You know Gillian, when we spoke the other day I was so excited to think about what it means to raise children and to have a theology of family Christian Education. This project I am working on helping parents define just such a thing has been a powerful experience for me. Working within the tenets [...]
Posts from ‘March, 2010’
Where’s the “dictatorship of relativism”?
In a March 28 article on the present plight of the Pope and priestly pedophilia (wow, I didn’t intend that alliteration!), the NEW YORK TIMES wrote: “As archbishop, Benedict expended more energy pursuing theological dissidents than sexual predators.” They’re referring to the early 80s, when Pope Benedict was Cardinal Ratzinger presiding over the diocese of Munich. [...]
Romero in the Borderlands
On Wednesday, March 24th, communities all around the world commemorated the 30 year anniversary of the assassination of Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero. Instead of spending time talking about who Romero was and why his life was significant (if you are wondering, at the bottom of this post there are a number of links to give [...]
YOUR HOLINESS, LET’S MAKE A DEAL
Your Holiness, I hope this letter somehow reaches you. I think it might help you find a way out of the mess you are in. I’m referring to the accusations being made that you allowed a priest, Fr. Peter Hullermann, who had been identified as a pedophile in the diocese of Essen back in 1980, [...]
Re: Obama, Colonialism, and Immigration Reform
Dr. Cruz, Its great to see all of these issues you’ve been raising – so much to respond to! Regarding the status of Puerto Rico – a quick read through the island’s history and current status debate drives home the glaring contradictions in our own foreign policy with China and Tibet. One of the things [...]
Re: Glenn Beck
Maybe its the longer warmer days that have me in more amicable spirits, but I couldn’t find a spark of anger when I heard Glenn Beck’s latest protest, encouraging people to leave churches that promote social justice — which all mainline churches do. You know, Peter, I want to thank Glenn Beck more than scourge [...]
Can The Real President Obama Please Stand Up!
What has happened over the past year with all of the critical issues that motivated me to campaign and vote for President Obama. One such issue is Comprehensive Immigration Reform. During the campaign I had the opportunity to meet President Barrack Obama. As I sat beside him in the conference room at BMCC in NYC, [...]
For the Vatican: “Poor Me” = Poor Response
A major part of the Vatican response to investigations into sexual abuse of minors by priests in Germany and more specifically into a sacerdotal abuser in the Munich archdiocese when Pope Benedict XVI was Archbishop Ratzinger, in charge of that diocese, has been “poor me.” The NEW YORK TIMES titled its article of March 13 [...]
Passion Allergy?
I came across a statement in Terry Eagleton’s Reason, Faith, and Revolution (highly recommended!) that rang true to my experience here at Union Theological Seminary: “Some postmodernists suspect that all certainty is authoritarian. They are nervous of people who sound passionately committed to what they say.” (p. 136) What Eagleton is saying applies, I think, [...]
Predicando en Calzoncillos
“Predicando en Calzoncillos” is a phrase my grandmother used which, literally translated, means “Preaching in Underwear.” My grandmother used this phrase to refer to the hypocrisy of preachers who did not practice what they preached. Our country, that I love, unfortunately falls into this category of hypocrisy. Although I believe that for the cause of [...]