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Does Religion Condemn Homosexuality?

By Michael Bronski

…show a diversity of scholarly and legal views about the precise “sin” of Sodom, although the interpretation that became dominant identifies it with male-male anal sex. Under Sharia, or Islamic law, same-sex sexual acts were early on condemned, especially anal sex between men. But Islamic jurists have disagreed both historically and today as to what the proper penalty for male homosexual acts should be. Historically, sex between women seems to have…

A collage of a Bible, Valdimir Putin, and the Kremlin and an outline of Russia

Putin’s ‘Year of the Family’ Declaration Blends Russian Nationalism with the Far-Right Rhetoric of the Global Pro-Family Movement

By Irina Smolevskaya

…rud, “Blurring the Boundary,” 250. [20] When annexing the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic from Ukraine, for example, Putin cited “restoring our historical unity” as one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine. In that speech, like many others, he placed emphasis on Russia and Ukraine’s shared history, Orthodox faith, and linguistic and cultural similarities. See Team of the Official Website of the President of Russi…

Catholic Voters No Longer Beholden to Bishops and Abortion

By Mary E. Hunt

…sent from hierarchical statements and explore areas of moral and legal freedom on the abortion question would not be penalized by their religious superiors, church employers, or bishops.” Mondale and Ferraro lost the election by a Republican tsunami in favor of the happy days of Reaganomics, but the US Catholic community was never the same again. The 97 signers of the ad were in fact penalized every thinkable way. The 26 nuns who belonged to 14 ca…

‘Murder Among the Mormons,’ Latest True Crime Doc From Netflix, Highlights Issues of Faith, Skepticism, and Authenticity

By Benjamin E. Park

…sis. Though inextricably linked to Hofmann through his role facilitating a number of document purchases, he also had an eye to the future, envisioning a church that was much more media-savvy and tethered to the modern age. His quick work helped dissipate attention and avoid long-lasting repercussions. A decade after the bombing, in 1995, Hinckley became the church’s fifteenth president. His thirteen years at the head of the faith are now remembere…

$50 Billion Fundamentalist Free Fall

By Louis A. Ruprecht

…er worrisome device used to sell this idea: US taxpayers used to receive a report on their yearly earnings and Social Security payments once each decade. In Bush’s first term, the federal government began issuing a yearly report, thereby underwriting the illusion that the recipient personally had some sort of Social Security “account” that he or she could “manage.” It isn’t quite like that anymore than Madoff’s investors’ money was simply theirs,…

Post-Election, “Is The Black Church Dead?” Redux

By Anthea Butler

…two are heading to Congress. Tim Scott will be the first African-American Republican to represent South Carolina in Congress since Reconstruction. (He beat out Strom Thurmond’s son in the primaries.) Iraq war veteran Allen West will be headed to Congress from Florida, despite having been fined for improperly firing his weapon to force information from a detainee while serving in Iraq, and for his connections to a criminal motorcycle club. West’s…

Can The Religious Left Be Effective Again? Longer Answer: Quizás

By Daniel Schultz

…. Fulton explains that a lot of this increase is due to the debates over immigration reform; but even factoring that in, Hispanic churches are becoming more politically active. The number of congregations might be few, but they may also be larger communities, representing a substantial number of people. In any case, the trend will only continue as Hispanics continue to grow as a part of the US population. Which brings us around at last to the joke…

The Quixotic Task of Debunking David Barton

By Paul Harvey

…y gives the appearance that this is an actual “argument” with “both sides” represented, in which people “make up their own minds” in an ostensibly free and open forum. He refused to engage in that charade. Would that Jon Stewart had done the same with Barton. Should historians take the same tack with the likes of Barton? It’s not clear. In recent months, a number of voices have demanded that historians rise to the task of debunking Barton’s claims…

Prisoners In the Hands of an Angry God: A Conversation About Religion and Reform

By Andrew Aghapour and Stephanie Gaskill

…response rate, imprecise questions, and some categorical biases—and yet it represents a growing research topic that has gained attention from the media. Why are journalists and social scientists so eager to attribute politics directly to religion? It promises that people are predictable, even though, for the most part, they are not. Research like this presents the possibility that people can be easily classified, and that political messages can be…

Warships, Animals, Pubs Eligible For Blessings From Church of England, But Not Same-Sex Couples; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…it more likely that a marriage equity bill could be brought forward soon, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. The report from a group of legislators recommends protections for celebrants with religious objections to performing weddings for same-sex couples, but not the “sweeping” religious exemptions that appeared in draft legislation that had previously been put forward by the attorney general. Croatia: Zagreb Pride warns of ‘increasingly aggress…