When Susan Struck was 23, she volunteered as an Air Force nurse in Vietnam. Before she signed on, she was warned that if she became pregnant she would be automatically discharged. When she arrived in Vietnam, she started dating an…
Look What the Virgin Birth has Wrought
The doctrine of the Virgin Birth is a slur on natural motherhood. —Elizabeth Cady Stanton, The Woman’s Bible I’ve been studying the world religions for about 55 years, and early on I discovered patterns in the birth stories that I…
Busting some myths about Portugal’s greatest hero
I will be taking a trip to Portugal next month, and I plan to see all the major sites in Lisbon. A number of them are dedicated to Vasco da Gama, the navigator who “discovered” the sea route to India.…
Women of the Revolution: Soldiers, Spies, and Resisters
“We possess a spirit that will not be conquered. Should we be attacked, you will find a race of Amazons in America.” —Abigail Adams to John Adams (9/20/1776) For some time now I have stopped using the phrase “Founding Fathers”…
The ‘logic’ of anti-abortion extremism ain’t pretty
“It is absurd to call a fertilized ovum a baby.” —Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain Only just recently pro-lifers have argued that abortions should be allowed up to the point when the fetus feels pain, or when a heart beat can be detected.…
Does Mike Pence have the patience of Job?
“I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create evil. Photo illustration by Ben Olson. I the Lord do all these things.” —Isaiah 45:7 (KJV) “God moves and actuates all in all, thus he moves and acts…
A short history of religious violence in Sri Lanka
“The sword is pulled from the scabbard, it is Not put back unless smeared with blood.” —from a Sri Lankan Buddhist battle song. Civilians being displaced as a result of the Sri Lanka Army’s military offensive. Courtesy photo. Over the…
A belated Easter message
Easter was late this year, and the date changes every year according to an astronomical calculation. After much controversy in the early church, it was finally decided that Easter will be on the first Sunday after the first full moon…
Being ‘woke’: Black Buddhists in America
Every year at this time I write a column about Buddhism. The Buddha’s birthday is celebrated on different days depending on the country. In Japan it is always on April 8, and due to variations in the lunar calendar, this…
The new American socialists: Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Elizabeth Warren
Nick GierLeave a Comment on The new American socialists: Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Elizabeth Warren“I believe in markets — markets that work. Markets that have a cop on the beat and have real rules, and everybody follows them.” —Sen. Elizabeth Warren Just as the Constitution demands a “well-regulated militia” to prevent vigilantism, I believe…