As I write these words, Kelly Gissendaner is being put to death by the state of Georgia. Kelly was convicted of having her husband murdered by her boyfriend 18 years ago. Since that time, she converted to Christianity and became a chaplain for other prisoners. She is a completely new creation, just like the apostle Paul, a fellow murderer, came to be. Her children have begged the state to spare her life. It’s too late for me to write a... Read more
One of the most controversial things that Pope Francis did on his trip to the US last week was to canonize Junipero Serra as a saint. Depending on who you talk to, Serra was either a heroic evangelist who shared the Christian gospel with thousands of native Americans in modern-day California or a ruthless conquistador who worked in collusion with Spanish soldiers to bring Californian natives under Spanish rule. While Francis was canonizing Junipero, native Americans in California held a... Read more
The Golden Rule is one of the most familiar Christian teachings. Supposedly there’s a version of it in every major world religion. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). In a society that prides itself on self-sufficiency, the Golden Rule has a pretty banal meaning: live and let live. But Pope Francis’ retelling of the Golden Rule in his speech before Congress completely revolutionizes it in a way that destroys the sacred American pillar... Read more
The latest drama manufactured by the culture war industrial complex is a tiff over the White House’s guest list for Pope Francis’ welcome appearance today. Apparently there are some queer people among the 15,000 people who got invited, including Gene Robinson, an openly gay retired Episcopal bishop, and Mateo Williamson, a transgender activist with the Catholic LGBT caucus Dignity USA. A Vatican bureaucrat expressed concern that photos of the pope and LGBT people “could be interpreted as an endorsement of... Read more
Since it’s my birthday, hundreds of people (some of whom actually know me) have gotten the reminder from Facebook to post a greeting on my wall. My birthday also means that I get to ask for whatever I want, and even if I don’t get it, you have to humor me, no matter how selfish and juvenile it is. And if I write it on my blog, you have to share it far and wide, or else you don’t really... Read more
I wanted to ask an honest question. It’s partly a loaded question, but partly a recognition that my experience isn’t universal. If you’re a Christian who likes to talk about “submitting to the Bible’s authority” and “obeying what the Bible teaches,” what is the last time that you made a life decision based directly on something you read in the Bible? I’m not talking about the decision to put something on your facebook status or share a meme that sounds... Read more
A couple days ago, the twitter hashtag #ImAChristianBut was trending. I knew immediately that it had something to do with rejecting the idea that being anti-gay is the circumcision mark of Christian identity. So I wrote a few tweets, but then I got really frustrated because it’s ceding too much ground to the toxic, heretical distortion of our faith in the Reagan era of American Christianity. I spent many years saying #ImAChristianBut, but I think it’s time to change the... Read more
One of the most important events in labor history happened in Exodus 20:10 when God commanded the Israelite people to rest every seventh day: “The seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work – you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.” The concept of resting every seven days is one of the most important legacies of the Judeo-Christian tradition.... Read more
I’m not going to call Kim Davis a bigot. I don’t think she’s a malicious person. She’s the victim of a deformed Christianity that has taught her that it’s better to go to jail than to allow two men to commit officially to spending their lives together. The real tragedy is that our society desperately needs to have a real conversation about sexual holiness. By putting all of their eggs in the anti-gay basket, American evangelicals have completely sabotaged the... Read more
There’s a meme going around Facebook about a famous football player who boasts that he doesn’t let his sons keep any sports trophies if they’re just for participation and not for winning. He says, “I’m sorry I’m not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned.” It seems like a manly, responsible thing to say because it promotes hard work and discipline. And it’s also a statement that should never come out of the mouth of a Christian.... Read more
Mercy Not Sacrifice
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