They’re moving to fire the hijab-wearing professor

And there are all kinds of reasons that it’s wrong for Wheaton College to treat Dr. Larycia Hawkins that way. I write about it here, for Patheos.

Once more with feeling: I stand with Larycia Hawkins

I wrote this for Patheos. And thank you, Dilshad, for giving me the opportunity.

Let’s not lie about Mary any more

Mary wasn’t a meek and frightened woman. She was fierce. From Patheos: Yes, she is startled by the presence of the angel.  So were Gideon, Jacob, Jonah, and the shepherds of Bethlehem, to name a few, they who, like Mary, questioned the angel in wonder, doubt, and even resistance.  They are noted for their reluctance.  …

Is there no such thing as cultural appropriation?

Mike the Heathen sends this, a Patheos article by Tom Swiss that includes: I am being politically incorrect again, but I find that there are few more wrong and infuriating notions than “cultural appropriation.” It is ahistorical, ignoring the way in which ideas diffuse across cultures. And it is ontologically confused, believing that ideas are …

When someone says “I’ll pray for you….”

…and you’re not a believer, here are some appropriate responses from Peter Mosley at Patheos. This comes from an earlier conversation I had with Dan Blinn, lawyer, humanist, and a hell of a good guy. My reaction to someone who says “I’ll pray for you” is to respond “And I shall pray for you,” and …

God n’ the Air Force n’ stuff

Is it all about religious freedom? Or freedom to practice (or not) as one sees fit? Some GOP lawmakers say the Air Force is hostile to religion. In response, I love this, an examination of the Air Force and religious freedom, from Jason Pitzl-Waters, at Patheos. Real religious freedom starts when groups stop twisting the …

A parable for our time:

David Henson’s “The Parable of the Three Slaves: An Occupy Tale.”