Did you hear about the interview with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Trevor Noah podcast, in which he admits that if he had grown up in Gaza, he might have joined in Hamas’ massacre of Israelis on October 7th, 2023? Publicising his new book, The Message, on Trevor Noah’s podcast, US writer Ta-Nehisi Coates –… Continue reading Ta-Nehisi Coates and moral relativity
Category: Social Issues
An uncommon pariah in an unsafe world
There’s a line from my memoir that goes like this: “Christians are called to be pariahs, to go against the ways of this world. But I am a special kind of pariah.” It refers to the biblical mandate that Christians are to be “not of this world.” Gospel values are always going to make us… Continue reading An uncommon pariah in an unsafe world
The search for an “authentic self” is just making us miserable
I found this article from Quillette, “You Can’t Buy An Authentic Self” by Freya India, interesting at a personal level. It speaks about a generation that grew up with social media influence more intimately than mine did; specifically, a subset that is being told they can “become their authentic self” through artificial means like gender… Continue reading The search for an “authentic self” is just making us miserable
Horrified but distracted. Empathetic but numb.
While a terrorist group attacked innocent civilians at a concert in Israel, I was probably sleeping. At seven weeks pregnant – the size of my first baby when she was discovered lifeless in my womb at eleven weeks – I was dealing with a fair amount of personal anxiety. And nausea. On a progesterone supplement… Continue reading Horrified but distracted. Empathetic but numb.
Losing the sting of death
In a recent article for Christianity Today, Ewan C. Goligher writes about the increase of physician-assisted suicides in Canada: Grounding the freedom to be killed in the right to life might seem counterintuitive, but the court reasoned that the criminal prohibition on physician-assisted death could force “some individuals to take their own lives prematurely, for… Continue reading Losing the sting of death
Where faith meets climate change
My period of spiritual deconstruction is behind me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still experience doubt. It’s still there, clinging to the edges of my prayers, but usually harmless enough that I can ignore them. Other times, I can’t: especially when news reports about climate change continue to prophecy doom and gloom about the… Continue reading Where faith meets climate change
Post-Roe thoughts from the messy political middle
Being in the political middle is messy as it is lonely. I don’t have mutual respect for both dominant parties in the United States; I despise them both for a myriad for reasons (don't worry, I have great love for my Democrat and Republican friends). Voting for the last few years has been a stomach-churning… Continue reading Post-Roe thoughts from the messy political middle
Overturning Roe isn’t enough to eradicate a culture of death
Does anyone care what I think about the increasingly likely possibility of overturning Roe v. Wade? Likely not. I’m admittedly quite hesitant to add my voice to all the noise on the internet right now. In my social media feeds, I see two prevailing perspectives: one from conservatives who are celebrating, and one from liberals… Continue reading Overturning Roe isn’t enough to eradicate a culture of death
What the banning of “Maus” says about us
I knew after reading the introduction to Dara Horn’s People Love Dead Jews that I would end up blogging about it. Actually, I knew it after just reading the description on the book jacket: Often asked by major publications to write on subjects related to Jewish culture—and increasingly in response to a recent wave of… Continue reading What the banning of “Maus” says about us
When it’s okay (and necessary) to be silent
I used to think that anyone who stayed silent about trending topics simply didn’t care about them. I’d scan Facebook after mass shootings, the killings of unarmed black men, or after Donald Trump said something distasteful, and see who was calling it out. Who was using their platform to pay homage, increase awareness, or correct… Continue reading When it’s okay (and necessary) to be silent