Religion Dispatches
…e case. But many times, the liars believe the falsehood themselves, or at least half-believes. Phillip Leon writes, “The self-deceiver does not believe… what he says or he would not be a deceiver. He does believe what he says or he would not be deceived. He both believes and does not believe… or he would not be self-deceived.” Given the choice between uttering a falsifiable assertion and accepting a truth that does not support their moral and poli…
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…of the others. The new administration has launched aggressive attacks on a free and fair press, freedom of speech, and the right of the citizenry to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. One could even argue that he’s weakened the free expression of religion (or lack thereof), particularly as it refers to contraception, LGBT rights, and any non-Christian faith practices. Take the freedom of the press and the r…
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…ousness is both mysterious and trendy. Noetic science is a real field, at least insofar as there is really an Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, California. As their Web site explains, the Institute “explores the frontiers of consciousness” to “build bridges between science and spirit,” and “research subtle energies.” Such baloney works wonders for middle-class self-absorption, and for Brown it serves as a useful device. By merging mind and…
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…o like children. The adults in Ramona’s world are basically decent, or at least not mean. (If there is a villain in the series, it’s Mrs. Kemp, who uses Ramona for free babysitting while being paid to babysit Ramona.) But Cleary’s stories are delicate enough to reveal the stakes. In Ramona the Brave, she describes a feeling that adult readers may recognize: “Ramona was startled, then embarrassed. Once more she felt as if she were standing aside, s…
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…all the answers. Rather, in light of human tragedy, humanists might offer better questions during these challenging times, as well as a space for wrestling with these questions free of cosmic justifications—and a God clearly missing in action. I write this not to deny comfort for those who have been directly and indirectly touched by this unspeakable act of violence. Mine is an effort to acknowledge and respect grief without so quickly pushing t…
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…e anti-gay, anti-immigrant, and anti-climate change stances of the evangelical groups are just so wildly out of step with what most people under age 50 believe. And the circumstantial evidence we have from these last two years seems to indicate that at least some of the younger people we’re talking about aren’t going over to the “no religion” corner when they leave white evangelicalism; they’re heading into the non-evangelical Christian corner, at…
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…er because anti-Robertsonite conservatives in the Republican Coalition at least have some alibi in relation to Robertson’s 1988 campaign—they beat him back and have engaged in related tugs of war ever since. However, I see no such alibi for looking the other way as Robertson made anti-Semitic smears (plus similar attacks on New Agers, feminists, Muslims, and others) and absurd claims about global politics. More than the 1988 campaign (or the subse…
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…agenda; with only a few dissenting voices pointing out that any assault on free speech, even the free speech of an anonymous cabal, threatens the rights of all. The vandalism of the Guidestones seems to be a classic case of an eccentric and lofty idea under assault by the hoi polloi. In fact, a letter from the monument’s benefactors printed by the Elberton Granite Finishing Company predicted just such a scenario. They ask that the people of Elbert…
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…ed by televangelist Pat Robertson. The Anti-LGBTQ group Alliance Defending Freedom has set up shop outside the US as well, dubbing its coordinating international body Alliance Defending Freedom International. The Polish Ordo Iuris, a right-wing catholic organization which leads a crusade against abortion, is likewise well connected on an international level with German pundit Birgit Kelle, a regular on the anti-abortion circuit, having recently sp…
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…real thing. And this transcends politics. It’s not as if liberals are any better at serving the poor than conservatives. You talk about these very progressive congregations using “charity” or of “doing good” to distance themselves from those they’re serving. I think the desire to be good gets expressed in different ways. I have a friend, a volunteer at our food pantry, who sleeps in the street under a bridge and is here at 7:30 in the morning bec…
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