What are we to feel and to think in these dystopian times when our nation is moving backward on so many issues of human dignity, equity and justice? I feel defeated. Exhausted. Grieved. Aggrieved. Or, as one friend put it,…
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…
Anti-LGBTQ legislation is bad science, bad politics and bad theology, and it’s going to get people killed
Needing yet another wedge issue for election season, Republicans in many states are at work attempting to pass legislation that targets LGBTQ people, with a special emphasis on the T. The year 2022 already has surpassed the record-breaking 2021 as…
It was fundamentalists who taught me about soul competency, and now they want to ban books?
Do some parents really think banning books will keep their children from swearing or thinking about sex? My guess is that surreptitious middle school book clubs already have formed all over the country to read Maus. Nothing like telling prepubescent…
The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever
Christmas season means a lot of things — family, presents, carols, Hallmark movies, the Grinch, lights, Santa, Nativity scenes, stockings hung by the chimney with care, and the dreaded Christmas pageant. Why, oh why, did the church decide turning over…
No, justice was not done in convicting Ahmaud Arbery’s killers
I’m seeing a lot of people describe the guilty verdict for the three men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery as “justice.” I’m not so sure I’d agree. Certainly, the verdict satisfies our desire to see serious consequences for the racist murder…
10 things men can do to support women in the church
Guys, I want to help you out. The church is not always a welcoming space for women. That statement seems rather obvious when we talk about clergy sex abuse or the exclusion of women from ordination. But what about everyday…
The return of the witch hunters
It’s that time of the year when the Sanderson sisters come back to our small screens, and little witches run around our neighborhoods with pointed hats and brooms, asking for treats at our doors. I do love Hocus Pocus as…
Southern Baptists, power and the continuum of sexual violence
Note to readers: This article includes content related to sexual abuse and violence against women. The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention has found yet another way to retraumatize survivors of clergy abuse and accentuate the convention’s long history…