My latest in The Huffington Post: "Star Trek Into Darkness" does what Star Trek has always done best: holds up a mirror to the United States and asks, "Are we the moral people we want to be?" Star Trek Demands...

Portland has rarely witnessed a campaign as needlessly divisive as the fight over Measure 26-151, the effort to fluoridate the city’s water supply for the common good. I strongly support this effort and as ballots are out, and as many...

My latest on The Huffington Post: "Judy Bright -- a certified nurse midwife, advanced nurse practitioner, public health administrator and my mother -- died before she could take advantage of Obamacare, but as an advocate for public health and someone...

News that the IRS targeted conservative organizations for special review as part of the non-profit certification process is deeply concerning. It reminds me of the Bush-era IRS investigation of the United Church of Christ. The Obama Administration needs to quickly fix the problem but much of this is the messy result of th

Portland faith leaders are standing up for 26-151 and Healthy Kids Healthy Portlandbecause "one of our core principles is that the blessings of our community should be felt by all, not just a few." Fluoridation of our water will help our kids and entire city.

I am terribly shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of The Rev. Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause and former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches. Bob was a personal friend of many years. In...

Psalm 23: Fear Not In The Valley | Reflecting On Our Week from The Rev. Chuck Currie on Vimeo. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

There is still much that we do not know: including the motive of the terrorists. FOX News regular guest Erik Rush tweeted earlier this week concerning Muslims: "Yes, they're evil. Let's kill them all." All people of good faith - Christians, Jews and Muslims - must use this moment to support our nation and bring reconciliat

This morning in The Huffington Post I address the Senate's failure to address gun violence in America: "The ability of a minority of in the U.S. Senate to block common sense gun violence prevention measures is a victory for the...

All Americans unite together in offering prayers and good thoughts for those impacted by the events that have occurred today at the Boston Marathon. We especially left up the injured, any who might have been killed, first responders, and our elected officials who must respond to whatever caused this.

Today I've joined Sister Simone Campbell, leader of "Nuns on the Bus," in co-authoring an op-ed published in The Hill critical of the budget choices under consideration in Washington: "As faith leaders, we have spoken out consistently about the moral...

Portland, one of only two major cities in the nation without fluoride in the water, is a community where "21% of children suffer from untreated dental decay – that’s forty percent more than fluoridated Seattle Metro." We can change all that by voting yes on 26-151 this May.

Is there enough media coverage of Kermit Gosnell, the physician charged with murdering babies in an abortion clinic? No. And we need to do everything in our power to make sure that women have access to professional clinics that the GOP and their allies are trying to shut down to stop more people like him.

NPR asked this week: is Doomsday near? Read my response today in The Huffington Post: "We can turn the darkness around us in the brightness of noon, as the Prophet Isaiah said, if we live out the core principles of...

As a people of the Resurrection, we need to be concerned with all those on the margins. Some will say that such hope for the world is too idealistic. But I have experienced the Resurrection. I know there is hope where darkness exists because I have experienced the Risen Christ.

My oped this morning in The Salem Statesman Journal: "There are at least 90 students experiencing homelessness at North Portland’s Roosevelt High School. That shouldn’t come as a surprise in a state where as many as 20,000 students were homeless...

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza argued this week that support for gay marriage is surging because more people know gay folks and because of the influence of television (and popular culture in general). I think we should give credit to the Religious Right.

My latest in The Huffington Post: "America can and should be better than Paul Ryan envisions it. Our nation should be a place where we are our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper. We are not a morally bankrupt nation, and...

Today at Sunnyside Church members took time following worship to write letters to members of Congress and the White House encouraging our national leaders to do more in the fight against poverty as part of Bread for the World's annual Offering of Letters.

The people of Sunnyside Church and University Park Church invite you to “Easter In Portland” – a special joint worship service of the two congregations, which will be held in Sunnyside Church’s historic Portland sanctuary (3520 SE Yamhill Street) on...

My latest on The Huffington Post: Mohler is no Osama bin Laden but clearly there is a place where Mohler's Christian fundamentalism and the Islamic fundamentalism of the late bin Laden find common ground. What Does Albert Mohler Have In...

The Oregon Family Council (OFC) called my office this morning to see if I’d be joining their "Pastors Day at the Capitol." This is where they bring “Tea Party Jesus” to the politicians. Are they coming to your State Capitol?

As a hard core conservative theologian, Cardinal Ratzinger was a less than ideal choice to unify Christians. Has Benedict XVI's record, while no one will argue it hasn't been conservative, been more balanced? Faith in Public Life's John Gehring argues the answer is yes.

I've recently found a Dew Drop Clock from The E. Ingraham Company, built sometime in the late 1880s, just like one my grandparents had. My house now has that familiar sound that reminds me of their house. Priceless, really.

Yesterday supporters of President Obama's gun violence prevention measures - including people of faith - rallied across America to demand that Congress vote on the proposals.

My latest on Blue Oregon: The shooting of a patient at Portland Adventist Hospital by members of the Portland Police Bureau, a shooting that cost the patient his life, deserves a careful review. Portland police may have been 100% justified...

In Kansas, where Dr. George Tiller was assassinated at his church by a "pro-life" advocate, a former colleague of his is trying to re-open his clinic. People of faith should pray that Julie Burkhart is successful. Domestic terrorists should not have the final world over choice and health care.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. had everything but apparently wanted it all. He may well be bi-polar and suffer other illnesses but none that excuses his apparent criminal conduct.

Oregon voters will be asked to consider marriage equality in 2014 - and this time people of faith will be leading the charge. Some religious leaders in will obviously oppose marriage equality. But they can no longer claim to speak for God or for the church universal.

My latest in The Huffington Post: "The faith community has an important role to play in advancing an agenda that addresses the important moral issues faced by our nation. We have a big job ahead of us but there is...