10 Gift Ideas for Progressive Christians

Last updated on: November 21, 2018 at 12:12 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

It can be difficult to find off-beat and unusual books and videos outside the mainstream that grapple with faith and Christianity. Here’s a list of 1o under-appreciated or unusual gift suggestions for the progressive Christians in your life. The Book of Daniel – The Complete Series Because of Conservative Christian backlash, this series was doomed to failure before it ever aired on NBC. Some of the story lines are dreadful, but the special relationship between Daniel and Jesus is poignant... Read more

Guns are the Choice of Cowardly Christians

Last updated on: October 31, 2018 at 3:25 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

Some Christians are cowards. Fearful cowards. What else explains their belief that guns are ever a Christian choice? Plenty of churches have no problem with guns, with violence, with the idea of ‘defending’ others with violence. If a congregation believes it needs to be defended by armed guards, it has lost the point of the Gospels. Some will say killing is justified if it is done to defend others. This is the “just war” philosophy. Many Christians say that guns... Read more

Conservative Evangelicals Hurt People

Last updated on: October 24, 2018 at 12:32 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

The Conservative Evangelical Christian understanding of God hurts people. Throughout history, Christians have tortured, murdered, or abused groups of people with which they disagreed. Indigenous people of differing faiths, fellow Christians of different beliefs or different skin tones all have been victimized by mainstream Christians who confuse nationalism with the teaching of Christ. What’s going on in Washington D.C. is counter to the message of Jesus, of the prophets and of the Bible. While politicians increase government spending on weapons... Read more

Mr. Rogers Knows You Can

Last updated on: October 20, 2018 at 3:45 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

To read a review of the documentary about Mr. Rogers, visit “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” To buy the movie, follow the link below… Read more

“Democracy Dies in the Dark” — Trump’s Suppression of Dissent

Last updated on: October 14, 2018 at 11:56 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

“Democracy dies in the dark.” ~ Judge Damon J. Keith On Aug. 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to demand equal rights for all Americans and to hear Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. “I think this has been one of the great days of America,” King said afterwards. “And I think this march will go down as one of the greatest, if not the... Read more

Can Rape be a Question of Semantics?

Last updated on: September 28, 2018 at 9:38 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

Guys get lucky and girls get raped. Can sexual assault really revolve around semantics and perspective? Shockingly, sometimes, yes, it can. The proof is in the current conversations on the political stage. What some women see as inappropriate or unwelcome sexual contact — the definition of assault — some men see as consensual. A man who thinks he is being romantic, can walk away a date rapist. A party where teenage girls are raped, can appear to some to be parties where teenagers had... Read more

Biblical Sexism and Modern Rape Culture

Last updated on: September 19, 2018 at 2:28 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

From the Genesis of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, sexual exploitation of women, rape and patriarchy are stitched into the fabric of the world’s religions. Abram’s sexual exploitation of both his female slave and his wife, is just the first example of bigamy, sexual servitude, rape and the denigration of women that is the foundation of multiple faith traditions. A significant segment of Christian society believe scripture tells them wives should submit to their husbands, women should have no authority over... Read more

Sept 19, 1981: The Sound of God in Motion

Last updated on: September 18, 2018 at 1:31 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

On Sept. 19, 1981, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel recorded their first live album in Central Park, New York. More than 500,000 people packed into the park for their first performance in 11 years. The album was released on Feb. 16, 1982 and the concert was broadcast on HBO for years. The concert was a benefit performance, with proceeds helping to refurbish Central Park. Subsequent airings of the program during fund drives have helped public television stations raise money. Simon... Read more

A Blood Red Line of Racism Flows Through the United States

Last updated on: September 14, 2018 at 1:34 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

On Sept. 15, 1963, hate blew-up the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Al. The massive explosion wounded nearly two dozen and took the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNair. It was Birmingham’s fourth bombing in four weeks. Four little girls were murdered in a terrorist attack; attacks that continue daily. Birmingham Sunday (September 15, 1963) By Langston Hughes Four little girls Who went to Sunday School that day And never came back home... Read more

Hold on to Hope in These Trying Times

Last updated on: September 27, 2018 at 10:45 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

These are trying times. Each day, we can choose to react to the world with fear or with hope. We can surrender to the darker nature of the human spirit, or embrace hope and possibility. Predominantly white, predominantly male, predominantly Conservative Americans project fear and hearken back to halcyon days of old that never existed. They don’t want the equitable tax structure of 1955, just the racism, sexism and xenophobia. Fear of others has always been a way for the... Read more