(Originally written July 22, 2019 on my Facebook profile. Reblogged here with minor edits. Thoughts on “actually existing” Communism and the “no true Scotsman objection from those who insist that those failed attempts at communism weren’t really communism. Here’s the thing about “No True Scotsman.” Everyone uses terminologies for ideological systems, but there is a […]
On my mind in the wee hours: How can humanity avert the looming ecocide – the collapse of the very systems that allow us to feed ourselves? Without the ability to produce food at a global scale, we are doomed. This is only one leading sign of the crises at hand. The main possibility that […]
My faith and ministerial calling is deeply tied to the city of Chicago. I have lived here twice. First as a young Pentecostal preacher’s kid from the age of 8 to 14. Moving to Chicago from a small downstate town of about 3000 meant culture shock and challenges. It also meant grand new horizons […]
“Jesus of Nazareth was a free man in his own life, who attracted followers and created enemies according to the dynamics of personality and in a manner comparable to the effect of other liberated persons in history upon people about them. He died as a result of the threat that such a free man poses […]
A summary of my current understanding of Jesus is that he made possible the downfall of Roman imperialism using the traditions of Judaism as a source for a revolutionary social ethic and a liberating community. This is expressed most succinctly in the third gospel (“Luke”): “The poor are favored, because the divine government will belong […]
“Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its law. This is our great covenant: To dwell together in peace, To seek the truth in love, And to help one another.” James Vila Blake (Singing the Living Tradition hymnal reading #473) In many Unitarian Universalist congregations each Sunday words similar to the above […]
(I created the first version of this essay in September of 2012. This update is a re-affirmation of the original, while also revising and extending some of the original wording, as well as making it more suitable for a sermon.) Emma Goldman, historic anarchist writer, is supposed to have said something along the lines of, “If I can’t dance, […]
THE INFINITE DEPTHS OF RADICAL LOVE Everyday a new horror arises to haunt one’s soul. Death, suffering, and powerlessness challenge even the strongest hearts. The struggle to hold on to hope, courage, and life itself must be won anew against each shocking sorrow. It is no wonder that many turn from facing the depths of the […]
Archive of my social theory blog: Radical Progress
This link will take you to my current active blog: Radical Righteous Love @ LeftistQuaker.wordpress.com
For a few years I have been creating an unscripted, informal webcast on activism, spirituality, and community. I have a small archive of the most recent episodes, so please check them out. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrlove
Radical Righteous Love 