Back in 2005, I wrote an essay entitled “Shame as a Political Virtue.” [1] It began as follows: I was standing in
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As a Christian pastor, I knew I had to speak out when I saw the shocking pictures from Abu Ghraib surfaced in 2004 and suggested the existence of the U.S. torture program. Since I first saw them, I’ve partnered with
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I woke up this morning with little to no sleep, reading the headlines and watching videos about the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States. I woke up this morning to tweets and Instagram posts from queer people scared that their marriage will be
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As the 2020 Presidential election quickly approaches, it is more critical than ever that we take action to reclaim the values and promise of our electoral process. Since a 2013 Supreme Court ruling gutted the Voting Rights Act, voter suppression has been on the rise and has denied voting rights
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The Administration has just submitted its budget proposal to Congress. Months of negotiation and compromises will follow. The proposal in itself deserves moral evaluation. Every budget-- whether it is that of a business, a family, or a church-- contains many moral decisions. All human social creations
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As a Christian pastor, I knew I had to speak out when I saw the shocking pictures from Abu Ghraib surfaced in 2004 and suggested the existence of the U.S. torture program. Since I first saw them, I’ve partnered with others in the local faith community to raise awareness about
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I was sitting in the chapel last Wednesday between two women and we got to the hymn “For Everyone Born,” which somehow finds “justice and joy” in a verse where “abuser, abused, with need to forgive” have “a place at the table” (in Glory to God #769). One woman walked
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Taking the High Ground in Texas Texas is not generally a swing state, though if congressional and state representation districts were drawn differently, more states would have fewer permanent incumbents. Until the Electoral College is eliminated, the votes of some states will be valued more highly than those in other
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The Voice of a Congregation on Faith & Politics: Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church, Pearl River, NY In the brief statement that follows, a congregation first lifts up key values—not policies or positions—and then calls out divisive rhetoric. They go to scriptural themes and the Book of Confessions. We would note the
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“I believe you.” We should never underestimate the power of these words. What’s more, God calls us, as people of faith, to speak these words in our relationships and our larger communities. Though voiced aloud, the words “I believe you” are not solely a verbal statement. They represent a posture
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Since you are reading Unbound, I suspect you are appalled, as I am, by the prospect of a Trump presidency, and that you are going to vote for Hillary Clinton on November 8. According to the binary logic of American electoral politics, the only way to stop Trump is to
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Back in 2005, I wrote an essay entitled “Shame as a Political Virtue.” [1] It began as follows: I was standing in the checkout line at Blockbuster Video and couldn’t help but notice two young boys running wild near by. One of them ran beside a shelf with toys on
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