John Lennon and Selena Quintanilla-Pérez were charismatic performers killed by shooters. What do their assassins have in common, and what do each of us have in common with the assassins? Lennon and Quintanilla-Pérez both were killed by obsessed fans who…
Listening to young adults explain their love for Charlie Kirk
In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s tragic and wicked assassination, I’ve found myself seeking to understand the scope of his influence on young evangelicals. My husband and I recently hosted a former student of ours and her roommate, both of…
Charlie Kirk was no King
The assassination of right-wing influencer and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has driven me into a period of deep reflection. Kirk’s killing — allegedly by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson — is unjustifiable and should be condemned by all Americans. Yet,…
James Dobson and Charlie Kirk and whether to rejoice in death
Over the past several weeks, my mind has called back to the words of 1 Corinthians 13:6 over and again as high-profile death announcements flash across my feeds: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.” I…
The American Age of Rage
We are living in what can only be called an Age of Rage — a moment when political violence has become as normalized in public life as school shootings, homicides among Black men and the loss of civil rights once…
A different view on Grace Agenda and Moscow, Idaho
Editor’s note: BNG previously reported on the influence of Doug Wilson in Moscow, Idaho, and his influence in advocating for Christian nationalism. The following opinion piece offers an alternative perspective from someone who saw the events differently. It is BNG’s…
The morning after an assassination
If Charlie Kirk had been a Democratic activist and Joe Biden were still president, the right-wing conspiracy theories would have taken over the conversation already. But today, on the morning after Kirk’s dreadful assassination with a single shot to the…
Coming soon: ‘Non-Disclosure’ podcast shares voices of Kanakuk survivors
“I handed my son over to the devil,” Joe Alarcon told me during an interview for BNG’s upcoming podcast, “Non-Disclosure,” which features interviews from survivors and their families about the serial sexual abuse that occurred at Kamp Kanakuk. Alarcon’s son,…
What if Trump followed Jesus Christ?
History is filled with oppression — nations rising on the backs of slaves, governments entrenching inequality and cultures ignoring the cries of the vulnerable. For centuries, people have been stripped of dignity, denied opportunity, education, health, resources and forced into…
When will Texas Republicans value the lives of all children?
Anyone with a soul is devastated when children die under tragic circumstances. It doesn’t matter how those children die — the morally and spiritually virtuous among us want to ensure whatever can be done to prevent the tragic loss of…
James Dobson’s America
Whatever a real American family was supposed to look and act like, I couldn’t have told you. I was raised on 1980s comedy television. Each evening, I watched the whole slate of sitcoms, most of which were about families, and…
Bring back religion? It never left
Dear President Trump, I have a hot flash for you: Religion never left America. What’s more, those of us who’ve practiced our respective religions faithfully for generations aren’t about to let you force your white “Christian” nationalism down the throats…