Verses vs. Verses: Same-sex marriage dialogue continues post-SCOTUS decision

July 9, 2015 By Guest Contributor

The June 26, 2015 SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage didn’t settle the issue. Last month, NYT’s Laurie Goodstein wrote a profile on Matthew Vines, a young, gay Christian writer and activist who works to elucidate an alternative understanding of the LGBTQ community to Christian conservatives (primarily Evangelicals). After coming to terms with his own sexuality, Vines left Harvard in 2010 to study what the Bible says about same-sex relationships and how modern Christians could offer a message of inclusion. Vines... Read more

Pope’s Encyclical: Authentic Human Development Has a Moral Character

July 3, 2015 By Guest Contributor

(Reposted with permission.) Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment isn’t an earth-shattering document. It’s instead a timely reminder that humanity has collective rights and responsibilities. As Catholics, the right to life and the responsibility to protect and promote life are of paramount concern. Pope Francis realizes attacks to life come in a variety of forms. Inflicting harm on our common home is one such threat to life. Through the encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis is reminding the world truths... Read more

Charleston’s ‘hard truths’

June 21, 2015 By Joseph Gidjunis

After nearly four days of coverage, reaction and rebuttal about the why behind the Charleston Church shooting, I’m sure I, like many of you, remain devastated, saddened and heartbroken. Processing my own feelings, however, I also found a part of myself tempted to ignore the news, look at my Facebook feed less, and resume normal day-to-day activities without giving the tragedy another thought. I understand this may run counter to what I should say, but after the Sandy Hook school... Read more

Romero and Me

May 25, 2015 By Joseph Gidjunis

A young man named Mario graduated college at Eastern University May 9 as a triple major in entrepreneurship, marketing and management. He did it in four years, and he did it with English as his second language, and the United States his second home. Mario is Salvadoran and his family wanted him to attend college in the U.S., as do many around the world. So, in August 2011, Mario came to live in the two-bedroom home my wife, Rebecca, and I own.... Read more

Idealists & Realists for Hillary

May 21, 2015 By Guest Contributor

Much has been made of Hillary Clinton’s presidential run since she announced last month. However you feel about it, there’s fervor to be had. On one side of the spectrum, various conservatives denounce Clinton more than almost any other candidate in recent memory. On the other side, scores of progressives are nothing less than exhilarated by Hillary’s announcement video, seeing in her what they have seen in so many other great political leaders. This is especially true of religious progressives... Read more

Changing Indiana: How RFRA got fixed

May 14, 2015 By Jessica Church

The last time I wrote about religious liberty for this blog, I had been inspired to do so by many conversations with friends and coworkers, musing about how we might be able to take a few steps forward and, as progressives, rightfully claim this issue as our own. About a month later, we watched the kerfuffle in Indiana unfold after it was shown the LGBT community could be legally discriminated against with this legislation. After passage by the Indiana Senate and House,... Read more

Hillary’s Values: seeking criminal justice reform

April 30, 2015 By Joseph Gidjunis

This week, like me, I’m sure you prayed for peace and healing in Baltimore. Amidst the pain and suffering, the hatred and illegal acts, it was challenging to process the destruction and looting in a great American city while simultaneously wanting to acknowledge their rightful frustration. After Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Eric Garner and now, very likely, Freddie Gray it’s abundantly clear – and has been for years – there is a need for significant law enforcement and... Read more

Why I’m Ready for Hillary

April 26, 2015 By Guest Contributor

After much speculation and encouragement from supporters throughout the country, Hillary Clinton officially entered the 2016 Presidential race on Sunday, April 12. In stark contrast to the glitzy announcements of her GOP counterpoints, Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul, Clinton’s down-to-earth launch highlighted her commitment to championing the causes of everyday Americans. And despite her near universal name recognition, and long career in public service, Hillary Clinton is not taking anything for granted, vowing to earn the votes... Read more

A Note on Community

April 15, 2015 By Jessica Church

It’s not enough to talk about community. It’s not enough to quickly wave hello to your neighbors, then hustle into the safety of your home (though we all do it). Real community happens when you ask and answer honest questions. It happens when you console someone, lift someone up, or find a solution to a problem that has been nagging them for days, weeks, years. That’s where real relationships develop. These friend-to-friend, coworker-to-coworker, family member-to-family member ties are critical. They... Read more

She’s running for President!

April 13, 2015 By Joseph Gidjunis

My Gmail inbox received an influx of fantastic news Sunday afternoon. And since I know many of you are like me, you’re thrilled with the many messages and announcement that Hillary Clinton is officially running for President of the United States in 2016! We all “knew” it would happen. I mean, there was that small percentage of doubt that it might not, so I was so happy to remove all the rumors. And did you watch the video? Wow, that was... Read more