Not long ago, I viewed a commencement speech from Jay Pritzker who is the Governor of Illinois.  His entire message was how we identify intelligent people and how we identify those who are not.  The central theme was kindness versus cruelty.  According to Pritzker, those who are the most kind are typically the most intelligent where the “idiots” are typically the cruel people. As a person who has spent her life in Christian ministry, service, and the Church, I can... Read more

Pay careful attention to the news these days. It can be both beneficial and harmful to thinking and mental health, so please take it in-stride.  As more news stories surface, I hope and think that many more can see the increasing threat of Donald Trump, his rhetoric, and the increasing danger of Christian Nationalism. Although Liz Cheney does not talk about Christian Nationalism in this video, she sternly warns how dangerous Donald Trump could be in a second term and... Read more

I think I’ve possibly figured out what we are facing when it comes to our constitutional democracy and liberty, justice, and freedom for all Americans without exception.  It’s not red versus blue, Christian versus non-Christian, rich versus poor, or any other group versus another group.  It’s those individuals who deliberately support American democracy versus those individuals who deliberately do not support American democracy; however, there is a range of misunderstanding and non-deliberation of gray in-between.  Minus the gray, those who... Read more

Sitting in Mass yesterday evening, I squirmed periodically throughout the service in fear over my next encounter of right-winged backlash.  For a while now, I’ve been avoiding Masses with high numbers of extreme Trump supporters, so my husband and I attend the San Fernando Cathedral where it is mostly Latino, or I also attend nearby masses totally in Spanish.  I can rest assure that the hard-right (not all conservatives) will not attend services in Spanish because many of them (not... Read more

OK, I know it’s Ash Wednesday, and it’s time for me to move into a penitent state of mind.  Bashing Trump is a regular practice of mine; no one can deny it.  I tried to “get my Trump-bashing sins out of my system” before Lent, but I don’t think I’m able to fast the entire Lenten season without at least a few punches against Trump.  So I’ve decided to commit to an intermittent fasting of  Trump-bashing schedule. On Ash Wednesday... Read more

It’s official!! My daughter Janie is engaged to the love-of-her-life, Georgette. I couldn’t be happier about her decision because I adore my daughter, and I adore my daughter-in-law to be!! When I came to an LGBTQ+ affirming position as a parent over three years ago and then shortly after as a certified “out” practitioner, I told my daughter I would love who she chooses like my other daughter-in-law.  I have attempted to do so, and I will keep giving my... Read more

Today I woke up this morning and realized that my progressive political and theological shifts over the last six years were truly a third conversion experience.  The first was taking ownership of my own faith in college in 1991.  The second was becoming Catholic in 2016 out of conservative Anglican circles, and the third was becoming a political and theological progressive over the last six years.  One might think the last experience wasn’t a conversion experience, but I can tell... Read more

It’s a long-standing pattern.  Christian Nationalists like Mike Johnson mention the threat of God’s judgement on the United States for collective sins of “impurity,” yet he completely excludes the collective sins of slavery, racism, segregation, bigotry, and marginalization of anyone who is not white, straight, a particular “brand of Christian,” and able-bodied (under senior ages). Let’s view a video from a political commentator named Scot Lloyd.  He uses Mike Johnson as the prime example of a Christian Nationalist and his... Read more

As a Texan, it’s scarier than I could ever imagine, someone who lives 150 miles North of the Texas–Mexico border.  Watching the news reports of civilians from red states travel down to our border in convoy fashion is terrifying to witness.   If there were ever a time to implement the teachings of Solidarity in Catholic Social Teaching, this is the time. Coming together in Solidarity would protect the lives and human dignity of migrants and their families. Let’s watch a... Read more

When I first started publishing 4 years ago, some veteran writers gave me great advice on how I can create new content for articles.  They advised me to create written posts on social media, and then I choose topics that receive good responses.  Several of them lately have been related to cherry-picking the Bible for political gain and not taking the time to theologically work through contemporary issues.  Poorly-applied theology and poorly-applied Scripture can potentially harm people and even kill... Read more