So in the past few weeks I think I’ve offended the religious community, particularly the Baptists, Republicans, those who automatically want to speak to the manager and folks with thin skin. If you’re not on that list, give it time. I’m sure I’ll get to you shortly.
This is not an apology, by the way; it’s just me taking count. However, my goal for this week is to write a column that will not lead to angry emails, phone calls or additional grey hairs from the editorial staff.
kAm$2?E2?2 ;FDE C625 E92E 2?5 E9@F89E[ “x 8:G6 9:> `d_ H@C5D]”k^Am
kAmp?5 D96 >:89E 36 C:89E] x’> 8@:?8 E@ E2=< 23@FE >J 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 42CD 2?5 E96 42C\3FJ:?8 AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm{6E’D 9@A :?E@ E96 (2J324< |249:?6 2?5 8@ 324< E@ u63CF2CJ H96? 2== H6 925 E@ H@CCJ 23@FE H6C6 E96 6A:4 2>@F?ED @7 C2:?72== 2?5 E96 7=@@5:?8]k^Am
kAmp4EF2==J[ @FC DE@CJ DE2CED :? y2?F2CJ H96? x 7:CDE E6DE65 >J :?DFC2?46 A@=:4J 3J 92G:?8 2 … H6’== 42== :E 2 5:C64E:@?2= 5:D28C66>6?E … @?6 27E6C?@@? @? >J H2J E@ 86E >2:= 2E H@C<]k^Am
kAmx 4@==:565 H:E9 2?@E96C 42C 2?5 E96 52>286 5@?6 H2D E@ >J 5@@C]k^Am
kAmp D:>A=6 7:I C:89En *629[ ?@] ~G6C 2 >@?E9 =2E6C x 8@E >J 42C 324<]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE >@C?:?8 x 9@AA65 :?E@ E96 z:2 u@CE6 2?5 A@:?E65 :E E@H2C5 |@?E8@>6CJ]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96 C2:?D 42>6] (:?5D9:6=5 H:A6CD @? 9:89 ?2G:82E:?8 E96 >@C?:?8 4@>>FE6 H96? DF556?=J[ 32?8P p:C328 56A=@JD >J 42C 8@6D 324<H2C5 2?@E96C 42C D9@@ED @G6C E@ E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 :?E6CDE2E6 2?5 E96 H@C=5 DE@AD]k^Am
kAmx 9:E 2 AF55=6[ 9J5C@A=2?65 2?5 HC64<65 E96 6G6C=@G:?8 DEF77:?8 @FE @7 >J 42C]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 BF:4< DJDE6>D 4964< E@ >2<6 DFC6 6G6CJE9:?8 H2D A@:?E65 :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@? — @? >6 ?@E E96 42C — x >256 E96 2AAC@AC:2E6 42==D E@ =6E E96 7@=<D :>A@CE2?E E@ >6 <?@H J6D[ x H2D :? 2 HC64<j J6D[ x 2> ~z 2?5 ?@[ E96 42C :D ?@E]k^Am
kAmu@C E9@D6 <66A:?8 EC24< 2E 9@>6 E96 42C H:E9 E96 7:I65 5@@C 925 366? :? >J A@DD6DD:@? C@F89=J @G6C?:89E]k^Am
kAm|2EE6C @7 724E @?6 @7 E96 42==D x >256 H2D E@ E96 3@5J D9@A E@ =6E E96> <?@H E96 5@@C E96J’5 DA6?E E96 A2DE >@?E9 7:I:?8 H2D ;FDE 7:?6] %96 C6DE @7 E96 42C[ ?@E D@ >F49] xE H2D E@E2=65]k^Am
kAm}@H x’> DA62<:?8 7C@> 6IA6C:6?46 3642FD6 :? >J ac J62CD @7 5C:G:?8 x 92G6 4C2D965 2 3F?49 @7 42CD] |@DE H6C6 E@E2=65]k^Am
kAm$@ H96C6 5@6D E9:D =62G6 >6n x 92G6 ?@ 42C]k^Am
kAm%92E >62?D 42C D9@AA:?8] %92E >62?D 562=:?8 H:E9 2 D2=6D>2?] r2C D2=6DA6@A=6[ E@ >6[ C2?< FA E96C6 H:E9 A@=:E:4:2?D :? 3@HE:6D DA62<:?8 @7 E9:?8D 36?67:E:?8 E96 DE2E6 2E E96 6IA2?D:@? @7 E96:C @H? A@4<6E3@@<D 2?5 AC62496CD :? 4962A DF:ED AC6249:?8 52>?2E:@? @G6C 7C:65 49:4<6?] p=D@ 4=@H?D] %96J 2C6 ;FDE 6G:= 2?5 4C66AJ]k^Am
kAmx 92G6 2 =@H @A:?:@? @7 E96>j 9@H6G6C E96C6 2C6 6I46AE:@?D] %96C6 2C6 D@>6 >:?:DE6CD x’> 8@@5 H:E9 2?5 D@>6 A@=:E:4:2?D 3FE ?@ 4=@H?D] %96J 42? <66A E92E 8C62D6\A2:?E65 6G:= @G6C E96C6 2H2J 7C@> >6]k^Am
kAmx 368:? 5@:?8 E96 C6D62C49 2?5 7:?5 2 76H 42CD x =:<6 D@ x 42== 2 562=6CD9:A W?@E =@42=X 2?5 DA62< E@ 2 D2=6D>2?[ E6== 9:> H92E x’> =@@<:?8 7@C 2?5 E96 AC:46 C2?86 x H2?E E@ DE2J 2C@F?5]k^Am
kAm(6 >66Ej x 5C:G6 E96 EH@ 42CD @? E@A @7 >J =:DE[ 92E6 E96> 2?5 H2?E E@ >@G6 @?]k^Am
kAm%96 D2=6D>2?[ 36:?8 2 D2=6D>2?[ 564:56D E@ 8:G6 >6 E96 92C5 D2=6]k^Am
kAm}@H H6’G6 2== 6IA6C:6?465 E9:D “H92E’D :E 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 E@ 86E J@F :? E92E 42C” EJA6 E92E 42?’E E2<6 ?@ 7@C 2? 2?DH6C 2?5 H@F=5 C2E96C 9@=5 J@F 42AE:G6 E92? D66 J@F H2=< @FE E96 5@@C]k^Am
kAm|@DE D2=6DA6@A=6[ E@ >6[ 8@:?8 :? 7@C E96 92C5 D2=6 2C6 =:<6 A@=:E:42= 42?5:52E6D H9@ H@F=5 C2E96C E6== >6 23@FE E96:C 49FC49 2EE6?52?46 @C E96 ?F>6C@FD C62D@?D x D9@F=5?’E G@E6 7@C E96 @E96C 42?5:52E6 :?DE625 @7 E6==:?8 >6 E96:C DE2?46D 2?5 92G:?8 2? :?E6==:86?E 4@?G6CD2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx D9FE 5@H?]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 E9:?8 92AA6?D H96? >J >@> DE2CED E96 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:E9 “*@F C62==J D9@F=5]]]” 2?5 x <?@H D96’D C625:?8 E9:D 2?5 ;FDE =@@<65 2E >J 525 2?5 76:8?65 :??@46?46]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 E9:?8 92AA6?65 2E 2?@E96C 562=6CD9:A] %2=< E@ E96 D2=6D>2? 23@FE >J 6IA64E2E:@?D[ E6DE 5C:G6 2 =:E2?J @7 42CD[ 7:?5 @?6 x =:<6[ 42?’E 86E E@86E96C @? AC:46]k^Am
kAm%96 4@?G6CD2E:@? D9@F=5 6?5 C:89E E96C6[ 3FE :E 5@6D?’E] xE <66AD 8@:?8] x’5 =:<6 E@ DEC6DD E9:D H2D ?@E :? t=>@C6 @C %2==2A@@D2 4@F?E:6D]k^Am
kAmp3@G6 6G6CJE9:?8 E9@F89[ x’> DE:== 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 7:?5 2 C:56 @7 >J @H?] x 92G6 2? :562 @7 H92E x H2?E 2?5 9@H >F49 x H2?E E@ A2J 7@C :E]k^Am
kAmx <?@H E96C6 2C6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ =@H6C E96 AC:46 @7 E96 G69:4=6D 2?5 J@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 8@ E9C@F89 E96 >@E:@?D @7 “8@:?8 E@ DA62< E@ E96 >2?286C” E@ @?=J =@H6C E96 AC:46 S`__]k^Am
kAm$E@A H:E9 E96 5@8 2?5 A@?J D9@H 7@=<D 2?5 36 9@?6DE] x’== ?68@E:2E6 2?5 ECJ E@ 7:?5 4@>>@? 8C@F?5 H:E9 J@F] qFE :7 x 42?’E[ x 42?’E] {6E’D ECJ E@ 7:?5 2 5:776C6?E C:56 @C D92<6 92?5D 2?5 >@G6 @? E@ 2?@E96C 562=6CD9:A]k^Am
kAms@?’E AC@=@?8 E96 :?6G:E23=6]k^Am
kAmx7 a_a_ 3C:?8D 7@CE9 K@>3:6D[ H9:49 E96 DF>>6C :D?’E @G6C J6E[ x 42? E9:?< @7 2 76H E2C86ED 7@C E96> E@ 5:?6 @? 7:CDE] k^Am
kAm%92E :D :7 E96J 42? DE@>249 :E]k^Am
kAmxE’D E92E D:>A=6]k^Am
kAmk6>mvC:77:? !C:E492C5 :D 2 C68F=2C 4@CC6DA@?56?E 2?5 4@=F>?:DE 7@C %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD x?4]k^6>mk^Am
