Mick Noppen

A new look at an old catechism

The last command Jesus gave his apostles was to go out into the world and teach the gospel of God’s redemptive love. And so, in obedience to this command we dispatch missionaries to all parts of the earth...

Did God march in the gay pride parade?

Last Sunday, June 28, Chicago’s 40th annual Gay Pride Parade stepped off at Belmont and Halstead, marched north to Broadway, then took a sharp turn south, and ended up on Cannon Drive in Lincoln Park. That’s...

Michael Jackson is dead

Michael Jackson is dead. He was one of five celebrities who, over the span of a single week, has just passed away: Farrah Fawcett, John Callaway (an iconic broadcast journalist here in Chicago), television pitchman, Billy May, Ed McMahon, and...

Where have all the churches gone?

It’s expensive to build a church these days, even more so if you want to put a little bit of architectural flair into the construction. New churches today tend to be squared off, sharp-edged, single-storied, and...

Planned Parenthood in Aurora: aftermath

It seems almost as if it were yesterday. A new Planned Parenthood facility opened Oct. 7, 2007 amid the tumult and shouting of protestor rallies, supporter counter-rallies, prayer vigils, and legal positioning. Those were turbulent days here in the...

Christians, atheists, and public education

I got tired of the “Atheism On a Bus” title for these articles, ergo the change. I need to remind readers, however, that this extended discussion of atheism and Christianity began as a commentary on signs placed by...

Atheism on a bus (part three)

I didn’t plan to write a third article on the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign, but the collective response to the first two articles has taken me by surprise. In that response, a number of issues were raised, and...

Atheism on a bus (part two)

Yesterday, in response to the ad crusade recently waged by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign on Chicago city buses, I asked what atheism has to offer me that transcends my own self. Today, I’d like to ask a...

Atheism on a bus (part one)

Late last month, a program was initiated by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign to place large advertisements on Chicago buses that argue, “You can be good without God”, and “In the beginning, man created God”. At...

Bible jumble solution

The solution to Sunday’s Bible jumble is, “God bless Chicago”. Hope you had an enjoyable time jumbling it.Check back for the next Bible jumble, coming soon. ...

Currently in Los Angeles