Libertarians and evangelicals are hard to tell apart these days. Is that because libertarians are becoming more religious or because evangelicals are becoming more political? I’m reminded of the corporate executive who once explained to me, “Remember that mergers are…
The futility of framing one another as progressives and evangelicals, devils and dummies
In politics, “framing” is the attempt to alter reality by selecting words, slogans and tropes that convince the public to see the other side in a certain negative way. As Robert Entman explains, “To frame is to select some aspects of a perceived…
I teach the things Republican legislators are trying to outlaw; here’s what we actually teach
Once again, I’m so grateful I live in Oregon. Across conservative states, legislators are interfering with what’s taught in K-12, colleges, universities and workplaces. They’ve targeted content that addresses issues of race, gender and sexuality, with a special emphasis on…
Letter to the editor: Evangelicals — save an unborn baby or save a soul?
Letter to the Editor April 7, 2022 Dear Editor: Evangelicals are going to have a lot of explaining to do when we meet the Heavenly Father. We have gotten so entangled in the anti-abortion movement, and subsequently in the Republican…
We don’t talk about periods, no no
Disney made a movie about menstruation and — surprise, surprise — American evangelicals got upset. The movie, Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi (a Chinese Canadian filmmaker), is the first full-length Pixar film to be directed by a woman. Let…
Why it’s wrong to assume American evangelicals are siding with Russia over Ukraine
If Vladimir Putin wanted to invade a former Soviet-bloc country and get the blessings of American Christians, he might have done better than choosing Ukraine. Among all the countries that once made up the USSR, Ukraine today stands out as…
Year-long study finds QAnon believers are most influenced by far-right news outlets
Media consumption remains the single most significant predictor of whether a person believes QAnon conspiracy theories, according to new longitudinal data from Public Religion Research Institute. Having tracked American views of QAnon’s core beliefs over the course of 2021, PRRI…
Beyond heedlessness: Finding the sacrament of an ‘us’ without a ‘them’
Evangelicals have made it clear: Don’t call us racists. We are not racists. Rather than debate the issue, I volunteer to take the word “racist” off the debate table. Instead of calling evangelicals “racists,” I will use the word “heedless.”…
It’s time to stop the insanity that is killing public education
I am the child of a public schoolteacher. I am the parent of a son who has been a public schoolteacher and who remains a private instructor in a public high school. Many dear friends are public schoolteachers. As a…