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The Sleeping Giant of Progressive Christianity
Is this the end? Phyllis Tickle has long argued that the fight over human sexuality and marriage is the last battle of the culture war. It is the last plank of the cultural conservative political platform; and the plank is crumbling. That is why the fight has been so brutal. She argues that conservative Christians…
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Literal revolutions : The flag, the killer, and a fluctuating view of how to literally “take America back”.
When I hear talk of “taking our country back” I rarely hear the voice of heroes come to save the Rebel Alliance, with Ben Kenobi as “our only hope.” I hear bigotry and division and might. I hear the faint call of the Empire coming to overtake the Republic. I have no memory of…
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Mercy Is What We Love
It strikes me that our society is more interested in public shaming than actually changing the behavior of its people. We are more interested in taking pictures of people watering their lawns during a drought than we are in more effectively curbing the practice, or better, than transforming how Californians landscape. Of course, I’m not…
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What Ben Affleck reveals about our deepest need
When I heard that one of Ben Affleck’s ancestors owned slaves, I didn’t even blink. That he didn’t want to share that on national television surprised me even less. In our gotcha era of dualisms and polarities, an outspoken liberal actor/writer/director would be easy fodder for the outspoken conservative media personalities. His deep shame, perhaps…
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Don’t have time for taking sides
In a defensive rant a sci-fi author describes the concerns he has posed for his side. In a rising conflict over church practice, parishioners appeal for others to take their side. On Facebook, you post a meme about gender politics and your friends try to convince you that you are betraying your side. Or your other friends tell…
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What is Wrong?
We blame immigrants We blame minorities We blame women We blame sexuality We blame immorality We blame liberals We blame conservatives We blame judges We blame cops We blame communities We blame mothers We blame fathers We blame workers We blame corporations We blame executives We blame bankers We blame lawyers We blame soldiers We…
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How To Not Change the World
Our Willful Ignorance of Self I once read that Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols approaches his day with this simple practice: he only looks in the mirror once. He gets up, prepares himself for the day, and spends the rest of the day believing he’s that guy in the mirror. Regardless of what life throws…
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When Subtraction Mimics Progress
Whenever the U.S. holds a national election, there is much evaluation, haranguing, and prediction. We are reminded often that midterms always have a different character than presidential elections, but that knowledge is thrown out the window in the fever of gloating and sorrow. The most popular prediction this time, and the one I have often subscribed…