Religion Dispatches
…P TEN RELIGION STORIES FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY What’s particular to this list, posted by the Billy Graham-founded “magazine of evangelical conviction,” is the focus on international Christianity. Number five on the CT list: Christians flee Iraq and Gaza: About 13,000 Christians—or one in two—left Mosul in October. In Gaza, churches where hundreds worshiped until recently are attended by less than a dozen. Historic Christian communities are becomin…
Read More…ill view this amendment for what it is, state-sanctioned discrimination and a bible-based prohibition against exogamy, which is reminiscent of previous state bans on interracial marriage that defined America’s not too distant past. This is why I pray that a solid number of black and brown voters embrace Jesus’ ethic of reciprocity on Tuesday. In other words, the Golden Rule: “Do unto others, as you would have them to do unto you!”…
Read More…ibly the most interesting of the candidates in religious terms, gave the most substantial answer: I’m certainly an imperfect man. And it’s only by the blood of Jesus Christ that I’ve been redeemed from my sins. So I know that God doesn’t call me to do a specific thing, God hasn’t given me a list, a Ten Commandments, if you will, of things to act on the first day. It’s not what Kelly asked, it contradicts what he’s said before, and he then proceede…
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…the promise that diocesan priests make to their bishop, means that the priest will abstain from marriage. These smart alecks agreed that they would not marry; they would not take on the burden of a family and wife that would distract them from the obligations of priesthood. Instead they would just have sex. Little was said about obligation to partners and the fact that sex outside marriage is considered a sin was ignored; possibly it was confessed…
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…ng our own motives and aspiring to reduce harm and suffering for the greatest number of those at risk.” Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu, another notable teacher and translator in the Theravada tradition, disagreed vehemently with Bhikkhu Bodhi’s position, writing a lengthy letter to Inquiring Mind in which he outlined various objections. “The common view—that murderous force is an unfortunate but necessary last resort—is what has caused so much money, tim…
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…hist texts with misogyny, antisemitism, and the celebration of Asian Buddhist monastic extremists such as U Wirathu who have incited violence against Muslims. For those readers who associate Buddhism with progressive liberal values, or hold an ahistorical reading of the tradition as apolitical, the white backlash to racial justice will be a surprise. As within all religious traditions, however, Buddhist doctrine has been used to both support and r…
Read More…hat means religion. “A victim’s asking for the road to Knock,” begins another great Saw Doctors’ song, referring to the famous pilgrimage site where villagers saw the Virgin Mary in the late 19th century, and where pilgrims come from around the world to await miracles. Just last year, a Dublin man named Joe Coleman gathered hundreds of believers at Knock to await another apparition. “Can you tell me who the villains are?” the Saw Doctors go on to…
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…l from the national spotlight, and James Dobson’s retirement, many journalists and historians have joined the Democrats in dancing on the grave of the religious right. But the celebration has been premature. There is no doubt that we are witnessing the rise of a new generation of moderate Christian leaders, including Rick Warren and Joel Osteen, who look more like Oprah Winfrey than Billy Sunday. Nevertheless, while the president has reached out t…
Read More…of respondents offering a positive word like “good,” or “honest,” increased from 18% in 2011 to 24% in 2012. All of these gains were concentrated among Republicans voting for Romney, naturally. Still, the number one word survey participants associated with Mormons? “Cult.” And fully 27% of survey respondents still have no idea what religion Mitt Romney is….
Read More…ng op-eds calling for America to return to being a “Christian nation.” Christians must be retrained to war for the Soul of America and quit believing the fabricated whopper of the “Separation of Church and State,” the lie repeated ad nauseum by the left and liberals to keep Christian America – the moral majority – from imposing moral government on pagan public schools, pagan higher learning and pagan media. But it’s just that kind of talk that’s t…
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