“We do not have to live as if we are alone.” “Those people are wrong, and they must be shouted down.” “It is about us saying ‘no’ to hate, even when it is done in the name of God — no, especially when it is done in the name of God.” “Here before my eyes was the unabridged, and little Baptist boy me was horrified.” “Top 10 Reasons Why Men Shouldn’t Be Ordained” “If the Catholic church’s insurance does... Read more
Jeremiah 2:7 I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. Read more
Rick Perlstein: “Behind the Right’s Phony War on the Nonexistent Religion of Secularism“ One of the most robust and effective conspiracy theories on the right, the notion that “secularism” – or, just as often, “Secular Humanism” – is a religion is meant to be taken entirely literally: right wingers genuinely believe it refers to an actually existing religious practice. How do conservatives know? Because, they say, the Supreme Court said so. It was, as religious historian and Lutheran minister Martin... Read more
John Shore has launched a petition on Change.org called “Christians: Affirm that same-sex relationships are not inherently immoral.” It reads: I am a Christian who affirms that there is nothing inherently immoral about same-sex relationships. It’s time to end the Christian condemnation of LGBTQ people, which is in direct contradiction to everything for which Jesus Christ stands. Being in a same-sex relationship is not, in and of itself, an offense against God. The fact that a person lives in a... Read more
In an op-ed at CNN’s Belief Blog titled “Name-calling is ‘rhetorical pornography,'” a trio of religious right figures urge Christians not to use ethnic and homophobic slurs. I agree! The use of ethnic and homophobic slurs is hurtful and wrong. And, I suppose, I commend these three — Focus on the Family exec Jim Daly, Southern Baptist Seminary dean Russell Moore and Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference — for supporting this unremarkable, unimpressive and bare-minimum moral... Read more
The Vatican’s crackdown on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (i.e., on American nuns) is proving to be a public relations disaster and a morale-killer within the Catholic Church because it gives the appearance of a bunch of power-mad misogynists trying to distract from their own horrific scandals by exerting arbitrary manly authority over women who spend most of their time helping people. It gives that appearance because, actually, the Vatican’s crackdown on the LCWR is a bunch of power-mad... Read more
The compass points the workers home “The Great American Cure,” Randy Stonehill “Great Big Love,” Bruce Cockburn “Great Big No,” The Lemonheads “The Great Speckled Bird,” Johnny Cash “The Greatest,” Cat Power “The Greatest Cowboy of Them All,” Johnny Cash “Green Arrow,” Yo La Tengo “Green Eggs and Ham,” Moxy Fruvous “Green Grow the Rushes,” R.E.M. “Green Mansions,” Van Morrison “Green Onions,” Booker T. & The MGs “Green River,” Creedence Clearwater Revival “Greenman,” XTC “Greenshirt,” Elvis Costello & The Attractions... Read more
Letters to a Future Church is a pithy, lively little book. It features more than two dozen contributors crammed into 164 breezy pages. The book, edited by Chris Lewis, comes out of a 2010 conference in Toronto for which speakers were asked to compose short letters to the church, modeled after the seven letters to seven churches that open the book of Revelation. The conference got some Big Names on board — people like Walter Brueggemann, Ron Sider, Shane Claiborne,... Read more
I want to follow up on this earlier discusssion — “Mercy for the downpresser man is not the first step. Or the second, or third” — about what it might mean to extend grace to an oppressor or an abuser. What we’re talking about here is forgiveness. Can Pharaoh be forgiven? Forgiveness is a Good Thing. Each one of us, at some point, requires it. And thus each of us, at some point, will also need to grant it to... Read more
Let us come together as one people, one nation, one humanity. Let us unite once more in peace and harmony, and begin our glorious future together. I will be there. Will you join me? Do not think about the children, just join us. Follow me. If you do not, it would be … unpleasant. (All of which is to say that I plan on beginning Book 3: Nicolae on Friday, May 18. Thanks for your patience.) Read more
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