Theology & the City

In a remarkably candid exchange with young people in Barcelona's Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium June 9, Pope Leo XIV reflected on depression, su***de and the pressures of modern life, warning that many modern societies have embraced a vision of progress that burdens people with expectations and demands that undermine their well-being.

"It is important to recognize how mental health is increasingly threatened in societies that consider themselves advanced," he said, calling it a sign that "there is something deeply wrong" with a culture centered on constant performance and productivity.

📸 (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

A while back, I was on a flight and ended up sitting next to a woman in a Turning Point USA shirt.

She lived in Wimberley and had a bunch of pet goats. Not in a practical ranching sort of way. More in a wealthy, eccentric, “I own decorative livestock and probably have opinions about artisanal cheese” kind of way.

Before we even hit cruising altitude, she proudly informed me that it was Charlie Kirk’s birthday.

Then she told me she was a Christian.

So, out of curiosity, I asked a couple questions.

I asked when the last time she had actually read the Bible was.

Her answer?

“When I was a little girl.”

Then I asked if she knew what a heretic was.

She didn’t.

Now, to be fair, I’m not saying someone needs a theology degree to call themselves Christian. Plenty of deeply faithful people aren’t scholars.

But if Christianity is central to your identity — if it informs your politics, morality, and worldview — shouldn’t there be some relationship with the actual text?

Shouldn’t there be at least a passing familiarity with the ideas?

Anyway, somewhere after she downed a couple more glasses of wine — and for context, I usually don’t drink on return flights because I drive myself to the airport and have to drive home — the conversation took a turn.

What started as awkward political small talk became insults.

Then she told me she wanted to choke me.

And honestly, the interaction has stuck with me ever since because it felt like such a strange metaphor for something happening in America right now.

For a lot of people, Christianity has become less of a faith practice and more of an identity.

It’s merch.

It’s branding.

It’s politics wrapped in moral certainty.

It’s cultural affiliation disguised as spirituality.

Not scripture.

Not humility.

Not loving your neighbor.

Not the hard parts of Jesus’ teachings — forgiveness, compassion, caring for people on the margins, self-reflection, or extending grace to people you disagree with.

Just certainty.

Outrage.

And vibes.

And look, disagree with me politically all you want. That’s fine.

But when someone says Christianity is the foundation of who they are, hasn’t read the Bible since childhood, doesn’t know basic religious concepts, and then threatens violence over a disagreement…

At some point, it’s fair to ask:

Is this faith?

Or is it culture-war cosplay with a cross necklace?

Because those are not the same thing.

American Christians Face a Choice

A Turning Point for Conservative Women

New England UMC Conference is in the rearview mirror (thank you for representing us, Eileen!) and Silence Broken is headed back home for the Louisiana UMC Conference in Baton Rouge and the Association of Professional Chaplains Conference in New Orleans. If you or someone you know is attending, consider this your official invitation to stop by our table and see us!

As polyamory gains visibility, monogamy faces a vote in the Presbyterian Church (USA)

This billboard will greet approximately 20,000 Southern Baptists arriving in Orlando for the SBC Annual Meeting next week, where the role and value of women in the church will be debated once again.

We want every Baptist woman to know that God calls women to ministry and always has.

Our prayer is that this witness of hope, freedom, and abundant life reaches those who need it most.

Texas Representative James Talarico challenged a foundational pillar of the American religious right, asserting that the equation of Christian faith with opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights has no solid historical, theological, or biblical foundation. Talarico's statement is supported by the Southern Baptist Convention's own record: the denomination passed a pro-abortion resolution in 1971, praised the Roe v. Wade decision through its own press service in 1973, and did not adopt a firmly anti-abortion position until a conservative faction seized control in the 1980s.

📷: Getty