What does social justice look like from the perspective of a secular humanist? In this interview, I consider this question with writer and humanist activist Sincere Kirabo. Mr. Kirabo is the former social justice coordinator at the American Humanist Association and the lead organizer for the 2018 Secular Social Justice Conference. He continues to work […]
social justice
Would you support a Muslim charity if it was more effective than a Christian one?
Here’s the situation I’d like to pose to my fellow Christians: when engaged in charitable giving, do you value the Christian status of an organization over the efficiency of that organization? And if so, by how much? That’s the general question, but now let me dress it up with some specifics. A terrible earthquake with […]
Omran and the Angels of Aleppo
The other day I came across this image via Peter S. Williams’ Twitter feed. Very moved by this amazing picture by the artist Judith Mehr, who wanted to depict Omran from Aleppo in the care of angels. pic.twitter.com/heDO12Y7x5 — Paula Gooder (@paulargooder) December 16, 2016 This is a fascinating picture which juxtaposes a contemporary viral […]
And Now for a Word From Banksy
I just combined my favorite Banksy work with my favorite Banksy quote.
All Lives Matter. But Black Lives Still Matter.
Jones says “Black lives matter.” Smith replies “All lives matter” in a not-so-subtle rebuke. Apparently Smith was interpreting Jones as saying “Only black lives matter.” Such a response suggests to me that Smith has a tin ear. Jones is surely not saying “Only black lives matter.” Rather, Jones is saying “Black lives matter too.” Or, more fully, “Black lives matter just as much […]
I don’t want your money. I just want you to save the world.
If you visit other blogs, you will likely encounter ads like this: And this: I understand why bloggers include ads like this. Blogging is hard work and padding your articles with some click bait on the edges provides a modest revenue stream. I have always declined to pad my articles with click bait, despite the […]
Mother Teresa said we find Jesus in the poor. Was she right?
I grew up thinking that salvation consisted of praying a sinner’s prayer. I assumed that Paul had clarified that issue for posterity when he observed, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9) As a result, […]
The 99 percent don’t have dreadlocks or nose rings
The other day my wife and I were at Planet Organic (a health food supermarket) when I grabbed a hemp bag off the rack, began dancing comically to an imaginary bongo drum, and chanting “We are the 99 percent.” It was then, in that moment of candor and mockery, that I realized the Occupy Wall […]
Have you faced down any tanks lately?
I saw the Clint Eastwood film “Pink Cadillac” on June 4, 1989. But I don’t remember a thing about the film except that it was a comedy of sorts and it included a pink Cadillac. What I do remember came after the film. I said goodbye to my friends and walked out to my car. It […]