In recognition of the Easter season, please ponder the factual history of one of the holiday’s most beloved stories: Jesus and the Emmaus disciples. The peaceful town was populated by Palestinians until it was ethnically cleansed by Israel in 1967. The author, Alison Weir, is a friend and colleague of mine who has been fighting for Palestinian rights for many years, and a historian in her own right. (Her book on the creation of the state of Israel is available... Read more
Gun rights politicians may never let go of their ideology – but we can change our minds. We are under no obligation to remain faithful to weapons of our destruction. A birthday party massacre over the weekend in Dadeville, Alabama claimed the lives of 4 (3 of them teenagers) and injured 32 – (15 of them teens). We shrug while families grieve. 12,487 Americans have died of gunshot wounds so far in 2023 – more than half of them suicides.... Read more
Anti-Christian hate crimes in Jerusalem have been soaring since Israel’s new extremist government took over – Easter is one of many targets by the government and Jewish radicals. reposted from If Americans Knew, April 13, 2023 This Sunday marks Easter in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Israel has chosen the number of worshipers allowed to attend the festivities. Christian leaders in Palestine are angry, and tired of the growing hostility from the Israeli government and some Jewish factions. In the... Read more
The Associated Press reported this morning (Thursday, April 6): More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children and often escaped accountability, according to a long-awaited state report released Wednesday that revealed the scope of abuse spanning 80 years and accused church leaders of decades of coverups. The report paints a damning picture of the archdiocese, which is the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the country and spans much of Maryland.... Read more
One of the most profound changes my life has seen since I left evangelicalism is in my relationship to the wider world: instead of a place of distractions and temptations, it has become an infinite variety of people to love and co-struggle with. A parallel change has been in my relationship with Scripture: instead of poring over it to find answers and grow in my knowledge of God, it has become a place where I can meet with Jesus to... Read more
Israel is in the middle of a crisis of its own making – one that some fear may spark a civil war. This crisis is not directly related to the Palestinians (although they will likely pay the heaviest price). For those who haven’t been following the unfolding of the situation, a summary is provided here as a public service. Knowledge is power! The centerpiece of the controversy is a now-stalled “judicial overhaul” attempt by the most extreme party in the... Read more
The Church of Gethsemane, site of the Tomb of the Virgin Mary (Greek Orthodox) in Jerusalem was the scene of a frightening terrorist attack Sunday. According to an eyewitness, two men entered the church during the Sunday service and began hitting worshipers and members of the clergy with metal pipes. Another source adds that in addition to assaulting those present, the men also “tried to destroy and deface sacred objects” in the church. Several of the worshipers were able to... Read more
Did you grow up looking down on the poor? I did. Directly or indirectly, I was taught that anyone who is poor or homeless brought it on themselves, and if they would only make an effort, they could end their poverty. I just knew that laziness and poverty go hand in hand. According to a Washington Post poll, 53% of white evangelical Protestants blame poverty on lack of individual effort, vs. only about 33% of atheists, agnostics, and the non-affiliated.... Read more
Megavangelist and ageless prosperity preacher Joel Osteen recently interviewed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Their conversation demonstrated Osteen’s absolute dissociation with reality. It also illustrated his audience’s total failure to acknowledge the real world. This phenomenon is fairly typical of conservative Christianity (Osteen is far from alone in his blind affection for Israel) – and it is killing people. The International Criminal Court is currently examining evidence that under Netanyahu’s watch, Israel has committed war crimes against the Palestinian... Read more
If good people live in this world as spectators, the Bad Guys are going to win. If God-fearing people refuse to engage in this world because they are too busy longing for Christ’s return, the Bad Guys are going to win. If people who love Jesus don’t roll up their sleeves and disrupt the status quo, the Bad Guys are going to win. Jesus was all about disruption. If we who live in relative prosperity in the world ignore suffering... Read more
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