PublicChristian

The best index to a person’s character is a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and b) how he treats people who can’t fight back. -Abigail Van Buren I

[Here is the substance of an email I received last week. My responses are in the boxed blockquotes.] First, as I say at the end, I appreciate the courage and

  Whenever extremists attempt to hijack religion for violent ends, whenever politicians seek to exploit sectarian differences, and whenever the press mischaracterises our faith traditions, people of faith, religious communities and religious

  Since the liar is free to fashion his “facts” to fit the profit and pleasure, or even the expectations, of his audience, the chances are that he will be more persuasive than the truthteller.   Indeed, he will

Jimmy Carter, Christian statesman, lays it out clearly yet again. Thank you, Mr. President! [The quotes below are from a recent interview with Der Spiegel, focusing on issues Carter

Even in the passing world the true capital is not money, but ideas, conscience, justice. Peter Taylor Forsyth, Christian personalist theologian of a century ago.

[This is a comment by JeanValjean recently added to the post about the Bonhoeffer movie.] Who started a war that has killed thousands for oil? Who has depleted our resources from education,

I got to the point where it seemed the Republican Party was only looking at controlling all the offices instead of looking at resolving all the problems challenging this state. Kate

Update to friends and family concerning our last 6 days. 1. Chelsea had a follow-up visit with the surgeon. He is pleased; we are too. 2. Chelsea’s 20th birthday

Algeria We watched the documentary-style classic The Battle of Algiers for the first time the other night. After 130 years of being the colonial rulers in Algeria, in 1957 the

I saw this somewhere. It explains a lot. The media are only as liberal as the conservative businesses that own them.

I’ve been asking people around McCook a question that varies in form, but yesterday came out as “What are the top three issues you are concerned about, whether on the

In regards to a recent question of mine, and Martin’s comment on it: The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those who have not got it. -George Bernard Shaw Oooh.

What is a prophet? Do you qualify if you explain what a nation is doing to itself and what the consequences will be if it continues in that course?

I wonder how this strikes you. The Old Testament philosophy of history assumes that man grows and unfolds in history and eventually becomes what he potentially is. It assumes that he

A recent article by Cara De Gette in The Colorado Springs Independent has a couple of awesome quotes from pastors about churches being involved in politics. (Thanks to Faith

This is a frightening idea, and probably quite true. From a 17th century French theologian, philosopher, scientist and mathematician. Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they

A recent post here emphasized the moral importance, and the value for moral diagnostics, of checking to see if words line up with reality. For example – Lieberman lost to Lamont

One of the oddities of how Jesus thinks: But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the

I. Hard Stuff and Soft Stuff in Institutional Purpose Driving and thinking yesterday, about all the institutions I am involved in, it seemed to me that our formal institutions are,

If we honestly compared - the amount of time in church spent thinking about what others think or might think - with the amount of time spent thinking about what God is

Here’s a very smart guy talking very straight. It’s reminiscent of the way a young Kerry spoke about Vietnam to a Senate committee. (Have you watched “Going Upriver“?

  Power is actualized only where word and deed have not parted company, where words are not empty and deeds not brutal, where words are not used to veil intentions but to disclose realities, and