History offers many examples of technological and intellectual change (we can do more and we know more than we used to). But as far as humankind’s moral dimension, there is scant and/or confusing evidence of any real movement forward. Our weapons of war are more sophisticated and deadly than ever and we use them to great effect. Our ability to […]

[Lost the extensive comments to this post in the move to our new blog… I’ll try to restore ’em at some point. Sorry about that. — jon] Despite appeals from both religious and ethical leaders across the world, the State of Texas has again executed a prisoner. To quote Amnesty International, According to his most recent test, Marvin Wilson has […]

[Original post August 21, 2012] Both good ideas and bad ideas form from and as part of the larger “idea fabric” all of us share. The comments of Representative Todd Akins (R-Missouri) about “legitimate rape” are one stellar example. The below is an attempt to explore the bundle of bad (a.k.a. FALSE) ideas contained in his comments. Akins, who is […]

CLINT EASTWOOD AND THE EMPTY CHAIR “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.” — Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man This isn’t the place to attack or defend my Presidential candidate of choice. That said, to let last night’s comments from actor / director Clint Eastwood go without comment would be, well, an opportunity missed to discuss some […]

[Originally posted Nov 5 2012] A group of pastors and members of North Carolina’s NAACP released the following letter in response to anti-Obama advertisements and other actions by the BGEA (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) headed by Franklin Graham. We believe this letter is an important counterpoint to many voices in this political season. As background, Franklin Graham was confronted before […]

Solzhenitsyn and his wife Natalia. Every teen has his idols; Alexandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), famous author who was imprisoned for years under the Soviet regime, was one of mine. I bought volume one of his grim, great Gulag Archipelago (Prison Islands) trilogy, and it spent the summer of 1974 with me. I sat in our old GMC grain truck during harvest, […]

When I heard about the Boston marathon bombings — it happened via TV in a North Dakota seniors’ residence my wife’s parents live in — tears lept to my eyes and that terrible, familiar taste of 9/11 rage rose up inside. This time there was no creepy Osama bin Laden character to blame. Two young guys, foreign yes but also […]

Is there any word or sentiment which is off limits these days? Last week, talk radio shrieker Pete Santilli accused Hillary Clinton of being involved with the killing of American troops in Benghazi, Libya. And then he offered this: “I want to shoot her right in the vagina and I don’t want her to die right away. I want her […]

I’ve lived in intentional community here at Jesus People USA for the past thirty six years and counting. And I’m going to say it. Sometimes I just hate community. Yes, I mean it. Community is the place where people you’ve lived with for decades still have a peculiar knack for getting on your last nerve. Community is where some cheerful […]

So. Anthony Weiner is in the news again. The first time his sexting scandal made the news, I began writing this column but stopped in order to adopt a gentler tone. This time around, after it was revealed he continued sexting and sending nude photos to various women well after the initial scandal cost him his job, I have decided […]