Racism vs. Offensiveness vs. Sin: Take your pick

Let me commend to you a post and numerous comments about racism on Scot McKnight’s blog: http://www.jesuscreed.org/?p=2239.  The dialogue there centers on the issue of stereotypes, racism, and using another’s characteristics for humor. One interesting point of dialogue caught my eye: Could using another’s ethnic identity be offensive without being racist?
If being an offense is [...]

Racial vs. racist: Is there a difference? Does it matter?

The ongoing saga of Imus’ comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team brings this difference to the surface again. Is there a difference between someone who says something racializing (and negative) and someone who says the same thing but would be identified as racist? The book, Divided by Faith addresses this if memory serves. What do [...]

Knowing your ROOTS

How important is your ethnic heritage to you? What if you knew nothing of your family tree? Would it matter to you? What if all you knew is that your ancestors were slaves? Would you ever wonder what life might have been like if slavery hadn’t happened? The power of heritage and knowing something about [...]

Jim Jones’ (People’s Temple) deception revisited

I watched the PBS special on Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre that aired last night. I was struck by several things that at the same time disturbed and sobered me:

Good jokes versus racial slurs

Okay, I admit I sometimes listen to Don Imus’ radio show in the morning on my way to work. He has a good list of politicians and authors on that have interesting points of view. He also has a comedian on who regularly impersonates various people like Dr. Phil, President Clinton, and other celebs. Sometimes he’s funny. [...]

Changing the relational dance

In my last post I talked about the emotional/relational dance that all couples do. Someone usually is the pursuer (who may tend to be critical as well), the other withdraws and disengages. This dance isn’t always pathological but might lead either to chronic attack or cold war.
But assume for a minute that the couple wants [...]

Do you pursue or withdraw in conflict?

I’m prepping for my part of the Advanced Marital Class which starts soon. We’ll be looking closely at Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and its dealings with the problems of disconnection in marriages. One of the key issues this therapy tries to address is the need for a secure bond between husband and wife. One particular [...]

Science Monday: What is most helpful in counseling?

What really helps counselees get better? A colleague handed me a newspaper editorial from the Bangor, Maine Daily News, written by Thomas Gaffney and published July 12, 2006. The editorial reviewed the situation in psychotherapy: Some 400 treatment approaches, 100 that are considered “evidenced based”, and yet many research studies show that most treatment approaches work equally [...]