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It isn’t weird to be a Christian who supports abortion rights
You’ve heard the narratives about “what all Christians believe.” And you’ve heard many a high-profile pastor speak for all of Christians. He tells you precisely what we all believe, like we’re 3 billion cultists in the world with an identical worldview. We don’t all believe the same stuff. And yet this view of a singular…
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Why Arguing Against Protesting Police Is a Bad Idea
I support the institutions of our community. Both in my word and through my tax dollars. I want a healthy and just community. That’s the reason I also support public outcry and calls for justice in the midst of injustice. And the current concerns over police brutality are just such an example. Whether it’s marching…
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Why Bernie Sanders hates the media
Does Sen. Bernie Sanders hate the media? According to Paul Heintz, the political editor for Seven Days, the answer is yes. In this interview for On the Media, Heintz shows Sen. Sanders’ penchant for calling out the media and his ongoing distrust of it. He argues that “the media have never really noticed how Sanders sees them. Because…
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Why TV Needs Father Gabriel
Warning: mild spoilers of The Walking Dead follow. The Walking Dead. I haven’t read the comics, though I should have by now. I’m a geek, I used to be a comic geek at that, and I love the show, so this is totally in my wheelhouse. Maybe I love the suspense of watching the show as it comes on: of waiting until…
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Pussy Riot Reveals Russian Morality Police
Or I (heart) Pussy Riot I’ve only just come across this story as I catch up on my podcasts and as Christian Piatt covered a few days ago. Christian covers the discomfort we have in the prophetic action and the challenge of protest in an admirably personal way. You should really check out his post.…
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CNN Asks Real Episcopalian to Debate Outsider
No sooner had I written my little rant about the media then did I stumble upon the Rev. Susan Russell’s conversation Sunday morning on CNN. She was invited to talk about The Episcopal Church’s decision at General Convention to confirm for trial use the liturgy produced for the blessing of same-gendered unions. Speaking opposite her…
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Imposed Equilibrium
Being a journalist has got to be hard. Nasty emails and public trashing because, heaven forbid, you write a piece that doesn’t come off as some lukewarm non-story of two babbling idiots yelling at each other: particularly when your area of coverage is DC or the state capitols where those red-faced blowhards are your regular…
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Is Honesty Required? Ringer and the Politics of Redemption
I’ve gotten hooked on the CW’s Ringer, a ridiculous show about twins, changing identity, and the attempt to change one’s life. As TV, it is pure pulp, threads the line, not between plausible and implausible, but between implausible and ludicrous. However, as study of human chaos and redemption, there is nothing like it on broadcast…