How do we respond to violence? Christian Piatt In April 1945, Lutheran pastor and noted pacifist Dietrich Bonhoeffer was led naked to his execution in the gallows of a Nazi prison camp. He was 39 years old. Though formal charges against him included trafficking Jews across the border to Switzerland, the ultimate justification for his death was his involvement in plans to assassinate Adolf Hitler. One of the central tenets of Bonhoeffer’s faith was submission to God’s will. How that... Read more

The first pic below is of my three-year-old son on picture day. He picked out the tie, not because he wanted to look good for photos, but because he thought his girlfriend at preschool would like it. The one on the right is his Halloween photo. If you don’t recognize the character, he’s Gene Simmons, bassist and singer from the “Hottest Band in the Land,” KISS. He’s a big fan. He and his friend, Vaughan, like to sing along to... Read more

Meaning what you say isn’t always easy I have a brilliant friend who, by the time he was about 30, was teaching graduate-level classes and was on track to become a full-fledged professor. Though he hadn’t yet finished his dissertation and didn’t have his doctoral degree, the school hired him with the understanding that he would complete the doctoral work within a certain time. Pressed with the demands of academic research as well as those of his job and growing... Read more

Why Al Gore shouldn’t run Former Vice President Al Gore has hit his popular stride. In the last year, he has won both an Oscar and an Emmy, and now he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Millions have heeded his warnings about imminent climate change, and he has won support from both major political parties who now acknowledge we’re a big part of the problem. Gore’s visibility and popularity likely will never be stronger than they are now.... Read more

A moral question: Who deserves what health care? Former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm has taken a bold step in engaging people in discussion around the true substance of health-care reform. While his ideas border on philosophical, the implications are very real. While presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle struggle to convey their own version of win-win coverage, Lamm hits the issue of health-care entitlements right between the eyes. Why is his approach an act of bravery? Because in... Read more

Looking back on 36 years, and learning to trust Tomorrow is my birthday. I’ll be 36. This week, I spent a few days with my good friend, Doug, and his family. We have known each other since junior high school, and we’ve been roommates a few times over the years. We’ve played in rock bands together and we went to the same college. Given our history, it felt weird to be driving around town in a minivan with our families.... Read more

Quite often, I get letters regarding one point or another in my columns. Sometimes they are complimentary, while more often, they are not. Seldom, however, are they worth reprinting. I got a note today, however, that I thought was provocative enough to post here.  Below is this gentleman’s note to me, followed by my response. More food for thought.  CDP >>>>> Dear Mr Piatt,  I am moved to respond to your recent column on Richard Dawkins primarily because of the... Read more

Science and faith: Can’t we all just get along? Anyone who is surprised by the recent backlash from hyper-rational militant atheist writers and thinkers clearly has not been paying attention. As religious fundamentalists have dug in their heels, forcing such ignorant pseudo-scientific principles as New Earth Creationism into textbooks and school districts, the push provoked a visceral response from the scientific community. Most notable among the atheist polemicists is Richard Dawkins, with his best-selling book, “The God Delusion.” In effect,... Read more

Defining church, churches harder than one might originally believe How many churches are there in our community? This is the question posed to me this week by a friend of mine who is a successful church coach. He has taken a dying congregation and, in two years, increased its weekly worship attendance to more than 300 people. I began thinking through all of the buildings and various denominations I see in a week. I estimated we probably have 300 or... Read more

OK, enough messing around. We’ve heard rumors for years about Chipotle coming to Pueblo, but now is the time for action! Click on the link below and sign to show your support for a Chipotle restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado. Then send the link along to friends. We need thousands of signatures to overwhelm them, so get to work:  http://www.PetitionOnline.com/puebloco/petition.html  Fight the good fight, Christian Piatt Chipotle Activist Pueblo, CO Read more