Honest Patriotism
Issues of Active Citizenship, Social Critique, and Public Witness
The explosive #MeToo phenomenon which took over social media last week highlights our long tolerance and enabling of an intolerable, systematic abuse of power. We must not take for granted the honest witness of millions of women (and some other survivors of abuse as well) speaking truth in the
More
The following draft resolution is open to comment [HERE] through Thanksgiving Day, 11/23/2017. The Advisory Committee for Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) will present a final version at the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2018. Honest Patriotism Faced with an unprecedented crisis of public dishonesty and chauvinistic
More
In this issue, “Honest Patriotism,” Unbound will challenge widespread assumptions regarding what it really means to love one’s country. This opening editorial introduces the concept of honest patriotism; examines its practical implications; and closes with a hymn that, for Managing Editor Henry K. Stone, represents patriotism at its logical and
More
Editor’s Note: While Barbara Newman’s work is focused on the deliberate inclusion of people with various needs based on ability, the principle of deliberate inclusion can be applied more broadly to cover any time when one group of people might otherwise feel excluded based on how the activities of the
More
What do church buildings, nations, and marriages have in common? They all need to leave a sacred space for divergent opinions. Lots of things happen in sacred spaces. Janitors clean churches up after big events, like weddings, funerals, or the occasional Baptism, Easter and Christmas services. Often they are quiet
More
Seeking Honesty at Thanksgiving For many Americans, the word “Thanksgiving” brings warm feelings of family, of food, and of altogether unqualified enjoyment. It is a time when it seems we can put the worries of the world on the shelf, simply celebrating life, love, and community. Growing up, we are
More
Resisting the Creed of Greed (Part I) This piece largely treats the House and Senate versions of GOP tax redistribution as one “vision”. Click HERE for a breakdown of the House and Senate version differences as of mid-November.[1] At publication, each bill has passed its respective house—only the reconciliation process
More
Resisting the Creed of Greed (Part II) Click Here for Part I’s indictment of those pushing through the current tax plan. The short answer to the current Administration’s tax cut proposal is: “No.” The plan is just a way to reward greed and not to build up our country’s economy.
More
From Chicago 1968 to Today The brilliant PBS series The Vietnam War, produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, has been well reviewed and captured the attention of the viewing public—at least the segment of the viewing public that watches PBS. The series provides important context, especially about how the
More
Connecting back to last issue’s theme, Defending the Common Good, Sue Smith challenges the current position of the church in discussions surrounding issues of climate change, fossil fuels, and financial investment. As with all scenarios of potential divestment, the perceived advantage of “a seat at the table” is weighed against
More
Past and Future Measures to Challenge Coercive Sexism. An earlier piece by Managing Editor Henry Koenig Stone addressed the call of Christians to engage individually with the MeToo movement and fight to reduce sexual harassment and abuse in the United States through critical self-awareness: “Choosing Vulnerability in the Wake of
More
Christians need to be careful with the phrase “bully pulpit,” a phrase often applied to the presidency. One is tempted to say, “bully, yes; pulpit, no.” It is hard to see any “pulpit” of stable moral authority undergirding the current Administration. Rather, we see the marketing of assertions and even
More
Unbound Social