Troubles in Baghdad
“I’m able to reach you today from Internet café in Baghdad. I don’t have a lot of time. I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay. Everyone in my family is okay. I will write more soon.” That was a quick e-mail note
Category Archives: Society
The LGBT ‘Threat’ to Straight Marriage
Something is stirring, a sea-change is abroad in the land. It is a very exciting time to be an LGBT activist, and also a frightening time. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the sodomy laws in the 13 remaining states that had them and
Protesting Oppression Within and Without
“God ordained war! War is God’s way of punishing the wicked!” The woman with the loudspeaker shouted angry slurs at us as we attempted to hold an interfaith prayer vigil at Y-12, the nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Although there were about 120
Peace Through Pride
Peace through Pride. This is the theme for our Pride Festival and Parade in Oklahoma City this year. I have heard that many people are not excited about this theme and I saw an article in the paper the other day where a person asked,
Peace: Dreaming an Impossible Dream?
This idea of peace has been close to my heart for a long time now. Recently, while teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University, I decided to begin practicing a holiday that I hope will be widely practiced one day. I finally contacted a variety of politicians
The Gift of Free Will
Peter said, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy over money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted
A Warm Place in the Sun
I recently read Brent Coleman’s book Wounded in the Name of God, in which he dedicates the book to his dog Pepper. I find it so amazing how these creatures of God can bring so much comfort and stability to our lives, and how we
Love in a War Zone: A Journey of Peace to Iraq
Editor’s Note: Kara Speltz, 65, spent three days in Baghdad witnessing and documenting how the U.S. bombing of Iraq was affecting the country and its residents. The Iraqi government expelled her and other members of her group from the Christian Peacemakers Team for taking unauthorized
Beyond This War, and the Next: Waging Peace for the Long Haul
“The war… is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality we will find ourselves organizing clergy- and laymen-concerned committees for the next generation… We will be marching for these and a dozen other
Sorrows of War: What Would Augustine Say?
Though Augustine is widely known — and frequently reproached — for developing the concept of a “just war,” he believed war is essentially an occasion for remorse. “The wise person will wage just wars,” he wrote, but even the possibility of war “should cause humans