Today’s issues
Silly Season: Part 1
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, silly season is “a period marked by frivolous, outlandish, or illogical activity or behavior.” This could mean a laidback summer with no school and lots of vacations, but to me, silly season is about fundamentalist Christians’ incessant talk about the “End Times.”
This is the first part of a six-part series about the Christian apocalypse, in which a resuscitated Jesus and his angel army will end civilization and maybe even the universe, usher in the messianic age, and take 144,000 of the elect (who the elect are is debatable) someplace where they’ll live eternally.… Read more >
Liberty U—a Nasty Misnomer
Liberty University was founded by Jerry Falwell Sr., a fundamentalist preacher who also started Moral Majority, a self-appointed, self-righteous, judgmental hate tank.
Moral Majority was part of the religious right—which is neither. But I do give it credit for keeping homophobia alive and well.
To keep all this judgment and hatred going for generations, Falwell started Liberty University (then Lynchburg Baptist College) in Lynchburg, Virginia.… Read more >
The Pastor of Hate
Franklin Graham is meaner than a junkyard dog!
I knew his father, the legendary Billy Graham, and worked with him on the island of Mau’i in Hawai’i in 1965. Billy was a well-respected leader throughout the world.
We were worlds apart theologically, but this evangelist was truly inspiring. We Episcopalians can be stuffy and aloof.… Read more >
A Prayer for More Violence
This is a special prayer I have written for those who believe in a “divine plan”; think that God lives in a mansion above a flat earth; love to say “God bless America” and “We send our thoughts and prayers” after horrendous mass killings; call themselves evangelicals; and love what’s happening under this administration:
… Read more >O God of Great Violence, we thank you for making us such a violent country.
Scary!
I am a fan and supporter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU). This separation is one of the foundation stones of a true democracy where all people can practice their religion (or not) without interference from the government. Our First Amendment allows religious groups to criticize the government without being penalized.… Read more >
The Notre Dame Museum
I didn’t call it the Notre Dame cathedral for a reason. I’m with the yellow vests in France who are protesting the outrageous amount of money dedicated to rebuilding the fire-damaged Notre Dame rather than to helping people.
I think France should clean up the cathedral but not rebuild it and then turn it into a museum.… Read more >
Spoiled Brats
Usually when we refer to spoiled brats, we’re talking about children. Not in this blog post—I’m referring to the now-infamous parents who decided to “help” their children attend the college of the parents’ choice.
The journalistic name given to this travesty is the college admissions scandal, which currently involves thirty-three parents who allegedly bribed a man named William “Rick” Singer to perform all sorts of illegal and immoral actions to help their children gain admission to prestigious colleges.… Read more >
My Aversion to Conversion
I recently read a magazine article about an acclaimed Jamaican author, Marlon James, and his award-winning book, A Brief History of Seven Killings.
My interest was piqued when he shared his “deep secret.” Before his writing career took off, Marlon became a fundamentalist Christian to deal with the fact that he was gay in a country plagued with homophobia.… Read more >
Don’t Gag Gaga
About a dozen years ago, a young woman with outlandish attire appeared on the entertainment scene. At first, I thought Lady Gaga was a Madonna copycat, but as I watched her over the years, I found her to be a bright, articulate woman who has a social conscience as well as outstanding singing, acting, and songwriting skills.… Read more >
Silly Season: Part 6
This is the final part of a six-part series about the Christian apocalypse, in which a resuscitated Jesus and his angel army will end civilization and maybe even the universe, usher in the messianic age, and take 144,000 of the elect (who the elect are is debatable) someplace where they’ll live eternally.… Read more >