César J. Baldelomar a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, where he focuses on liberation theologies and ethics from the margins. You can visit César at his website www.cesarb.com

Posts By This Author

Xenophobic Border Watch Groups are Domestic Terrorists

by Cesar Baldelomar 02-16-2011

On May 30, 2009, a terrorist attack in Arizona ended the lives of two U.S. citizens -- a Latino man and his 9-year-old daughter.

Why We Must Challenge Society's Notions of Beauty

by Cesar Baldelomar 08-17-2010
The earliest representations of Jesus show him eating and healing. In both instances, those who shared the scenes with Jesus included misfits, outcasts, the infirm, and the impoverished.

Tupac Shakur: Liberation Theologian for Our Times

by Cesar Baldelomar 07-12-2010

Tupac Shakur in 'Gridlock'd' / Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy

Many music critics have said that a truly special artist comes around only once every generation.

Obama Sends 1,200 Troops to the Border to Guard Against Republican Criticism

by Cesar Baldelomar 05-28-2010
This past Tuesday, President Obama announced that he intends to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Pedagogy of the Oppressor: Arizona's Ethnic Studies Ban

by Cesar Baldelomar 05-17-2010
Arizona's lawmakers just keep finding ways to transform their xenophobia into law. First, they questioned whether Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a legitimate holiday.

Glimmers of Hope in a National Nightmare

by Cesar Baldelomar 05-07-2010
Someone please pinch me. This must be a nightmare. After all, is it possible that, in this land of freedom, one of its states -- which back in 1993 refused to recognize Martin Luther King Jr.

The Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal and the Paradoxical Legacy of Pope John Paul II

by Cesar Baldelomar 04-08-2010

The Catholic church is reeling from the several sexual abuse allegations that have come to light over the past three months. Downplaying the severity of this scandal will only further damage the already beleaguered church's image and credibility. Many in the media blame Pope Benedict XVI for the mismanagement of the sexual abuse crisis.

Jesus and the Klan

by Cesar Baldelomar 04-06-2010

I recently viewed an episode of Gangland on The History Channel. This particular show, which documents the rise of the younger members of the Imperial Klan of America (or KKK), really roused my anger. I thought, "How could people be so ignorant and foolish?" Can't they just accept that the United States has always been an ethnically, religiously, and ideologically diverse country?

Vatican II 101: Social Justice is Part of Catholic Identity

by Cesar Baldelomar 03-22-2010

Sadness and Hope in the Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement

by Cesar Baldelomar 02-22-2010
Debates about immigration policies and reform continue to rage. Consequently, op-ed pieces, books, and reports on this contentious topic appear daily.

Faith Beyond Belief: Dogma Without Deeds is Dead

by Cesar Baldelomar 02-05-2010
In a recent interview with Commonweal magazine, renowned Catholic theologian David Tracy argued that theological discourse, with its accompanying jargon and disputes about certain doctrina

The Televangelist and the Archbishop: Contrasting Christian Responses to Haiti's Tragedy

by Cesar Baldelomar 01-14-2010
Upon learning of the ruinous earthquake that leveled most of Haiti, my wife and I felt sadness and horror, as well as concern for the affected, their families, and friends.

A More Serious Threat to Catholic Identity than Removing Public Crucifixes

by Cesar Baldelomar 11-26-2009
In his article "Benedict's ongoing battle against secularism," National Catholic Reporte

The Struggle of Our Environmental Neighbors

by Cesar Baldelomar 11-10-2009
Marvin Gaye once sang, "Oh, mercy mercy me/Oh, things ain't what they used to be/No, no/Where did all the blue sky go?/Poison is the wind that blows/From the north, east, south, and sea/Oh, mercy m

Ending AIDS' Stigma

by Cesar Baldelomar 11-03-2009
President Obama and his administration were busy this past Friday.

'Illegal Alien' Halloween Costumes Cash in on Racist Stereotypes

by Cesar Baldelomar 10-20-2009

For many in the US, Halloween is a time to dress-up as a character from a movie, a politician, a witch, vampire, and

Stopping Anti-Immigrant Violence at its Ideological Roots

by Cesar Baldelomar 10-07-2009
November 8, 2009 will mark the one-year anniversary of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcello Lucero's brutal murder at the hands of seven high school teens in the infamously anti-immigrant Suffolk County,

Conservative Catholicism's Political Enforcers

by Cesar Baldelomar 09-29-2009
As a struggling Catholic, the uproar and division caused by conservative U.S.

An Essential Point in the Health-Care Debate

by Cesar Baldelomar 08-19-2009
As debates rage over the proposed health-care reform (which I strongly support), I believe many politicians, activists, religious leaders, and ideologues are missing an essential point.

Taking the Bible Seriously, but not Always Literally

by Cesar Baldelomar 07-22-2009

Throughout history, individuals and institutions have cited the Bible to support injustices, such as "holy war" against infidels, the subjection of women, racism and slavery, and the abuse of homos