In 2019, I was diagnosed with a rare disease, which is now more likely severely undiagnosed than rare. I was told the disease would progress and the only treatment was for me to become so sick I would qualify for…
Whether in death or life, McConnell ignites debates about AI
Is Mitch McConnell alive? You’d think it would not be so terribly difficult to ascertain the continued existence of one of the most powerful people in American politics. However, McConnell’s prolonged, unexplained absence from the U.S. Senate followed by reluctant…
Why do we keep sounding the alarm?
A common criticism I get here at BNG and that some of my progressive clergy friends get in their congregations is this: “Why do you have to keep talking about Donald Trump and Christian nationalism all the time? Could you…
3 views on Donald Trump held by American Christians
There is a divide among Christians in the United States about how to respond to the urgency of our present crisis. Leaving aside for a moment those who claim the name of Christ but gleefully support an immoral president doing…
Be still and know a keyboard crusade will not ‘save’ the church
Over the last decade, the so-called “MAGA” movement has infected nearly every aspect of American life, including Christianity. Evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox Christians in the United States have been forced to endure what’s been dubbed the “Bro” movement — an…
Criminalizing truth
I have spent much of my life working at the intersection of faith and public life, often in rooms where people insist religion should stay out of politics. I understand why. Faith has been used to divide, to dominate, to…
Keeping Easter alive means embracing the Truth
For some reason, we insist on complicating Jesus. The grave could not contain him. Yet we have the audacity to be believe our theology can. Our complicated theological pursuits have led to self-righteous, self-serving endeavors aimed at being “right” and…
Nothing’s fine: The truth your pastor won’t tell you
How long does it take to tell a lie? The same amount of time it takes to tell the truth. Is there really a difference if you tell it right? If you smile, wave or nod with assurance? If you…
Murder and lies in Minneapolis: What’s it all about?
According to the Washington Post, Donald Trump made 30,573 misleading statements between 2016 and 2020, more than half of them during the final year of his first term in office. In Trump’s second term, the Post has lost its enthusiasm…
Without local journalism, accountability falters
I have profound respect for good journalism, especially from small-town newspapers. I spent a good portion of my early career in the industry doing ad sales, then transitioned to writing and eventually management. Today, my column is sent to publications…
Trump is who he is; who are you?
America must stop pretending this is about Donald J. Trump. Trump is Trump. Historically, socially, morally, financially and ethically, he already has revealed himself to the nation and the world. Without exaggeration, he stands as the most socially corrosive president…
Journalistic integrity should be timeless
An opinion column titled, “Fun-loving Commies spend big to sponsor ‘No Kings’” was recently brought to my attention. The author was not entirely unknown to me. He once was on my media list in his capacity as a newspaper editor….