Christian Values and the Presidency

After witnessing the recent State of the Union speech and its aftermath, I’ve made a resolution. In the election of our next president, I no longer care much about political party, nor even about a conservative or liberal orientation. Rather, after the votes are tallied in November, I hope the result will be the election …

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Book Ideas for the New Year

If you’re looking for book suggestions for 2020, you can find some ideas at the Book of the Month page on my website. Each month I post a selection that has been thought provoking and helpful to me. Maybe you’ll find one or two that might interest you. There’s a link on each selection where …

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"Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner"? Really?

Earlier this month, Nancy Pelosi had a heated exchange with a reporter who asked if she hated President Trump. “As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone,” she said, adding that she prays for the president. This is an admirable statement, and certainly is …

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A Flat Earth Bible?

The biblical writers believed in a flat earth. It was the stationary foundation of their world view. Under the flat earth was Sheol, the place of the dead. The sky was the domed firmament that held back water. Above it all was heaven. This sounds so, well, ancient. Good science at the time, but bad …

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Sitting with the “Enemy”

When a picture circulated of comedian Ellen DeGeneres sitting with former President George W. Bush during a Dallas Cowboys football game, it raised some eyebrows and questions. As Ellen said, in a USA Today story, people asked themselves, “Why is this gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?” The implication seemed to …

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For the Children’s Sake

There is no monopoly on common sense On either side of the political fence We share the same biology, regardless of ideology Believe me when I say to you I hope the Russians love their children too. –Sting, from his album, Dream of the Blue Turtles, 1985 For those old enough to remember when it …

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Is God on Our Side?

Abraham Lincoln followed a vision that transcended partisanship. In his second inaugural address, with the Union’s victory assured, he could have piled on. He could have condemned the South and spoken about an eye for an eye. Indeed, our current political climate would have repeatedly fostered animosity through endless tweets. But Lincoln saw the bigger …

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Piety’s Limitations

Old-fashionedly, I have an aversion to foul language. Maybe I’m too sensitive, but it seems like there’s been an exponential increase in the use of it over the last few years. Every popular show or movie seems to have a script calling for interesting variations of the f-word. Maybe my language-prudishness comes not just from …

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Gun Laws: The Limit of Freedom

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…” The preamble of our Constitution starts with a plural subject, “we the people.”  It goes on to specify the reasons for the document. Domestic tranquility. Justice. Defense. General welfare. The purpose is to move a group of individuals to covenant …

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