ALEC and Corporate Political Influence

Seeing Yourself through the Eyes of Others

On Native American Hospitality

The Origins of the Wall Metaphor for Church-State Separation

Bill Moyers' Latest Interview with Chris Hedges

Bill Moyers interviews Chris Hedges and discusses "Capitalism's Sacrifice Zones."

Toward the end of the interview, their discussion about the responsibility of journalists to be truth-tellers should be on a list of essential viewing for conscientious Christians.

Molly Katchpole on Taking Back the American Dream

Molly Katchpole's speech at the "Take Back the American Dream Conference" on June 18, 2012. Molly is the internet activist who started an online petition that convinced Bank America to drop a $5.00 increase in fees.

Progress Planet Interview

I am interviewed by the Progress Planet website today. Here's the link to the interview.

Bill Moyers on How to Keep the Banks Honest

Roger William and the Birth of Liberty

Melissa Harris Perry on Taking Back the American Dream

Melissa Harris Perry on Taking Back the American Dream from Bruce Prescott on Vimeo.

Melissa Harris Perry's keynote address at the 2012 Take Back the American Dream Conference.

Connecting the Dots on Climate Change

The video above is an outstanding report that connects the dots about how recent weather events form a pattern confirming predictions of global warming.

Why is Aljazeera doing a better job of reporting an this than our own media?

Where is OBU Headed?

Part Four of the Mainstream Baptist interview with Jacop Lupfer, founder of the SaveOBU weblog.

Lupfer comments on the change in the kind of books offered by the OBU bookstore, describes the abandonment of classical instruction in philosophy, and talks about parallels between OBU and Shorter College in Georgia.

How Does BGCO Influence OBU?

Part Three of the Mainstream Baptist interview with Jacob Lupfer, founder of the SaveOBU weblog.

Jacob discusses the repercussions of the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) on Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU).

He also describes how the percentage of OBU's budget being contributed by BGCO has declined as BGCO's influence has increased.

What's Going On at OBU?

Part Two or the Mainstream Baptist interview with Jacob Lupfer, founder of the SaveOBU weblog. Lupfer explains why he started the SaveOBU weblog and offers an opinion about the effect of recent changes on the Christian witness of Oklahoma Baptist University.

Who is Jacob Lupfer? (Part One of the Mainstream Baptist interview with Jacob Lupfer.)

Opposing the Path to War with Iran

I had a mix-up on the corrected time for a press conference this morning and arrived at the state capitol too late to participate. Here's what I planned to say at that press conference:

I am here to voice concern with the Obama administration's foreign policy in relation to Iran.

Early on, Obama made a valiant attempt to find a diplomatic solution to our differences with Iran but that effort was abandoned prematurely. Instead of diplomacy, this administration is now pursuing a policy of using sanctions to force Iran to not develop nuclear weaponry.

The effect of the sanctions falls disproportionately on the middle class in Iran which comprises the bulk of the pro-democracy green movement in Iran that filled the streets in protest of the stolen elections in 2009. The effect of our sanctions is undermining the green movement which we ought to be supporting, it is strengthening the hand of the extremists in Iran, and it is leading us on the path to yet another war.

I am opposed to war with Iran and I am opposed to Iran developing nuclear weapons.

Frankly, I am opposed to nuclear weaponry in any nation's arsenal.

As long as the world turns a blind eye to nuclear weapons in Pakistan and Israel, it is hypocritical to be overly alarmed about the possibility that Iran might acquire them.

We need to be working for the nuclear disarmament of all nations.

Instead of rejecting agreements like the Tehran Declaration (2010) that was successfully negotiated by Brazil and Turkey, we need to return to the conference table with patient and prolonged diplomatic efforts that give peace a chance.

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For reliable information on recent negotiations with Iran I suggest viewing the video below of a speech at the University of Oklahoma by Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American Council.

Trita Parsi on Relations between the U.S., Israel and Iran from Bruce Prescott on Vimeo.

Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and author of A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran spoke about the need for diplomacy rather than a rush to war with Iran. Parsi spoke at a lunch and discussion session sponsored by the College of International Studies at the University of Oklahoma on March 2, 2012.

Bill Moyers on the Hoax of Citizens United

Introducing Jacob Lupfer

Jacob Lupfer is the founder of the SaveOBU weblog which has been attracting a lot of attention among alumni and others concerned about changes being effected by a fundamentalist Christian administration at Oklahoma Baptist University. Most of those frequenting the weblog believe that recent changes are undermining academic freedom, faculty morale, and the quality of the educational experience for students at the institution.

This is part one of a video series about the SaveOBU weblog and Oklahoma Baptist University.

Mitch Randall on Religious Liberty

Dr. Mitch Randall's sermon "The Religious Liberty Sword: It Cuts Both Ways" spoken at NorthHaven Baptist Church in Norman, OK on July 1, 2012. The sermon text is Galatians 5:1-12.

Samantha Corbin Interview (Corrected)

I ran into Samantha Corbin, 2012 recipient of the Maria Leavey award, at a Taco Party on June 19th at the "Take Back the American Dream Conference" in Washington, D.C. She agreed to an interview.

We talk about the training video she did for "The 99% Spring," her work as Actions Director for the "Other 98%," her participation in the Occupy Wall Street movement (OWS), the faith movement within OWS, her non-violent direct action organizing, the increasing political activism of young people under the age of thirty, her sense of justice and injustice, and her understanding of conscience.

My apologies to Samantha for misidentifying her when this blog was first posted.

The Living Parable

Bryan Partridge, Minister to Students at NorthHaven Church in Norman, Oklahoma, offers a dramatic interpretation of the older brother in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) during the June 24, 2012 morning worship service.