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Archive: Jason Poling
Hope for middle ground
As our society continues to debate the abortion issue, we certainly don't need to wait until we reach consensus on the broader question of their morality to agree on some improvements to current practices.
By Jason Poling | March 1, 2011; 12:35 PM ET | Comments (1)
Which First comes first?
In many ways the question boils down to whether one prioritizes the First Amendment ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof") or the First Commandment ("You shall have no other gods before me.") Many cultures have a difficult time reconciling the two. But a truly secular posture allows the two to coexist not just harmoniously but in a mutually respectful way.
By Jason Poling | February 16, 2011; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (5)
American idolatry?
At the end of the day, none of us -- from the president to a lowly pastor -- can expect that the depths of human brokenness will not cause us to suffer violent harm.
By Jason Poling | January 10, 2011; 10:33 PM ET | Comments (0)
...and let it begin with me
Jesus said, "Whatever you did for the least of these," not "Whatever you made your neighbor do for the least of these." There's a difference.
By Jason Poling | December 13, 2010; 06:37 PM ET | Comments (7)
He loves us, but not that way
I feel quite confident from my limited theological insight, and even more limited knowledge of history, that God is not in any sort of special covenant relationship with our nation. The Founding Fathers were a bit more modest, seeking only to establish a more perfect union. A century and a half of reality will do that to dreams.
By Jason Poling | November 30, 2010; 01:47 PM ET | Comments (0)
What is the role of conscience?
The broader question is whether we as a society will choose to be gracious, open-hearted, respectful of those whose views differ from our own--or use the blunt instrument of legislative power to crush conscience.
By Jason Poling | November 17, 2010; 12:15 AM ET | Comments (6)
With a grain of salt (and light)
I don't believe it's outside the realm of possibility that God would call somebody to run for office; in fact, a friend of mine came to that conclusion through an extensive process of prayer and discernment with other people he trusted and respected. He lost in the primary.
By Jason Poling | October 5, 2010; 11:10 PM ET | Comments (2)
Beck has his own theological perversions
It is passing strange for Glenn Beck to describe President Obama's theological views as a "perversion of the gospel" given his conversion to Mormonism. Mormon theology is irreconcilably at odds with orthodox Christian theology at several crucial points.
By Jason Poling | August 30, 2010; 11:54 AM ET | Comments (19)
Ask Muslims for help with image problem
Rauf should say, "Right now more than 2/3 of Americans are against this project I'm trying to make happen. Not all of them are ignorant bigots. We need to stop giving the ones who aren't reasons to agree with the ones who are."
By Jason Poling | August 23, 2010; 06:43 PM ET | Comments (3)
Shouldn't be prevented, but shouldn't be built either
In most Muslim-majority countries Christians are severely restricted in their efforts to build and establish new churches, often by means of bureaucratic resistance and the unfair application of zoning codes. Those of us who speak out against this sort of injustice can hardly endorse the same.
By Jason Poling | July 19, 2010; 02:40 PM ET | Comments (11)
Take terrorists at their word
There have been people and movements that may be accurately described as "Jewish terrorists" or "Christian terrorists." It is up to those of us who represent those traditions to make it clear why their beliefs and actions are contrary to the faith for which they claim to militate.
By Jason Poling | July 12, 2010; 07:03 PM ET | Comments (2)
The moral imperative to win
The Taliban are not the Nazis; they are if anything a far less evolved version of the phenomenon. But there are enough similarities -- aggression, genocide, deception, abuse of religion, megalomania -- that I feel very comfortable making the moral judgment that the civilized world was in the right when they decided to bring the smack down, to make it clear to them and to those like them that there is no place for that kind of organized hostility.
By Jason Poling | June 29, 2010; 11:44 AM ET | Comments (4)
The heart is deceitful above all things
I think it is incumbent upon the civilized peoples of the world to give long and careful consideration to whether they are acting, speaking and thinking in accord with deeply ingrained, and deeply immoral, prejudice and hostility against the Jewish people.
By Jason Poling | June 8, 2010; 01:14 PM ET | Comments (5)
Sometimes a mistake is just a mistake
The only religious issue here is for those who placed too much faith in human technology. Quite often it turns out we're not nearly as smart as we think we are, and our mistakes are far more destructive than we think they'll be. This phenomenon is not confined to oil wells.
By Jason Poling | June 1, 2010; 11:56 AM ET | Comments (2)
Immigration issue uncovers new biblical literalists
The Bible passages that speak to hospitality to immigrants are specifically directed to a people who had experienced slavery and alienation. For another, they were part of the process of providing a legislative framework for a theocratic nation-state.
By Jason Poling | May 25, 2010; 11:16 PM ET | Comments (1)
OMG, they chilled Kenny!
I would hope that the appropriate authorities are taking all necessary steps to investigate the bastards that are threatening violence against the creators and producers of South Park. We can only be free to exercise good judgment if we're also free to exercise bad judgment.
By Jason Poling | May 4, 2010; 08:39 AM ET | Comments (1)
Maybe not unconstitutional, but pointless
I have always been surprised that the very people for whom prayer is usually specific, personal, vigorous and theologically rich are the same ones agitating for public prayers that are necessarily general, impersonal, lukewarm and theologically vapid.
By Jason Poling | April 26, 2010; 03:38 PM ET | Comments (4)
Methinks Jim Wallis doth protest too much
Anyone who has the barest familiarity with the way different Christian movements are described knows full well that "social justice" is a recognizable and widely used catchphrase for a certain subset of the Christian family.
By Jason Poling | April 15, 2010; 05:04 PM ET | Comments (2)
Church and media can do better
There are plenty of exceptions but on the whole most people working in the mainstream media tend to see things differently from how Pope Benedict sees them. I have a hard time believing that has nothing to do with what appears to be a "blood in the water" frenzy.
By Jason Poling | April 7, 2010; 01:05 AM ET | Comments (8)
Do we expect the Holy Father to do a perp walk?
it appears this Pope is trying to work through a problem that was not adequately addressed by previous regimes. In as large an organization as the Roman Catholic Church, with its dense network of power relationships.
By Jason Poling | March 26, 2010; 09:20 PM ET | Comments (7)
A crisis of faith is one thing, a rejection of faith another
Doubt keeps us honest; it protects us from naïve arrogance. Faith, likewise, protects us from despairing unbelief. It's not dishonest for someone who is struggling with a particular theological point to still affirm wholeheartedly the Creed of his tradition because he has continued to identify himself with that tradition and in a sense to submit himself to it as he works through his difficulties.
By Jason Poling | March 16, 2010; 03:47 PM ET | Comments (3)
A more excellent way
Do we want to be the kind of society that tramples on one person's conscience in order to promote another person's agenda? Would it not be more civilized, more tolerant, more gracious for us as citizens to respect the consciences of our neighbors?
By Jason Poling | March 10, 2010; 02:02 PM ET | Comments (8)
