NPR did a series last week called “Losing Our Religion.” In this story—the only one I heard in full–the interviewees talked about their ambivalence and in some cases rejection of faith. The ones that really struck me were those who experienced suffering and untimely death in their families, and concluded that God couldn’t exist, because…
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Who Needs What?
“Why are you here?” Monsignor asked us during his homily this morning…and then fell silent. I felt the ripple of discomfort ripple across the church, beginning in my chair. We’re used to hearing rhetorical questions from the pulpit, but somehow this one sounded like a real question. He let us stew for a couple of…
Read MoreGod is in the middle
It’s tempting, because it’s so easy. We live in a culture where everything is reduced to sound bytes. A writer has one sentence to hook a reader or listener; going “in-depth” on the nightly news takes two minutes; each movie shot lasts two seconds, tops. In a sound byte, there is no time for detail,…
Read More“I Hate Church”
The other day I was listening to my WLP showcase CD in the car (I promise, this is not as geeky as it sounds; I was trying to decide if our choir could handle one of the pieces for Christmas Eve) when Alex suddenly piped up from the back seat, “Hey, Mommy, this is the…
Read MoreRighteous
The other night, Christian and I watched “Righteous Kill.” For those who aren’t familiar with it, the movie stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino as New York police officers tied up in catching a serial killer who knocks off Bad Guys who got away with their crimes. The movie starts with DeNiro, a jaded, volatile…
Read MoreFor liberals and conservatives, in an election year
This is a really thoughtful column on the strengths and weaknesses of liberalism and conservatism–particularly within the Catholic Church, but I think that the lessons apply much more broadly. It is long, but if you can take the time I think you’ll find it worthwhile. I’d post the entire text, but I’m not sure that’s…
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Kathleen M. Basi 