It has been said about those who serve in the military that there are no atheists in fox holes. In other words, when things get really tough everyone is a believer. We know that isn’t true. In the dramatic documentary film Touching the Void, mountain climber Joe Simpson falls into a crevasse and is left for dead. Interviewed about what went through his mind at the time, he said: “I was brought up as a devout Catholic. I had long... Read more
My cartoon and post last week “Other Tragedies in the Wake of the Tornadoes”, referring to the theological pronouncements following the Oklahoma tornadoes, got a lot of traffic. Most of the time I assume theologians mean well and that they believe their intentions are sincere. But being well-meaning and sincere doesn’t seem to prevent harmful things from being said. John Piper’s tweets are still stirring up a storm. I’m not satisfied with the explanations he and his team have put... Read more
This has been one of my most popular cartoons. I wonder why? Could it be because it is so common? I think so. Read more
A friend of mine wanted me to design a tattoo for her. She said she wanted cherry blossoms and a bird flying free from a cage. This is a sketch I drew for her. She’s happy. Did you know that for the Chinese, the cherry blossom represents feminine beauty and sexuality and often holds an idea of feminine power as well? It is the symbol of love. It is different for the Japanese. For the Japanese the cherry blossom is... Read more
This is what happens in my city. Wherever the best show in town is, that’s where the crowd is. Always searching. Never finding. Where are you going today? Have you seen my art shop? Read more
I am assembling my Sophia book. I’m calling it “The Liberation of Sophia”. Sophia means wisdom. The liberation of her wisdom has necessarily meant her liberation from the kind of religion that binds, oppresses and imprisons. Sophia has a significant relationship with the moon. Moon is reflected light. It is not direct light. Leaving and even rejecting a religion that boasted direct light has meant that she has had to find her own light, discern new light from new sources... Read more
There was quite a buzz last week when Pope Francis said that even atheists could be redeemed. So atheists were not only redeemed, but also impressed. But it wasn’t too long before a Vatican spokesman came out with a corrective: people who know about the Catholic church can’t be saved if they refuse to enter it or remain in it. It just proves again that we aren’t just dealing with people, but also with systems. Even the most powerful and... Read more
If you are a victim of assault you will automatically find yourself in an adversarial position. I talk about this a lot because it is prevalent in the church. But so many people find it hard to believe so they don’t. How can such a nice person do such a thing? How can such a thing happen right under our noses? My daughter was bullied in University, but because she was assaulted by two popular young woman in such an... Read more
This one is from the archives. Enjoy! Read more
I immediately apologize for the disturbingly graphic nature of this cartoon. It was disturbing for me to draw it and disturbing for me to post it. But some things have to be said because it was more disturbing to me what inspired it. This is a true story. You can read about it in this article, “Anti-Abortion Leader Faces Criticism After Comparing Rape to Car Accidents”. A woman said this. Rape is not an accident. It is a crime! Our... Read more
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