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Why Real Political Power Will Not Come From a Revived Religious Left

By Nicholas Laccetti

…n, labeled as belonging to poor folks of many races — poor whites, blacks, Puerto Ricans, American Indians — and a pair of worried politicians speaking together in the background, with a caption that reads, “What worries me, senator, is that they’re getting into step.” Building the unity of the poor and dispossessed is itself an act of building political power. Yet talking about centering the ethical framework of the poor isn’t the same as romanti…

As the Right Peddles a Conspiracy About Trans People and Easter, A Reflection on the Spiritual Nature of My Gender Transition

By Ryann Croken

…life that it’s been most clear to me. When I went by myself last winter to Puerto Rico’s El Yunque rainforest, for example, I spent a day in which I saw almost no one, and I sat for a very long time at the base of a waterfall, surrounded by mountains and a sea of green. As I was agonizing over what to do with my gender, I had a profound moment of clarity and quiet in which, by feeling myself as part of the ecosystem around me, I was able to sense…

The End of Roe and the Assault on Trans People — Fail to See the Bigger Picture and We’ll Never Be Free

By Jacqui Lewis

…against their will during the slavery era, to the hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican women who were forcibly sterilized, America has repeatedly demonstrated the savage violence of which it is capable. But this moment’s wide-ranging threat also points to our deepest promise: We’re all in the same fight together. Jewish people whose religious traditions enshrine abortion rights in thousands of years of halachic tradition; trans siblings and all t…

How the Religious (and ‘Nones’) Vote May Tip 6 Swing States

By Daniel Schultz

…s yes, he’s got a pretty good shot of it. According to PRRI, he has decent numbers among the white suburbanites who will make up the swing vote of the election (to the extent that the “swing vote” is a meaningful category). That’s far from a guarantee, however, especially with a candidate this volatile. Democrats also have a realistic opening to deny Trump re-election. Let’s play faith outreach director in the six states PRRI mentions as toss-ups,…

From the cover of the Kindle edition of C. Peter Wagner's book.

It’s Not the Name It’s the Theocratic Vision — THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION’S PR PROBLEM

By Frederick Clarkson

…ng several writing at RD. We needn’t rehash all that except to note that a number of the Summit’s participants suggested that the name of their movement poses a public relations problem. While the term New Apostolic Reformation* has stood the test of time for more than a quarter of a century, some don’t like it, mostly because others in the movement have been harshly criticized. Several speakers argued that NAR should not be used because, even amo…

Argue-by-Number: A Suggestion for the Church

By Mark D. Jordan

…n our side. Number 1 could be “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” Number 2: “God doesn’t discriminate.” Number 3: “Sex is only for procreation.” And so on. We could get clever, of course, and assign separate groups of numbers to arguments pro and con or to thematic clusters. I can even imagine some seminary librarian proposing a sort of Dewey Decimal System to organize the arguments. This would allow long series of arguments to be cited b…

In the Aftermath of the “Himalayan Tsunami”

By Luke Whitmore

…(first as Uttaranchal) in 2000, the region has seen a massive rise in the number of visitors to the region, especially by the growing Indian middle class. Roads widened and hotels and visitor services grew exponentially. Building a new hotel or a restaurant by the side of the road felt like a smart investment—even when the road was near a river. Kedarnath saw the building of new cell phone towers, a railway reservation office, helicopter landing…

The Sacred and the Dead: Operator, Can You Help Me?

By Maren Haynes

…connection, once burning with possibility and joy, began to cool, as cell phone calls dwindled and numbers eventually changed or were disconnected. As our shared realities drifted apart in their likeness, like Pigpen, I also turned to technologies that promised connection to try to tamp down the yearning and temper that sense of loss. Where Pigpen called up the trusty telephone operator, I did my pining alone, with only the camaraderie of a searc…

Swiss Priest Sacked for Blessing Lesbian Couple; Mormon Equality Advocate Excommunicated; Pope-Backed Anti-Gay Referendum Fails; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…th hate from politicians and religious leaders seeking political power and cheap popularity.” She and more than 130 volunteers then distributed the magazine across the country and into some unlikely hands, including to Uganda’s Parliament, president, and other politicians, as well as churches and media outlets. Nabagesera says Bombastic has been a “big hit,” allowing her to attract correspondents in every country across the African continent. She…

Yes, It’s Worse To Be Gay in Russia

By Chrissy Stroop

…bravery. The law that passed in June—which is, I think, best explained as cheap populist scapegoating—has served to activate and embolden widespread homophobia, which seems to me to have been previously often latent (the homophobia I encountered in Vladimir 10 years ago was none too aggressive). Phenomena like “Occupy Pedophilia” have appeared on the scene. Although it’s hard to say exactly how common anti-LGBT violence is in Russia, it should be…