In the 1980s and ’90s, while I was teaching English, I also was a debate coach. High school debate is a lot of fun, primarily because the drama of teenagers is just as present there as it is on the…
Decent men of faith and sexual abuse
Before I get into this piece any further, let me admit that decency is a pretty low bar for people of faith. I find that in most churches (I cannot speak for synagogues or temples or mosques), the bar is generally set…
Loving our neighbors: Day 0
It has been a difficult week, no question. After a difficult spring, a difficult and spectacularly hot summer, and a difficult, if beautiful, fall (at least where I live). “Difficult” may not even really cover what we’ve all been through….
Let’s call the divorce lawyers for the sick marriage of church and state
In the world of British sociological order, there are five estates: nobility, clergy, middle class, press, and then any other group that can stand up to the other four. In the United States, having rejected the idea of the nobility…
My calling and the mischief in God’s sense of humor
By Martha Dixon Kearse People make jokes about preachers’ kids — with some justification, certainly. But, in reality, it’s a great life. You get the run of the church, along with the knowledge of where to find a vanilla wafer…