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Is Monsanto Satan? The Pleasure and Problem of Conspiracy Theory

…le, because the deceiver is so powerful that any contact risks corruption. Best to avoid it entirely, lest you end up like Bill Nye, the Science Guy, who changed his mind on GMOs after visiting Monsanto. Under most circumstances, the reasonable explanation would be that Nye was persuaded by argument and evidence. But for those who believe in Monsatan, the better—the only—explanation is that Nye was coerced, just as the best explanation for my skep…

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How Are the “Nones” Raising Their Children?

therefore the individual has a right to choose one, or a combination, that best suits him or her. This is why None parents will not necessarily raise their children to be non-religious. In contrast to churched parents who usually transmit their own religion to their children, None parents insist they want their children to choose for themselves. That means providing options, and parents go about this in many different ways. I describe the five mos…

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Progressive Christian: Wallis “No Longer Speaks for Us”

…on, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. “We decided that ad space on our website isn’t the best way to get our message out,” King said. “What we’ve found is that people tend to respond to the ads and fail to have productive discussions.” King wrote a blog post on Sojourners’ website describing his personal experience with a gay friend who was alienated by the church, and he endorsed the message of the Believe Out Loud video. Sojourners thought it b…

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Why We Should Ban Oppressive Speech Acts

…e, when these speech acts are enacted, is not (to paraphrase Wittgenstein) best read through “the language game of reporting,” or the language game we might call the “open exchange of ideas.” The most obvious response is: Why not simply respond with better speech acts? “Speak truth to perlocutionary effect,” if you will. I want to specifically address why racist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-immigrant speech acts—qua speech acts—are best combated…

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The Secret Life of Mormons: As Told by Prodigal Daughter, Novelist Judith Freeman

…always emphasized that we should tell faith-promoting stories and put the best spin on everything. I think the consequences of that can be devastating for individuals full of flaws and trying to reckon with their own stories. When I think about the girl I was—I was a thief, I was stealing things, I was having an affair—but in truth I was a very human, flawed, striving, seeking young woman. For a long time, I stole things in my life. And I really…

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Millennials Put Off By Rigid, Judgmental Religion Offered … More Orthodoxy

…rches that demand orthodoxy—another word for holiness—are the ones that do best. That’s even true! Conservative churches do fare better these days than liberal ones, though the sociologists tell me that’s mostly the result of their later adoption of birth control. The cultural trends are the cultural trends, even if they do take longer to catch up with some groups than others. It makes a certain surface amount of sense, then, that Shrum would argu…

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What Religion Looks Like, Wisconsin Edition

…e importance of balancing our state budget while continuing to provide the best services possible to our citizens. But because of my belief that far more is accomplished for the best interests of all those we serve when employers and employees work together, I am writing to ask you to reconsider your initiative which I believe would end the possibility for those who are government employees here in Wisconsin to negotiate settlement of labor and ma…

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Eddie Izzard on Atheism, Transgender, and “The Invisible Bloke Upstairs”

…t’s what it was. I suddenly realized I was hiding behind myself and it was best to just come out in front. It’s kind of like being a transvestite. I think gradually people just move on over that. When did you realize you are a humanist? I am getting this award as a humanist but… I said I was an atheist in 2008. I remember hearing about the humanists and I always thought of myself as a human being. I don’t know. This is a difficult question to answ…

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Open Carry Racism: The Right Wing Fever Dream that Predates Trump

…ers of which refuse to do so. Get Out may never have been fated to win the Best Picture Oscar, but it’s still the movie that best answers the question how did we get here? while pointing to the “black mold” in the basement. But what needs to be acknowledged is that while Trump is truly exceptional in his disregard for laws, norms, and institutions, he’s also a recognizable product of a half-century’s con game. Significantly, it was with Ronald Rea…

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American Jews: From Holocaust to New Age Hasidism?

The best Jewish thinking is conscious of being rooted in a certain historical moment. When theology is simply disinterested commentary on a textual tradition, there is nothing to give it ballast with a reader. But when theology presents itself as commentary for an audience that (so the theologian says) needs this commentary now, then it can transform a community. One of the most widely known bits of modern Jewish theology is Emil Fackenheim’s art…

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