current events

The Gift of the Other by Joshua Casteel
This essay comes from a military soldier in Iraq Using Derrida he reflects on how we construct notions of "others" in order to justify our own selves and use them as scapegoats.

Catholic Bishop Botean's Pastoral Letter on Iraq
This letter calls on all Christians to refuse to participate in this war and calls it a grave moral evil to participate in the attack on Iraq. This is a shining moment in Catholic thought.

Flagolatry: The Golden Calf Returns by Nekeisha Alexis-Manners
Commentary on the relationship between the prevalence of the American flag as a response to the September 11 tragedy and the Golden Calf of the Old Testament. Explores the impact of this idolatry on the church.

Anti-Globalization: A Small Critique by Andrew Baker
What can Christians offer the anti-globalization movement without being co-opted?

Blurring the lines between the Church and the World by Andrew Baker
This essay focuses on the new bombing campaign and argues that the US government is trying to blur the lines between the church and the world.

Democracy, Idealism, and Messianism by Andrew Baker
This essay focuses on how our culture claims to know truth and how it is characterizes dissent, especially Christian dissent.

Lights, Cameras, Bombs! by Andrew Baker
An essay on the media's portrayal of the September 11 attacks. Discussing the parallels to movie blockbusters and Christ's own story.

Reflections on Attacks on the World Trade Center by Andrew Baker
Reflections on the recent attacks in New York City and Washington DC. Calling Christians to examine themselves and their complicity in the causes of the attacks. Also calls Christians to live free from necessary evil.

Society of Propaganda by Andrew Baker
This essay argues that Americas response as a society to the challenges of Sept.11, 2001 is an attempt to integrate it's citizens and the rest of the world into the American way of life.

The Spiritual Reason for the War by Andrew Baker
This essay argues that the real significance of the warfare being carried out is that it is an attempt by the "Prince of this World" to tempt the church to bow to it's violence in the same way that the devil attempted to get Jesus to bow to him in Luke 4.

The Cruel and the Unusual by Andrew Baker
Would attacking Iraq be less violent than the sanctions?

What Legitimacy? Which Rationality?: A Reply from Nobody to George Bush’s Address to the UN September 12, 2002 by Andrew Baker
Uses the criterion set forth by George Bush for evaluating the legitimacy of the Iraqi regime to evaluate the legitimacy of the United States (according to it's own criterion)

Why the Church Should NOT Support Stopping Bombing During Ramadan by Andrew Baker
Essay which argues that Christians should not use Ramadan as a religious reason to call for a halt to warmaking.

A Soldier's Quest for Truth by Justin Combs
Justin wrote a brief statement for the Jesus Radicals website about why he has applied for conscientious objector status with the US Army, where he has been employed for the past 8 years. There are certainly risks involved with such an application in this time we live in. But Justins new faith in Jesus Christ has convinced him that such humiliations and risks are light in comparison with the eternal weight of glory he has found in Jesus Christ.

A Church Divided Unites Under The Wrong Flag by Paul Dordal
A New York pastor argues that the church is on the fringe of society, marginalized in the current crises for it's rejection of violence and love of enemies.

Just War - Or A Just War? Some thoughts on Christians and the Iraq war by James Patton
The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that the recent war in Iraq clearly does not meet the criteria for a "just war" in the Christian tradition, and to briefly suggest alternatives to war that the church could support.

A Christian is an American No More by Timothy L. Price
Timothy Price responds to the claim that it is morally justified for Americans to attack Iraq

Against Political Activism by Believers to Curb the Trend of Moral Decay in America: Response to a Christian Radio Show by Timothy L. Price
Timothy Price answers conservatives who call for Christians participation in politics to curb perceived"moral decline" in America by calling for the exact opposite.

Violence of Absolutes: Truth, God, Nonviolence and Other Idols by Jarrod Saul McKenna
Activists run the risk of becoming similar in there world views to that of Bush or Bin Laden when holding uncritically to constructs or frameworks. Australian Peace Activist, Artist and Youth Pastor Jarrod Saul McKenna reflects on his experiences while protesting at the U.S. military base in outback Australia.

An Open Letter to George W. Bush by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
This letter to George Bush calls on him to repent of his blasphemy.

Call to Christian Citizens: Excommunicate and Impeach George W. Bush by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
For the love of God, neighbor, church and country, Christians in America ought to both excommunicate George W. Bush from Christian communion and move to impeach him from an office he has abused. That we cannot do either of these is a demonstration of our inability to love an immoral brother and a misguided country in the way Christ calls us to love. It is a failure of both Christian compassion and true patriotism. The only proper response to such sin is repentance. We must humbly ask God to be merciful to us.