on holy innocents: King Herod and Uncle Sam
Today the church remembers and honors the Holy Innocents: the male toddlers slaughtered by King Herod in his attempt to kill Jesus, the newborn king who threatened Herod politically (or so he thought) by his mere existence.
As recorded by St. Matthew:
Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, . . .
Trump's inauguration: his call for jihad
the perpetuation of unChristian American exceptionalism
Along with much of the world, I watched this morning as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. We watched with baited breath, wondering what he would say and how he would act after such a divisive and vitriolic election. We wondered if he would seek to unite America and be a harbinger of peace to the world or if . . .
our illegal was against ISIS
why Congress and the President need to take accountability
As a chaplain, I’m a theologian, not a lawyer. But as a commissioned officer, I’m also trained in military strategy, political science, and the ins-and-outs of making war. I have master’s degrees in both theology and military science but not law. Clearly, I am more interested in the philosophy of war—especially the notion of a just war—than I . . .
refugees: when theology and patriotism conflict
Since the horrendous terrorist attacks in Paris last weekend, calls for stopping the proposed admission of Syrian refugees to the United States have reached a deafening roar. Over half of all state governors have released statements defending their right to refuse entry to any refugees the United States admits into its borders. Numerous . . .
pastor, France is not Serbia
thoughts on violence and terrorism
In the wake of the horrific terror attacks in Paris on Friday, Christian pastors had a difficult situation to face last Sunday.
- All rightly called out these evil deeds for what they were
- Most rightly pointed out that Christianity also has its share of sinful atrocities in its past
- Some wrongly placed Christian . . .
