expenses for one family member would consume nearly 1/4 of that family's income, before taxes (and ...

We missed this announcement last week, but it’s good news and so it’s worth going back a few days for! There was good news for ethical chocolate lovers last week when Hershey’s announced a number of measures t ...

In the name of “fiscal responsibility,” the Tea Party-led House GOP passed H.R. 1956, a bill that takes cash from the hands of America’s poorest working families in order to protect the richest of the rich. ...

My hope is that, thanks to courage and action from the church and others in the UK, the government will realize that there is more to governing that simply balancing the books. Ga ...

The breakfast easily could have descended into mud-slinging against those meeting at the National Prayer Breakfast nearby. Thankfully the discourse rose above such divisive and unhelpful temptations. It was no ...

February 1, 2012 Sojo in the News Jaweed Kaleem ...

Bill McKibben There are many things they seemed to hold in common, not least an instinctive nonviolence, contrasting so sharply with the ...

"Ireland is the canary in the coal mine, because what happened in Ireland three years ago is happening all over Europe right now." — Irish economist David McWilliams Oh, ...

I’m interested in how it is that inspired vision – unconstrained by “what ifs” or fear of change – might break down barriers to opportunity and help overcome systemic privilege that holds some people back from ...

We feel instinctively that societies with huge income gaps are somehow going wrong. Richard Wilkinson charts the hard data on economic inequality, and shows what gets worse when rich and poor are too far apart ...

GOOD.is reports that some lucky customers of France’s oldest bank have had their loans forgiven, in a gesture that marked the Crédit Municipal de Paris’s 375th anniversary (or is that anniversaire?) The bank h ...

She bit her bottom lip first, then lifted her gaze to my unassuming face. When she started looking at me softly, like I was some sort of oft-beaten puppy, I knew what was coming. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered ...

It was a record year for U.S. farmers in 2011, with farm income topping $100 billion. This includes sales of $22 billion in fruits and nuts and $21 billion in vegetables and melons — crops that rely on immigra ...

Fight global poverty, invest in agriculture. ~ Growers First As the winter winds bite at our collars, a hot cup of coffee is a perfect antidote for healing. But what you might not consider when you sip a mug ...

On a recent trip to the African nation of Ghana, Bono of U2 and economist Jeffrey Sachs spoke to the UK Guardian about their hopes for the future of foreign aid. "We're not arguing for a culture of d ...

Last week, Stephen Colbert announced that he is exploring a possible presidential run in 2012, and put Comedy Central compatriot, Jon Stewart, in charge of his Super PAC. Because of the strict FEC separation o ...

Umair Haque is a self-titled “author, blogger, thinker, reformer.” But the more I read of his work, the more inclined I am to add the title “prophet” to that list of descriptors. ...

Rod House’s “wee encampment” was a one-man occupation on the library grounds in LaVeta, Colorado, population 906, some 65 miles southwest of Pueblo. He was so horrified by what he saw happening to protesters i ...

It's always encouraging to see musicians using their unique platform to inspire social change. When it comes to an indie supergroup such as  New Party Sysytems — compirsed of members from TV on the Radio, Notekillers, and Liturgy — disparate ...

The Occupiers have returned to Zucotti Park! The barricades that have kept them out since the park was cleared November 15 are gone and steady streams of protestors are returning to their adopted home. ...

When you hear the phrase “the 99 percent,” many different images and ideas come to mind. Popular news media and have labeled the protesters in various ways, portraying much of the occupy movement in a rather negative manner.   That’s why Brooklyn pho ...

Richard Oswald Populism sprouts again among many family farmers. DESPITE DECLINING populations, rural America ...

Brittany Shoot Contrition seems more popular than ever. THE RITUAL, LANGUAGE, and practice of forgiveness hav ...

$4.95 COVER America the Exceptional What kind of nation are we called to be: arrogantly superior or humbly exemplary? By Brian D. M ...

$4.95 COVER America the Exceptional What kind of nation are we called to be: arrogantly superior or humbly exemplary? By Brian D. M ...

Sen. Jim DeMint recently released a plan to cut the federal deficit with $4.2 trillion in spending cuts. And guess what he wants to cut? Sen. Jim DeMint recently released a pla ...

illegal immigrants, were without healthcare insurance but the number would drop to 14 million after healthcare reform was passed.  We also know that some portion of those 14 million Americans live above ... without more substantiation, even if the number of uninsured has dropped to "only" 14 ...

Ken and Meredith Williams have been waiting 79 days for the Bank of America in Georgia to close on their home loan. ...

There is, once again, a threat of a government shutdown. Congress, once again, can’t get along. Even the most basic decision making has stalled as each party postures for their base. But, it’s almost Christma ...

Members of Catholics United, along with faith leaders and residents of Occupy DC, marched with the Golden Calf from McPherson Square to the Capitol on Thursday to deliver a petition in support of a bill that ...

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released a letter to Congress on Monday concerning unemployment benefits. Bishop Leonard Blaire of Toledo, Ohio, the letter's signatory, makes the argument ...

Sometimes, caring for our neighbor means a change of plans. Sometimes, caring for our neighbor means we have to slow down a little bit. Sometimes, caring for our neighbor might even cost us money. ...

There has been a lot of anger levied at the very wealthy since the Occupy movement began back in September. There is no doubt that much of this anger is justified – righteous indignation, if you will. ...

While the spirit of rampant capitalistic greed is certainly appalling, and people are justifiably angry about the economic abuses of Wall Street, still some have criticized Occupy Xmas for it's aggressive ...

On Nov. 30, at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., Sojourners CEO Jim Wallis and Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute, debated the question, "Is Free Enterprise Moral?" ...

Empty stomachs moan. The .000258 percent hedge their bets against the common good. Living Sacrifices By Lisa Sharon Harper   The 99 percent offers work and wealth ...

What about Santa? Does he have a budget? He certainly has a belt, but does it get tightened in harsh (let’s not say LEAN) times ? Maybe Santa could stand to lose a few… Well, according to Fred Honerkamp, Old ...

December 7, 2011 Sojo in the News Jonathan D. Fitzgerald ...

Early this morning at a welfare office in Laredo, Texas, a mother, desperate after months of being denied food stamps for her family, pulled a gun and shot her two young children before killing herself. ...

December 5, 2011 Outside Video Gordon College ...

Joel Hunter The solution must be a partnership among all of us. When I was growing up my grandparents talked ...

Robert Hirschfield Finding connections between the past, present, and future at Occupy Wall Street. “THIS IS ...

Danny Duncan Collum How blind commitment to 'free trade' throws working people under the bus. High ...

Lisa Sharon Harper What is valued in God's economy? JESUS STANDS IN his hometown synagogue. He is handed ...

Jill Shook Despite foreclosures and rising poverty, there are models -- lots of them -- to help put decent housing within reach. ...

I was also struck by their refusal to simply announce a set of demands One of the highlights of the fall for me was undertaking a kind of Occupy Tourism. I was spending most of my ...

This weekend, 60 Minutes aired a piece that has been commended by many as a shocking... MUST WATCH OF THE WEEK: 60 Minutes: Hard Times Generation: Families living in cars ...

November 27, 2011 Outside Audio BBC Radio 4 ...

to be had.  We are no longer a wealthy country you seem to think we are. Our national debt is over 14 ...

A nice reclamation of the Thanksgiving meal—less like the oppressive tale of pilgrims and native people we learned about in school; more like Jesus feeding the thousands, the beloved community, etc. ...