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Billy Graham, Most Famous Religious Figure of 20th C, Dies at 99

By Randall Balmer

…motel in Modesto, California. Worried about Sinclair Lewis’s Elmer Gantry caricature of itinerant preachers, Graham asked his associates to consider the pitfalls that had discredited earlier revivalists and to propose ways to avoid those perils. After prayer and discussion, they decided on several principles: their salaries would be fixed by the organization, not a portion of the offerings; they would never criticize any religious leader; they wo…

Holy Grail is Found!

By Gwynne Watkins

…But Grail historians are still looking for jewel-encrusted goblets. Why? Because they believe in the legend, and the Biblical account of Christ’s last meal doesn’t have much to do with it. In the Bible, the Holy Grail only appears insofar as Jesus and his disciples shared a cup of wine at Passover. No attention is drawn to it, any more than the plates they presumably ate the bread from. The legend of the Grail can be traced back to the twelfth cen…

What’s Wrong With the Virgin Mary Depicted as a Barbie Doll?

By Joseph Laycock

…nference objected to depictions of the Virgin Mary, Joan of Arc, and other Catholic saints and virgins, asking “What is the difference between provocation and bad taste?” Commenting on the Barbie dressed as Kali, Times of India noted a long pattern of the West appropriating Hinduism for commercial purposes. Rajan Zed, a Hindu cleric and interfaith leader remarked, “Barbie-fication of Kali is simply improper, wrong and out of place.” The most outra…

Chatting with Myanmar’s Buddhist “Terrorist”

By Mark Juergensmeyer

…ke unleashing a tiger. But whether or not Wirathu was a pawn in this political calculation—and whether he was aware of it, if so—is unclear. What is apparent is that he has convinced himself, and perhaps his angry following, that there has been a great but hidden struggle going on behind the quiet Buddhist civility and lush tropical landscape of the ancient Burma that is now the rapidly economically developing Myanmar. It is a battle between good…

Netanyahu’s (Republican) Esther Moment

By Sarah Posner

…ican Israel Public Affairs Committee. With CUFI, which Hagee has said will cause a “political earthquake,” the televangelist aims to put the political organizing muscle of the conservative evangelical movement behind his grand plan for a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ. * * * * Esther is a favorite Old Testament figure of many evangelicals, a heroine w…

I Volunteer to Root Out Christian Extremism

By Peter Laarman

…My mention of high schoolers supposes that American high schoolers with a “cause” can get their hands on major weaponry. Yes, they can! And please understand that the LAST thing I want to do is interfere with their Second Amendment rights. So-called “privacy” is negotiable; the Right to Bear Arms is not. As you and I know full well, access to guns is not the issue here. Bad intent is the issue. Let’s get this project moving without delay, shall we…

Contraception Isn’t Meat

By Sarah Morice-Brubaker

…e, but we still need to work through the employers,” it becomes very complicated. Advocates for some Jain institutions say, “Wait, now we have to facilitate the meat-getting by our non-Jain employees? This is an outrage! We’re being forced to violate our religious principles!” Their critics reply, “Oh, please. Nobody’s asking you personally to eat meat. Anyway, you didn’t have any qualms about hiring these people, and you’ve entered into contracts…

Creators of Missing Lowe’s Ad Tell All

By Hussein Rashid

…iation… and what if they were there collecting supplies that looked pretty canonically like bomb-making supplies. Then, the idea coalesced that this could be the TV spot they pulled. If it’s memorable it’s because it plays upon so many tropes of the terrorist oeuvre. I had been watching a lot of the tense, masterful Homeland. So we wanted to lean into those “wait, are they…?” moments. It’s been well-received by most, and it was important to us tha…

International reax to US Marriage Ruling; Official violence at Turkey’s Pride; Marriage Advances in Mexico Over Church Objections; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…ports that some ISIS supporters “celebrated” the killings on twitter by sarcastically hijacking the hashtage #LoveWins. Reuters reports on reactions from Africa: In the streets, churches and corridors of power, from Uganda in the east to Zimbabwe in the south and Nigeria and Liberia in the west, the chorus of homophobic disapproval at the landmark U.S. decision rang out loud and clear. For many African leaders, whipping up anti-gay sentiment wins…

Why Do Evangelicals And Dems Want Immigration Reform?

By Daniel Schultz

…nation of Dan Gilgoff’s secret intelligence cable listing “Obama’s evangelical cabinet on immigration reform.” Being a humble, craven paycheck blogger, I immediately agree with whatever Our Dear Overlords order, no matter how seemingly arbitrary. And so it was in this case, pausing only for a three-day weekend. It turns out the Overlords have a weakness for the “church and family time” excuse. Who knew? In any event, I don’t have much to say about…