It is my sincere hope that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) shows the same ferocity over the Ryan-Budget proposal that they did over the contraceptive mandate.  If we as a Church are to in one breath claim a need for religious liberty, our next breath should certainly be used to stand up for the religion we hope to be protecting. Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Paul Ryan, opens his “Path to Prosperity” budget proposal with: “This budget, The Path to... Read more

I’m no longer stifled by the sound-bite rhetoric that defines political parties and much of our religious discourse. I’m free to work with people from all walks of life to pioneer creative solutions to some of our most pressing concerns. (more…) Read more

As a Christian I know that Christ launched his earthly ministry by quoting the Hebrew text Isaiah 61 which states that the Gospel is: “good news to the poor,” yet when I look around my faith community I see my Christian brothers and sisters supporting policies and legislators that have nothing good to say to or about the poor. (more…) Read more

For the past 40 years, the religious right has co-opted the discussion around abortion in this country. The foot soldiers of this movement have aggressively fought for their place as the only political and religious contingent that takes a moral, faith-based stance on abortion. And in their worldview, to take a moral stand on abortion is to stand against it. We have seen this played out with homosexuality in a long, tragic parade of condemnation and shattered lives. The religious... Read more

As Christians, the way we approach politics matters. A lot. It matters to us, our families, our children, our neighbors, and especially the disadvantaged. It impacts our schools, our communities, and people all across the world.   (more…) Read more

Critics of the Faithful Democrats movement raise a point that is actually quite fair: “Aren’t you just reacting to the unhealthy closeness between the Church and the political right by luring the Church into the arms of the political left instead? Are you really any better?” (more…) Read more

If recent weeks are any indication, the Republicans hope to make this election season all about values. And, considering the President’s record of job creation and economic growth, the Republicans’ strategy may be the only option. But, if the GOP wants to talk about values, I propose they take a critical look at Paul Ryan’s budget. Political scientist David Easton writes that politics is “the authoritative allocation of values for a society.” And in an election season increasingly focused on... Read more

Republicans are once again using religion as a weapon to divide America.  We Faithful Democrats must counter this absurd "war on religion" narrative.  I’ll leave you with President Obama’s recent response to the right’s ridiculous "war on religion" accusation: (more…) Read more

the economic and social welfare policies the GOP advocates are fundamentally at odds with the kind of measures we would have in place if we were actually serious about ending abortion and caring for the extra children who would be born in its absence. (more…) Read more

In this fourth part of my five-part series-in which I look at abortion through the lens of each of the five books of the Pentateuch-I explore abortion by its sheer numbers, and offer a critique for those who call themselves "pro-choice."   I will never forget the first time I read through the entire Bible.  As I was finishing up Leviticus and heading toward Numbers, my brother Erik-who had read the Bible through for the first time a few years... Read more