Effective and last updated: June 20, 2026

This Cookie Policy explains how Faith & Reason, located at timothyrberman.com, may use cookies and similar technologies when you visit or interact with the website.

Faith & Reason is an independently operated religious, educational, apologetic, publishing, and digital-media platform owned and maintained by Timothy R. Berman.

In this Policy, “Faith & Reason,” “the website,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Timothy R. Berman operating Faith & Reason.

This Cookie Policy should be read together with the Faith & Reason Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Terms of Use.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on a browser, computer, phone, tablet, or other device when a person visits a website.

Cookies may allow a website or service provider to recognize a browser, remember certain preferences, support website functions, protect against abuse, measure traffic, or understand how visitors interact with content.

Cookies do not necessarily identify a visitor by name. However, information stored in or associated with a cookie may be considered personal information when it can identify, distinguish, or be linked to a particular browser, device, account, or individual.

Similar Technologies

In addition to cookies, the website and its service providers may use related technologies, including:

• Pixels;
• Tags;
• Local storage;
• Session storage;
• Software-development tools;
• Embedded scripts;
• Device or browser identifiers;
• Referral identifiers; and
• Similar technologies that store or retrieve information.

References to “cookies” in this Policy generally include these related technologies when appropriate.

First-Party and Third-Party Cookies

First-Party Cookies

First-party cookies are associated with the Faith & Reason website or its WordPress installation.

They may be used to support essential functions, remember comment details, maintain security, store preferences, or operate website features.

Third-Party Cookies

Third-party cookies are placed or controlled by an outside provider whose services appear on or support the website.

These providers may include:

• WordPress or Automattic;
• Jetpack;
• Akismet;
• YouTube;
• Social-media platforms;
• Amazon and other affiliate retailers;
• Stripe;
• PayPal;
• Publishers or product retailers; and
• Other embedded-content or technology providers.

Third-party cookies are governed by the respective provider’s policies and settings.

Faith & Reason does not directly control every cookie or similar technology placed by an independent third party.

Session and Persistent Cookies

Cookies may be either session-based or persistent.

Session Cookies

Session cookies generally expire when you close your browser or end a browsing session.

They may be used to support temporary website functions, security, navigation, or payment sessions.

Persistent Cookies

Persistent cookies remain on a device for a specified period or until deleted.

They may be used to remember preferences, recognize returning browsers, maintain consent choices, measure website activity, support affiliate attribution, or provide other continuing functions.

The duration of a cookie depends on its purpose and the provider that sets it.

Categories of Cookies That May Be Used

Faith & Reason and its service providers may use the following categories of cookies.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly necessary cookies support functions required for the website to operate securely and reliably.

These cookies may be used to:

• Load and display the website;
• Maintain website security;
• Prevent malicious activity;
• Protect login and administrative areas;
• Balance website traffic;
• Preserve session functions;
• Process privacy or cookie preferences;
• Detect technical errors; and
• Support payment or checkout security when direct sales are enabled.

Because these cookies are necessary to provide a requested service or maintain website security, they may not always be subject to optional consent controls.

Blocking necessary cookies through browser settings may prevent portions of the website from functioning correctly.

Preference and Functionality Cookies

Preference or functionality cookies may remember choices that improve a visitor’s experience.

They may be used to remember:

• Commenter names, email addresses, or website addresses;
• Language or display preferences;
• Cookie-consent selections;
• Login or account preferences;
• Media-player settings;
• Accessibility-related choices; and
• Other website preferences.

These cookies are not required for every basic page view, but disabling them may cause the website to forget previous choices.

Comments

When comments are enabled, WordPress may offer visitors the option to save their name, email address, and website in cookies for convenience.

This allows a returning commenter to avoid re-entering the same information when submitting another comment.

Comment-related cookies do not mean that every submitted comment will be published. Comments remain subject to moderation, spam detection, the Comment Policy, and the Terms of Use.

Visitors should not enter private, sensitive, medical, financial, or confidential information into public comment fields.

Analytics and Performance Cookies

Faith & Reason uses Jetpack Stats or related WordPress statistical features to understand general website performance and readership.

Analytics and performance technologies may collect or generate information concerning:

• Page and article views;
• General traffic levels;
• Referring websites or search engines;
• Links selected;
• Approximate geographic region;
• Browser and device type;
• Date and time of visits;
• Popular pages;
• Search terms;
• General visitor activity; and
• Website errors or performance issues.

This information may be used to:

• Understand which articles and studies readers find helpful;
• Improve website organization;
• Evaluate page performance;
• Detect technical problems;
• Develop future content;
• Measure general readership; and
• Protect the website against abuse.

The exact cookies or identifiers used by Jetpack depend on the services and features enabled on the website.

Security and Spam-Prevention Technologies

Faith & Reason may use Akismet, Jetpack, WordPress, hosting-provider tools, or other security services to identify spam, malicious requests, unauthorized access, and abusive activity.

These services may evaluate information such as:

• Internet Protocol addresses;
• Browser details;
• Referring pages;
• Comment content;
• Names and email addresses submitted with comments;
• Website addresses submitted with comments;
• Submission frequency;
• Security logs; and
• Other indicators of suspicious activity.

Security tools may use cookies or similar identifiers to distinguish legitimate visitors from automated bots, repeated attackers, or fraudulent activity.

Subscription and Email Features

Visitors may be able to subscribe to new Faith & Reason articles or other updates using WordPress or Jetpack subscription services.

Subscription-related technologies may be used to:

• Process subscription requests;
• Confirm email addresses;
• Maintain subscription status;
• Prevent unauthorized subscriptions;
• Measure general email delivery or engagement;
• Remember account preferences; and
• Support unsubscribe requests.

Visitors may unsubscribe using the link included in subscription emails or through applicable WordPress account settings.

Embedded Videos and Media

Faith & Reason may embed content hosted by third-party services, including:

• YouTube videos;
• Social-media posts;
• Audio players;
• Document viewers;
• Podcast players; and
• Other externally hosted media.

When an embedded item loads or a visitor interacts with it, the third-party provider may place cookies or collect information as though the visitor had accessed that provider’s website directly.

The provider may use this information to:

• Deliver the embedded content;
• Measure views or engagement;
• Remember playback settings;
• Support account login;
• Personalize services;
• Prevent fraud or abuse;
• Conduct analytics; or
• Serve content or advertising according to its own policies.

If a visitor is signed in to an account with the third-party service, that provider may associate the interaction with the visitor’s account.

Faith & Reason does not control how an independent platform uses information collected through its embedded content.

Social-Media Features

The website may include links, sharing buttons, embedded posts, or other features connected to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, or similar services.

A social-media provider may recognize a visitor, receive technical information, or place cookies when its feature loads or is selected.

Use of those features is governed by the applicable platform’s privacy and cookie policies.

Faith & Reason does not receive a visitor’s social-media password through an ordinary sharing button or embedded post.

Affiliate and Referral Cookies

Some Faith & Reason pages may contain affiliate links, including links associated with the Amazon Associates Program.

When a visitor selects an affiliate link, the destination retailer or affiliate network may place a cookie or use a referral identifier to:

• Record that Faith & Reason referred the visitor;
• Measure link activity;
• Determine whether a qualifying purchase occurred;
• Calculate an affiliate commission;
• Prevent fraudulent referrals; and
• Produce general affiliate reports.

The retailer determines the duration and operation of its affiliate cookies.

Faith & Reason does not ordinarily receive complete customer-payment information merely because a visitor selects an affiliate link.

A visitor may still be identified or tracked by the retailer according to that retailer’s account settings, privacy policy, and cookie practices.

Additional information is available in the Faith & Reason Affiliate Disclosure.

Book and Product Sales

Faith & Reason may promote or sell books, devotionals, study guides, workbooks, fiction, and other publications.

Products may be offered through:

• Amazon or another third-party retailer;
• A publisher or distributor;
• Stripe;
• PayPal; or
• Another disclosed payment or fulfillment service.

Faith & Reason does not use cookies to solicit charitable donations. Payments made for books or other identified products are commercial transactions.

Payment-Processing Cookies

If direct sales are enabled through Stripe, PayPal, or another processor, the payment provider may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Operate checkout;
• Authenticate users;
• Process transactions;
• Remember certain payment preferences;
• Prevent fraud;
• Detect unauthorized activity;
• Protect accounts;
• Comply with legal obligations; and
• Evaluate checkout performance.

Payment providers may receive information about the browser, device, Internet Protocol address, transaction, and interaction with checkout components.

Faith & Reason does not control the provider’s independent use of cookies. Customers should review the payment provider’s privacy and cookie policies before completing a purchase.

Third-Party Retailer Cookies

When a visitor follows a product link to Amazon or another retailer, the visitor leaves Faith & Reason and enters the retailer’s website or application.

The retailer may use cookies for:

• Account login;
• Shopping-cart functions;
• Product recommendations;
• Analytics;
• Advertising;
• Fraud prevention;
• Checkout;
• Shipping;
• Returns; and
• Other purposes described in its policies.

Faith & Reason does not control cookies placed after a visitor enters an independent retailer’s website.

Advertising Cookies

Faith & Reason does not assume that all visitors will receive third-party advertising cookies merely by accessing the website.

Advertising cookies may become relevant when:

• An embedded third-party platform serves advertising;
• A retailer uses advertising or retargeting technologies after a visitor follows an external link;
• A social-media platform recognizes a signed-in user; or
• An advertising service is added to the website in the future.

If Faith & Reason activates a display-advertising service that materially changes the website’s cookie practices, this Policy and the applicable consent settings will be updated.

Cookie Consent and Preference Tools

Depending on your location and the website configuration, Faith & Reason may display a cookie banner or preference tool.

The tool may allow visitors to:

• Accept cookies;
• Reject optional cookies;
• Choose certain cookie categories;
• Review this Cookie Policy; or
• Change a previous selection.

The website may store a cookie or similar identifier to remember the visitor’s consent choice.

A consent tool cannot necessarily control cookies placed before the tool loads, cookies placed through an independent third-party page, or cookies placed after the visitor leaves Faith & Reason.

Managing Cookies Through Your Browser

Most browsers allow visitors to manage cookies through their settings.

Depending on the browser, visitors may be able to:

• View stored cookies;
• Delete individual cookies;
• Delete all cookies;
• Block third-party cookies;
• Block all cookies;
• Receive a warning before a cookie is stored;
• Clear cookies when closing the browser; or
• Use private or incognito browsing.

Browser controls differ among providers and devices. Visitors should consult the help documentation for their browser.

Blocking all cookies may interfere with comments, media playback, subscriptions, account features, checkout, and other website functions.

Managing Third-Party Preferences

Visitors may also be able to manage information through:

• WordPress.com account settings;
• Google or YouTube privacy settings;
• Social-media account settings;
• Amazon advertising or account preferences;
• Stripe or PayPal settings;
• Device privacy settings; and
• Opt-out tools provided by individual services.

Faith & Reason cannot change the privacy settings of an account held directly with another provider.

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers allow visitors to transmit a “Do Not Track” or similar preference.

Because no single technical standard is universally implemented across all website and third-party services, Faith & Reason cannot guarantee that every service will respond to such a signal in the same manner.

Visitors should use available cookie controls, browser settings, and third-party account preferences to manage their choices.

Where applicable law or a supported technical system requires recognition of a valid privacy preference signal, Faith & Reason and its service providers may respond according to their respective obligations and capabilities.

Personal Information and Cookies

Information collected through cookies may be combined with other information when permitted by law and reasonably necessary to:

• Operate website features;
• Maintain security;
• respond to technical problems;
• Administer comments or subscriptions;
• Process purchases;
• Prevent fraud;
• Measure general website activity; or
• Comply with legal obligations.

Faith & Reason does not sell or rent personal information for money.

Additional information about collection, use, sharing, retention, and privacy rights appears in the Faith & Reason Privacy Policy.

Cookies Used by Service Providers

Third-party providers may change their cookie names, purposes, expiration periods, or technologies without prior notice to Faith & Reason.

The exact cookies active during a visit may depend on:

• Which website features are currently enabled;
• Whether the visitor is logged in to WordPress.com or another service;
• Whether the visitor submits a comment;
• Whether embedded media is loaded;
• Whether an affiliate link is selected;
• Whether checkout is opened;
• The visitor’s device and browser;
• The visitor’s geographic location; and
• The visitor’s consent or privacy selections.

For the most current information about a third-party cookie, visitors should consult that provider’s published cookie or privacy documentation.

Changes to Website Features

Faith & Reason may add, remove, or modify plugins, embedded services, affiliate programs, payment tools, or other website features.

When a change materially affects cookie practices, Faith & Reason may:

• Revise this Cookie Policy;
• Update the Privacy Policy;
• Modify the cookie banner or preference tool; or
• Provide additional notice where appropriate.

The revision date at the top of this page identifies the most recent update.

Your Choices

Visitors may choose to:

• Reject optional cookies through an available consent tool;
• Change browser cookie settings;
• Avoid interacting with embedded media;
• Avoid selecting affiliate or retailer links;
• Avoid using social-media sharing features;
• Purchase through a retailer using that retailer’s privacy controls;
• Unsubscribe from email updates; or
• Discontinue use of the website.

Certain necessary cookies or technical processes may still operate when required to provide a feature requested by the visitor, protect website security, process a transaction, or comply with law.

Contact

Questions or concerns about this Cookie Policy may be sent to:

Timothy R. Berman
Faith & Reason
Email: timothy.r.berman@gmail.com
Website: timothyrberman.com