NewSpin November, 2008   Time is tight this time of year for the candidates competing for executive office. Last-minute pleas and positioning can consume more hours than there are in a day.   So how is it that this humble reporter was able to gather all four major presidential and vice-presidential candidates together for a sit-down at the same time? Call it good karma – that, and a killer pot of coffee and some bitchin’ scones. Politicians are suckers for... Read more

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NewSpin Water doesn’t grow on trees by Christian Piatt Recently, presidential candidate John McCain wooed Colorado voters by suggesting that the water sharing agreement made between Colorado and six other states back in the 1920’s be renegotiated. As much as we love giving away our natural resources for little or nothing in return, Mister McCain, this is likely to go over about as well as a fart in a church pew. Senator Ken Salazar said that such a renegotiation would... Read more

What’s in a name?   I’ve taken a lot of crap for my name in my life.   “Hey, your name’s Christian. Are you a Christian, Christian?”   “Hey, can we call you Buddha instead?”   Save it. I’ve heard them all before. They’re not funny, either.   I get even more grief when people find out my middle name is ‘Damien.’   “Dude, are your parents, like, devil worshippers?”   “Wow, isn’t that a contradiction or something?”   Yes,... Read more

This is another recurring piece I started in PULP, intended to help answer questions people have about faith. This appeared in the October issue. Faith 2.0 A forum for questions about belief Is Halloween a religious holiday? Halloween originated from the Celtic Pagan celebration known as Samhain, so yes, it is a religious holiday. Samhain is a fall harvest festival in the Celtic tradition and is often considered the mark of the Gaelic New Year. Later, Pope Gregory III moved... Read more

This was the most recent piece of mine published on the Cokesbury Worship Connection site. If you want to link to the original article, click here. By Christian Piatt I’ve heard enough “preacher’s wife” jokes to last me a lifetime. No, I don’t cook a mean casserole. No, I don’t know how to knit. And no, I absolutely will not join the handbell choir. My wife, Amy, got ordained about four years ago, and straight out of seminary, we planted... Read more

Though most may not agree with me, I’m inclined to argue that Pueblo, Colorado, our city of 100,000 in southern Colorado, could very well become the epicenter of political attention in coming weeks. Though we’re not on the radar of many pundits and reporters, we are getting a lot more attention these days. Senator Barack Obama spoke recently to a rally of 14,000 at the fairgrounds here, and Senator McCain is slated to speak at the university campus on Friday.... Read more

For those in the Pueblo/Colorado Springs area, I’ll be playing at the Downtown Bar (corner of 1st and Main streets) this coming Tuesday, September 30th from 8:30 until about 11 or 11:30. I’ll be doing all of my solo acoustic stuff and maybe some spoken word, and there’s no cover charge. Come on by, bring a few friends, and catch a mid-week show. I’ll look forward to seeing you there. Read more

Congress and the Executive branch reached an agreement this morning for a financial bailout of the banking sector, totaling three-quarters of a trillion dollars. This is the biggest government response to financial crisis in this country – and perhaps in the world – since the Great Depression. The question that seems to be on everyone’s minds is about whether or not the bailout is a good idea for America as a whole or not.   I think back to a... Read more

It’s not often that I re-post articles, but I think this one is worth consideration. Time wise is an author, scholar, and preeminent anti-racism activist in the United States. You may not agree entirely with all he says, but consider the truth behind the disparities he points out. Peace, Christian This is Your Nation on White Privilege By Tim Wise 9/13/08 For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand... Read more