About Sid Galloway
BS (Psychology / Biology), M.Div. (Counseling-Psychology & Theology), PhD? (not quite, see below)
Retired counselor, educator, and lifelong “service-human”
- 40+ years counseling individuals, couples, and families
- Focus: agape-centered relational healing, informed by psychology, theology, and interpersonal neurobiology
- Incorporated animal-assisted therapy (AAT)
- Worked alongside medical and psychiatric professionals as needed
- Educator (40 years)
- Taught counseling, science, philosophy, and theology
- Combined classroom learning with nature and rescued animals
- Animal work (lifelong)
- Former caregiver/trainer of elephants and large carnivores at the New Orleans Audubon (Conservation) Zoo
- Wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator for the LDWF
- Para-veterinary emergency service (domestic, exotic, wild animals)
About Linda Galloway
BS, RN – Retired nurse, educator, and co-counselor
- Registered nurse for decades
- Nursing instructor (4 years)
- Homeschool educator for six children (13 years)
- Co-laborer in counseling ministry
PHD? – DOCTOR OF “PHILOSOPHY” vs. DOCTOR OF “PHATHERHOOD“
KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS, HOLD YOUR PRIORITIES, AVOID UNNECESSARY STRESS
I eventually pursued a PhD in counseling psychology after a long academic and professional journey—beginning with psychology and animal science at LSU, then serving as a caregiver of elephants and endangered carnivores at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans and local para-veterinary work. Eventually, my heart shifted more toward helping people, so I initially worked toward a Master’s in psychiatric social work at LSU but later transferred to a seminary – earning a master’s (M.Div.) in counseling-psychology and theology, and ultimately entering the PhD program.
The doctoral studies were invaluable, especially brain physiology and interpersonal neurobiology. But family medical needs and financial realities made completing the PhD unwise, so I withdrew from the program. In hindsight, those barriers were a gift, because the program’s time and stress would have hindered crucial family priorities. And the hindrance was not just the rigor and time involved. The stress was compounded by my personal combination (package) of abilities and disabilities. Even though I have been tested as having a high IQ, I also have many deficits that hinder the use of it. Two of those disabilities are SDAM (Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory), and Aphantasia. Both of these involve the inability to form visual images of the past, present, or future. My type of memory storage is called semantic or highly conceptual memory, which positively allowed me to score a high IQ, but negatively makes it much harder to work with certain visual academic skills and tasks. My limited skill set works best extemporaneously and verbally during present activities such as counseling and teaching. During these immediate, extemporaneous actives, my past learned information flows to the surface of my mind conceptually and verbally so that I effectively interact with individuals (counselees) and with groups (families/classes). (For more details about this see my article/essay of DISABILITIES ARE ABILITIES IN DISGUISE: Opportunities for Learning the Highest Human Virtue.)
“…. we all have disabilities. Some are just more visible than others.”
Psychiatrist Curt Thompson MD, p. 200, in his book, THE DEEPEST PLACE: SUFFERING AND THE FORMATION OF HOPE.
Later, the opportunity to complete a PhD came back into my life—twice. Offers were made by two different colleges to provide funding to finish my PhD, including one offering to send me to Syracuse University for final doctoral study. But both offerings expected me to work full-time while also doing doctoral studies. By then, Linda and I fully understood our family limitations and needs more clearly. With six young children, two with disabilities, and an already well established counseling ministry, we chose family over ambition. Protecting our marriage and being present for our children was non-negotiable.
Also, as a result of our own financial pressures, our eyes were opened to the reality of others who were in similar situations—people needing counseling but unable to afford it. So I responded by creating a FREE pastoral counseling ministry that effectively served countless people for over 40 years. We never had to turn anyone away for lack of money. People donated what they could for counseling, and the balance between our wealthy professional clients and our impoverished clients provided for our needs. Linda homeschooled our six children for 13 of those years full-time, and then went back to work as a nurse to secure better medical insurance. Our kids then entered a large private college-prep high school north of New Orleans.
During the last 20 years of my 40 years as a counselor, I reduced my counseling to part-time, and taught full-time biology, philosophy of science, and theology at the college-prep high school where my children attended. This allowed me to stay close to my children. That decision proved invaluable. Today, I, Linda, and our six adult children are best of friends. No PhD degree could replace that.
Throughout all of those 40 years, drawing on my earlier animal-related background, I often incorporated AAT (Animal-Assisted Therapy) in counseling, as a school teacher, and as a seminar speaker. As a biological sciences teacher, my classroom was always full of orphaned or injured wildlife being rehabilitated for the LDW (Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife). * See our ANIMAL-THERAPY page.
SO, MY ONLY PhD is a “DOCTOR OF ‘PHATHERHOOD‘”
Ambition must be weighed against capacity. Not every opportunity should be accepted. A well-lived life is not defined by titles achieved, but by relationships preserved and priorities rightly ordered.
We live in the Austin, Texas area and continue serving through:
- Volunteer mentoring adults and families in need
- Supporting equine-assisted therapy programs
- Helping horse, donkey, and mule ranchers with equine needs (especially behavioral socialization needs)
- Occasional group discussions on animal-assisted therapy, compassion, communication, and real-world connection
Core Life Themes
1. Relationships over religion
The “Way” taught by Jesus is about love in action—not rigid systems or rituals. Genuine love transcends cultures, traditions, and institutions.
2. Real community matters
Human beings need face-to-face connection. Digital interaction alone cannot meet relational needs.
3. Animals can teach humans compassion
A lifetime with animals has reinforced a simple truth: how people treat animals reflects the condition of their hearts. Many counseling breakthroughs were helped by the presence of animals, especially for those recovering from trauma.
4. Serve where you are
Fulfillment comes from serving others—not from status, achievement, or self-focus.
Final Thought
We are not experts, just fellow learners. We’re just two old “service-humans”— still growing, still learning, still striving to love well.
— Jesus of Nazareth: “Love one another as I have loved you.” ”Love your enemies, and do good to those who mistreat you.”
