The South Carolina “Secession Ball” will be held tomorrow night, December 20, 2010 in Charleston. I first heard about this event on The Daily Show, and for a sardonic introduction to the evening’s proceedings, I encourage you to view the commentary from Senior Black Correspondent Larry Wilmore. Here’s a preview: “Saying slavery was the cause of the South’s secession during the Civil War isn’t politically correct; it’s correct correct.” In the 21st century, more than a century after the Civil War... Read more

The War in Afghanistan has been raging for more than nine years. Yet, we still regularly hear shocking remarks such as “If I had to choose sides today, I’d choose the Taliban” from figures as prominent as Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Such comments raise ever more sharply the question of “Why are we still in Afghanistan?” As for fodder for thinking theologically about conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq, I find compelling the following reflection from Roman Catholic theologian Bill Cavanaugh:... Read more

Yesterday, The New York Times reported on the evolving focus of Save the Children: Over the last year, Save the Children emerged as a leader in the push to tax sweetened soft drinks as a way to combat childhood obesity…. At the same time, executives at Save the Children were seeking a major grant from Coca-Cola to help finance the health and education programs that the charity conducts here and abroad, including its work on childhood obesity…. In October, Save... Read more

As reported in The New York Times, plans are underway in Kentucky to build an amusement park based on the story of Noah’s Ark to supplement the state’s already-existing “Creation Museum.” I will leave it to others to focus on the obvious first amendment violation of using state money to fund a tourist attraction with the sole agenda of promoting fundamentalist Christianity: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Instead, I would like to say out loud... Read more

My first impression of Brent Landau’s Revelation of the Magi was incredulity. The subtitle, “The Lost Tale of the Wise Men’s Journey to Bethlehem,” caused me to wonder about the book’s legitimacy. My curiosity was piqued when I saw the HarperOne imprint (a top-shelf publisher of popular, accessible religious titles); accolades on the back cover from major scholars such as John Dominic Crossan, Marvin Meyer, and Karen King; and the biographical citation that the author completed his doctoral work at Harvard.... Read more

“Don’t touch my junk” was the protest heard ‘round the world. Calls were made for travelers to “opt-out” of new airport security measures: to engage in Civil Disobedience, refusing to submit to either the new full-body scanners or the enhanced pat-down procedures. Then Wednesday — one of the busiest travel days of the year — came and went with few incidents. The media and the internet were filled with cries of indignation in the days leading up to pre-Thanksgiving travel,... Read more

Veterans Day (the official, government-approved spelling doesn’t include an apostrophe) is a time to honor all who have served in our armed forces. This year the Truth Commission on Conscience in War is seeking to honor our veterans through a three-day event currently in its second day in Washington, D.C. The Commission’s stated goal is “to honor and protect freedom of conscience for our nation’s service members.” Conscientious Objector status may currently be granted only to individuals with “a firm, fixed, and... Read more