Anti-semitism, apartheid, and sensitivity in talking about Israel

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

John Kerry got in trouble. His crime, as Israeli columnist Noam Sheifaz put it, was “speculating that theoretically, in the distant future, Israel could do something bad.” Specifically, he said that unless a two-state solution can be brokered between Israel and Palestine, Israel will either end up with a democratic society without a Jewish majority or an apartheid state in which Palestinians don’t have equal rights. The problem was that he said the word apartheid. And the right-wing pundits have... Read more

Would Obama be “winning” in the Ukraine if he “baptized” more terrorists?

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

Sarah Palin told a recent crowd at an NRA rally that “if [she] were in charge, they would know that waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists.” It’s a quote that’s gotten a lot of attention in the past few days for several reasons, one being that it’s a complete mockery of Christian theology which has drawn criticism from conservatives like Mollie Hemingway and Joe Carter. The psalmist says that blessed is the one who “does not sit in the seat... Read more

Donald Sterling and the Tyranny of the Outrage Police

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

One of the best things that I’ve read about the drama surrounding cranky racist white guy of the week Donald Sterling was a post by Hall of Fame former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He writes, “Moral outrage is exhausting. And dangerous. The whole country has gotten a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome from the newest popular sport of Extreme Finger Wagging. Not to mention the neck strain from Olympic tryouts for Morally Superior Head Shaking.” I’m so tired of... Read more

“Color-blinded-ness” IS racism

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

There’s been a lot of conversation about the Supreme Court ruling to end affirmative action in Michigan. It presents an opportunity to explain some things that may be difficult for my fellow white folks to grasp. Hopefully I can do so in a way that doesn’t immediately induce scowls and burst blood vessels. I read a very helpful and influential book several years ago called Race: A Theological Account By J. Kameron Carter that opened my eyes to a critical subtlety... Read more

Garish Dawn (an amazing poem by Carrie Beyer)

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

At the Festival for Faith and Writing two weekends ago, I went to a poetry open mic and heard an amazing poem called “Garish Dawn” by a woman named Carrie Beyer who has a website here that you should check out. One of the best things about the writers’ conference was my discovery of rich, deep Christian poetry. I got really cynical about poetry shortly after I graduated college and couldn’t get any of mine published in literary magazines. It... Read more

Social holiness is about way more than sex

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

Fellow Methodist pastor Evan Rohrs-Dodge wrote a very legitimate post recently pointing out the distinction between what John Wesley called “social holiness” and what people today call “social justice.” The two are often conflated in liberal Methodist circles. While social justice has to do with standing up for the marginalized, social holiness refers to developing an accountable community of people who are trying to actively help each other become more like Jesus. You cannot accomplish social justice without social holiness.... Read more

Six ways that capitalism fails the church

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

The religion blog forum Patheos is hosting a Public Square conversation called “Has Capitalism Failed?” largely in response to Pope Francis’ scathing critique of capitalism in his Evangelii Gaudium. One blogger made the point that the answer to the question depends on what we call “capitalism.” There’s a difference between the free market system itself and what might be called the worship of the market. It’s possible to navigate the free market system without worshiping the market. The problem is... Read more

Sharia law, capital punishment, and forgiveness

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

Sharia law. The name conjures up images of barbaric practices like stoning women for adultery or chopping off the hands of thieves. Lawmakers in the US have passed paranoid resolutions against Sharia law ever being used in their states. But a recent story from Iran about a mother who forgave her son’s killer suggests that Sharia law may have something to teach us about capital punishment. (more…) Read more

Resurrection and the gift of a wounded body

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

Since today is Easter, I’ve been trying to think of something inspiring to say. But I thought I would tell the truth about something in my life that sucks which I desperately want to narrate into a blessing. I have lost twenty pounds since December. It’s not because I’ve been good about exercising or eating well. It’s because I have a condition known as ulcerative colitis, which causes me to need to sit on the toilet 15-20 times a day.... Read more

Caesar or the tortured king? (#sermon #podcast)

Last updated on: July 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm By Morgan Guyton

In one of Jesus’ famous parables, he says, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s; give to God what is God’s.” This past weekend’s message asks us to consider how we divide our loyalties between Caesar and God, remembering that God chose to represent himself through a man who was killed as a common criminal on one of Caesar’s crosses. Subscribe to the podcast. … Read more