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So What if Psychedelics Are ‘Just’ Spiritual?

…it’s pretty much a commonplace among many researchers that the intentional use of psychedelics in certain environments (what users and researchers refer to as “set and setting”) can mimic and perhaps even produce authentic mystical experiences. Indeed, many who take psychedelics do so mainly for what they consider to be the spiritual benefit of the experiences they offer. Using psychedelics isn’t so much recreational, in this sense, but a controll…

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Trump’s Pathological Devotion to Border Walls Isn’t Political, It’s Theological

…ounded but still living world. A CNN story on the use of Romans 13 that focuses on its use to spread Nazism focuses on the opposition to the violent interpretation of it by famous theologians of the time. It concludes: “Jeff Sessions may also want to consider that his invocation of Romans 13 might inadvertently backfire. If the political opponents of the administration start to read Karl Barth, they may, in fact, become more, not less, likely to s…

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Is Ken Starr ‘Pulling a Clinton’ on Jewish Studies Professor Marc Ellis?

…mber to file a complaint against Ellis—which the Starr administration then used as a pretext to open a freewheeling investigation. Ellis added, “They are exaggerating the charges to the point where they don’t even believe it.” (Neither the faculty member nor her lawyer responded to requests for comment. Furthermore, Baylor would not say whether the school had received permission from the woman to release the charges.) In a speech at the American A…

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Contraception Furor v. Catholic Realities

…bishops, can still teach and believe what they wish. No one forces them to use contraception. Rather, it is employees of Catholic institutions, including janitors and housekeepers, whose rights to make their own decisions about health care are impinged upon. Blaming the victim is an old trick, but, in this case, few people are buying it. Not Religious Liberty, but Religious Influence Religious liberty language is attractive, especially in an elect…

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Catholic Church Bans Gay Film: This Week’s Global LGBT Recap

…el Lavers. The petition — which an anonymous person posted on Tuesday — accuses Brewster of promoting “an LGBT agenda inconsistent with the Christian cultural values and tradition of the Dominican Republic.” It specifically criticizes Brewster and his husband, Bob Satawake, for visiting a school. The petition also notes the two men “supported” last week’s official launch of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s latest international af…

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Water Water Everywhere

…me to wash with water in addition to drying with toilet paper every time I use the toilet. This is known as istinjaa’. In my fundamentalist days, I used to carry my own little cosmetic bottle to fill at the sink before entering a public toilet outside of the Muslim world. But in my minimalist old days, I may suffer the loss, but I manage without it. That’s why I love bathrooms in the Muslim world, which tend to have this nifty little hose attached…

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Paul for the People: John Dominic Crossan Imagines a “Letter to the Americans” In His New Video Series

…tell us not to worry too much about that phrase “under God,” because if we use our freedom to establish justice for all we will be living under God whether we know it or not or acknowledge it or not. Paul would also be fascinated by our Declaration of Independence and its claims that all are created equal with such God-given-from-Creation rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He would note with approval how the Declaration sp…

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SCOTUS’s Incoherent Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision

…to me it is one of the most despicable pieces of rhetoric that people can use to—to use their religion to hurt others. It’s simply a factual statement followed by an anodyne opinion. I don’t think people should use their religion to hurt others, either. Does that make me a bigot? The broader point here is that Kennedy’s reasoning is simply incoherent. There is no way for government to remain “strictly neutral” when it comes to religious values. B…

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You Are Not Your Star Sign

…hrase goes; but which, in fact, draws our attention to the profound divide between that logic which is “actuarially sound” and that logic by which, as the past few weeks have emphasized, a sizeable percentage of Americans use to make sense of their lives. The “misperception” Allstate sought to correct was that, as an insurer, they might raise charges or restrict coverage on customers born under certain signs. Regardless of the actuarial logic, thi…

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