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A conversation with Teresa MacBain on her move from pastoring Christians to guiding the formation of godless communities at Harvard.

As many have noted, Pope Francis’s latest interview offers a refreshing departure from his predecessors despite, among other things, the pope’s dubious perspective on women. But rather than more emphasis on Good Pope Francis, there’s another upside to wish for.

Despite the fact that, like Buddhism, Islam prohibits murder, the two are treated quite differently when it comes to its adherents committing acts of violence.

How do we balance King’s dream with McNair’s nightmare in our supposedly post-racial and now-digital age? We still live in a country of freedom dreams and violent nightmares.

Which side in Egypt is currently on the side of the angels and which not? One likes to assume that in any, particularly political, conflict the good guys can be easily separated from the bad guys; ordinarily the former is assumed to play by the rules of the game…

We gathered in protest because Eddie Fox has been a forceful voice admonishing the United Methodist Church to maintain its current positions on homosexuality—that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” The UMC position denies non-celibate LGBT people ordination while refusing to bless their loving relationships, and forbids its clergy to officiate at same-sex weddings.

Just as the revelation that Teresa MacBain falsely represented her educational background shouldn’t become an excuse for atheist bashing, neither is it acceptable to act as if attending DDS would have drastically altered MacBain’s path—though of course that is always a possibility.

Just a couple months before Pope Benedict resigned, I was informed by the Vatican that he had expelled me from the priesthood because of my public support for the ordination of women. As a Catholic priest for 40 years, this was very difficult and painful.

Soon, many optimistic, not to say naïve, Catholics—and Protestants—are going to be shocked to learn that the kindly new Pope Francis has excommunicated an Australian priest…

What seemed to propel the confusion saturating the media’s initial coverage of Aaron Alexis was the role of religion and, more specifically, the profile on Buddhists. Why would a reporter expect a person of another religion to “pick up a weapon and kill twelve people,” but not a Buddhist?