The recent mass murder events help to nudge the conscience, a conscience that has been beaten senseless by the incessant beating of the anti-abortion drum and the idolatrous-like worship of the Second Amendment. The oxymoron of being both anti-abortion and…
No, there are not two equally valid sides to some issues
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…
The European option: Why we need a third way on abortion
Since learning of Samuel Alito’s leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, I have emersed myself in the resulting tidal wave of news reports, opinion pieces, blogs and podcasts. The New York Times podcast The Daily has been one of…
Stop using Jesus to disguise your predatory patriarchy
By now the whole country has heard of the imminent possibility of overturning the legal precedent of Roe v. Wade, which provides the foundational grounds upon which access to abortion care and reproductive justice in this country has been laid….
Oklahoma legislators say life begins at ‘fertilization’
Oklahoma legislators appear to know the exact answer to a question that has vexed doctors and theologians for centuries: When does life begin? According to a controversial bill adopted by the Oklahoma Legislature May 19, life begins at fertilization. “If…
Intolerable cruelty is killing us
In 2003, the Coen brothers released their romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty. The movie wasn’t great. In fact, it’s entirely forgettable, which is why I was surprised I remembered it at all. After reading the news lately, though, I’m now convinced…
Letter to the Editor: A response to Laura Ellis on abortion and Christian Realism
Letter to the Editor May 17, 2022 Dear Editor: We all have a right to be wrong. Laura Ellis’s article, “Why I am a Pro-Choice Christian and Believe You Should Be Too” — while carefully constructed — simply fails basic…
Roe v. Wade, the great divider
It’s perversely fitting, I suppose, that Roe v. Wade, the most divisive Supreme Court ruling of the past 50 years, will likely be overturned at the most divisive national moment since it was issued, promising even deeper division. Justice Samuel…
Secular revolutions and religious counterrevolutions
In 2015, highly esteemed Princeton political philosopher Michael Walzer published The Paradox of Liberation: Secular Revolutions and Religious Counterrevolutions. The title itself immediately arrested me, as it crystallized a current intuition of mine. I believe the United States and several…