"Maybe when Feidin Santana says of Dominicans (like the citizens of so many nations), that 'we look for the alternative of the United States, we follow you,' it might motivate better American behavior, if we were afraid other nations had somewhere else to look for moral leadership."

When you’re handing over thousands of NSA documents, the last thing you want to do is read them."

"If that fate befell a Mormon father with five kids or a childless Persian couple in their fifties or a Hispanic woman who sunk her nest egg into a pupusa truck, should that, do you think, be considered a victory for the gay-rights movement?"

"The collect for Wednesday in Holy Week is hideous and offensive."

"Enter into any serious conversation about Bonhoeffer and there is a striking divide between the faithful and the historians."

"A Climate Thing is not always wrong, though it frequently is."

“I’m glad I gave some catharsis to my ethnically ambiguous kindred.”

"And it came to pass, the wrath of the Internet rained on the head of the first son, both the righteous anger and the immature trollishness, until the first son closed his doors."

"Mix together the half of the guests who have arrived on time despite the fact that no one is sure whether '7:30' means 'arrive at 7:30' or 'arrive an hour late,' like it did in college."

Steve Thorngate

The Century managing editor is also a church musician and songwriter.

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