Inappropriate Conversations

1) Abortion is not murder.  2) Abortion is a bad thing.  3) Human beings are a species in no danger of extinction.  4) You can stop abortion only by eliminating the demand, not the supply.  5) The immorality of abortion will not be reduced by making the practice stringently illegal. Different Drummer: Tony Kaye

Perhaps we have too much of a black-and-white perspective on what Martin Luther King, Jr. was saying when he urged us to elevate "content of character" above "color of skin" in his 1963 speech.  No doubt, he was talking about racial injustice, but our insensitivity is much broader than that.  It isn't any better to judge people based on other select things we disagree with or disapprove of -- like sexual behavior or political affiliation.  We must look deeper than that to find the content of someone's character. Different Drummer: Sidney Poitier

Plenty of evidence suggests that those who argue the loudest about homosexuality are not able to explain what it is.  Perhaps it is human nature to lash out in fear against things we don't understand, but that is certainly not a proper Christian response.  Bullying and marginalizing people is not what Jesus would do.  Knowing how that fact conflicts with the actions of many Christians does not make me happy. Different Drummer: Ethan and Joel Coen

Memory separates me from many of my friends and peers. It's not just that I have strong recollections of past events. I also remember at great detail some events that others do not recall at all, except perhaps with a vague sense of satisfaction or regret.  Well, if I've told you that I would remember you, I meant it. Always. Different Drummer: Alain Resnais

Where were you on September 11, 2001, when planes hit the towers in New York City?  I was facing questions about whether God is in control of all things, and how to reconcile that with acts that scream to be called "un-Godly."  My answer involves as much metaphysics as theology. In each case, possible world theory has much to do with how I understand both Providence and prayer. Different Drummer: Richard Linklater

Questions can be valuable even when we don't answer them fully or at all. In a change of pace, here are a few questions that I've mulled over in the past. Some people may find this uncomfortable. I believe facing these types of considerations will lead us to think, or at least to ponder.  Stay tuned through the end for the title track of Craig Bevan's CD, "I Think We've Made It." Different Drummer: Terry Gilliam

The realm of "the arts" is most likely to present a healthy confrontation of sex, religion, politics and culture. At times in our history, this has been a safe haven for new ideas. At other times, it has been the last stronghold against totalitarian conformity. Few artists have demonstrated this better than this week's different drummer. He is a filmmaker who mercilessly skewered self-righteous religiosity and stood up against fascism as boldly as any soldier. Different Drummer: Luis Bunuel