“It is the will of God that we must have critics, and missionaries, and Congressmen, and humorists, and we must bear the burden.” —Mark Twain Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion” aired every weekend on 600 NPR stations with 4 million…
The Follies of Document Fundamentalism
At Tea Party gatherings pocket Constitutions are handed out as eagerly as the Gideons distribute New Testaments on my campus every year. The message is clear: read God’s word and you will be redeemed, or read the Constitution and the…
In praise of all beings with hearts and minds
About 500 protesters (including 30 counter demonstrators) gathered near the office of Planned Parenthood in Pullman, Washington on last Saturday morning. Those who were interviewed by the local newspaper were repeating arguments that have been discredited. Contrary to their claims,…
Kansas Has the Red State Blues; Will Idaho Catch It?
“Kansas’ tax cut was among the worst tax policy decisions of all time.” —Forbes (July 2, 2015) The GOP presidential candidates are bringing out the Gipper to solve the nation’s economic problems. Those who worship Ronald Reagan repeat the now…
Planned Parenthood broke no laws, but anti-abortionists may have
Millions of Americans have donated their organs for transplantation; or, alternatively, they have offered their entire bodies for medical research. For the latter many universities and private companies contract to pay for funeral expenses, and hospitals generally charge $100-500 to…
Pope Francis, unbridled capitalism and the destruction of the environment
Pope Francis’ recent encyclical about the dangers of human-caused climate change has received mixed reviews across the world. The pope criticizes conservative politicians for their “cowardice” in resisting the overwhelming evidence that God’s creation is “being pillaged, laid waste and…
Moscow’s Christ Church, Neo-Confederates, and tolerance
Reader Columnist Many people have the misconception that those who take issue with Moscow pastor Douglas Wilson’s Christ Church, Logos School, and New St. Andrews College (NSA) are condemning their religious beliefs. For me and many others this is…