The Truth About Income Inequality

April 8, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Most Americans are working much harder for much less, and that is why we have the largest income inequality since the Great Depression. In America, we strive to move forwards, not backwards. But making the rich richer by making the poor poorer is stagnating our economy and crushing the dreams of hardworking Americans. It's time to do something about income inequality. Attack: There’s nothing wrong with hardworking Americans making a good living Response: You're right! We agree with you. … [Read More...]

Back To Basics With Lent

April 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment

In the year 325 CE, the first great world-wide council of the Christian Church deliberated in Nicaea under the leadership of the Bishops of the territory of the Roman Empire, and of the new Christian Emperor Constantine I.  In addition to establishing a unified church dogma concerning the Holy Trinity and who Jesus is, the Council of Nicaea adjudicated many matters doctrinal and theological.  One of these was a formal institution of the season of the liturgical calendar in which we find … [Read More...]

How to Respond When World Vision Breaks Your Heart

March 27, 2014 By Leave a Comment

"They watched Jesus to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.  And he said to the man who had the withered hand, 'Come forward.'  Then he said to them, 'Is it lawful to do good or to do harm  on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?'  But they were silent.  … [Read More...]

Burns Strider Talks Faith, Politics, and Rural Voters

March 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment

On Friday, March 21st, Burns Strider sat down with Salena Zito of Off Road Politics' to talk faith, elections, and rural voters. Zito is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer, a Trib editorial page columnist, and host of Off Road Politics on TribLIVE radio. When these two get together, it's … [Read More...]

What the Real Saint Patrick Teaches us about Faith Today

March 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

If you ask your average “Irish American” about the life of Saint Patrick you would hear something about an Irish Shepherd who rid the Ireland of snakes with the power of Christianity—if you’re lucky. It is more likely that you would hear nothing about the “real” Saint Patrick, instead … [Read More...]

The Responsibility of Government Leaders to the Working Poor

March 13, 2014 By 1 Comment

Government is a calling to serve, to promote the general welfare and pursue the common good. Pope Francis said as much when he stated, "Politics is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good."  The responsibility of a government and its leaders to the people they have … [Read More...]

Scripture and Policy Poverty Guide

March 13, 2014 By 1 Comment

Last week, in response to the 50th anniversary of President Johnson's War on Poverty, Rep. Paul Ryan released a Poverty Report arguing for severe cuts to many of the programs that provide assistance to the working poor. Rather than offering concrete suggestions of his own on how to assist struggling … [Read More...]

3 Coins in the Fountainhead

February 28, 2014 By 1 Comment

The radical philosophy of twentieth century author Ayn Rand is known by its’ title: Objectivism. This particular worldview denies the existence of God, castigating it as a delusion (sound familiar?), celebrates an unrestrained and uncompromising free market ideology along with impotent … [Read More...]

Life Together: Community, Anti-Capitalism, & The Gospel Narrative

February 13, 2014 By Leave a Comment

As a recent college graduate, there is a narrative arc of success that is offered to me by a capitalist-driven society. Having graduated from a competitive university after being primed to do so my entire life, I have already taken the first steps. Next, my journey towards full adulthood should lead … [Read More...]

The Thing About Jesus

January 31, 2014 By 9 Comments

Okay, so there are a lot of "things" about Jesus. But the thing I've been meditating on most recently is his mind-blowing capacity to meet people exactly where they are. It seems like a simple concept, but we struggle day in and day out to accept people as children of God. Instead, we tend to ask … [Read More...]