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Are Atheists Taking 1st Amendment Suits Too Far?

By Gordon Haber

…it also helps wealthy pastors line their own pockets. For example, between 1993 and 1995,Saddleback Church paid Rick Warren a housing allowance of around $80,000 per year, which (probably not coincidentally) was most of his salary. The IRS guideline, however, was that clergy can only claim “fair market value” of the home, and the rental value of the house in question was $60,000 a year. The IRS wanted Warren to cough up the taxes on the differenc…

New Poll: Repeal DOMA

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…independent leaning Republicans. Conservatives outweighed liberals by 38 to 18 percent, and a full 74 percent of those polled identified as religious. Some 40 percent claimed the moniker of “born again,” and 33 percent said they attended church once or more a week – two markers that usually make for anti-marriage equality opinions. One glaring flaw is the diversity of the sample – 75 percent of the respondents were white, but the majority of those…

As Florida Attempts to Make it Illegal, an Argument for the Sacred Work of White Discomfort

By Robert P. Jones

…the monetary value assigned to the person: 1 negro woman name Naomi @ $800 1 named Susan @ $450 1 named Eliza @ $275 1 named Bird, a boy @ $150 I knew my family had been given land the U.S. government had forcibly taken from Native Americans, and I knew there were enslavers in the family tree. I knew that “my people,” even up through my parents’ generation, had benefited from Jim Crow segregation in Macon—with schools, libraries, parks, pools, th…

The March for Life: Grassroots Movement or Agitprop?

By Patricia Miller

…the Women’s March, despite guest stars like VP Mike Pence. With only about 100 buses permitted for the city, compared to 1,800 for the Women’s March, organizers are suddenly claiming it’s not about the numbers after all. March for Life President Jeanne Mancini told the Times: I don’t think that these numbers are the most important. The number most important for us is 58 million, which is the number of Americans that have been lost to abortion. Bu…

A Resurgence of “Ex-Gay Therapy” Under Trump/Pence? ABC News Report Offers a Platform to Hate Group Rep. Peter Sprigg

By Sunnivie Brydum

…atment had on him—though it did not change his sexual orientation. “I spent 12 years suicidally depressed because of conversion therapy,” said Kendall. I lost my sense of place in the world, my family, and any stability in life. At age 16, I went to court to revoke my parents’ legal custody. Less than one year later, I dropped out of high school. The next decade was a struggle to survive; I was battling the disastrous damage conversion therapy cau…

Evangelical “Sexual Purity” Is Not About Sex—It’s About Power

By Sara J. Moslener

…rigins of sexual purity. Right now I’m interested in the debate between the 19th century reformer Frances Willard and the journalist and anti-lynching activist, Ida B. Wells. Wells made it known that lynching in the late 19th/early 20th century was justified by the myth of the black, male rapist. Most lynchings occurred because black men were accused of raping white women. Wells’ investigation into hundreds of lynching cases determined that most o…

Vatican Considers ‘Disordered’ Language; HBO Doc on LGBT Persecution in Russia; Nigerian Bishop Shifts on Anti-Gay Law; Arson at ‘Open Mosque’ in South Africa; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…in 2011 would bring minorities greater freedom. Indonesia: Province Passes 100-Lash Law We previously reported that the province of Aceh, described by NBC News as “the most orthodox corner of Muslim-majority Indonesia,” was considering legislation to make gay sex punishable by 100 lashes with a cane. That law has passed. The sting of a rattan cane is only part of the punishment. Aceh’s officials admit the primary objective is shame. That’s why th…

More Mixed Signals from Pope Francis; Church of England Wrestles with Rifts; Faith Groups Lobby Pro & Con on Irish Referendum; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…ction that we have been getting from the hierarchy is due to the welcoming spirit of Pope Francis, who wants to welcome everyone,” said [Sister Jeannine] Gramick, speaking by phone from Assisi, the pilgrims’ last stop before heading to Rome. “It’s very heartening to people who have felt alienated and rejected for so long, so we are feeling very hopeful.” “While LGBT Catholics hope for changes, they are realistic enough to know that Francis may not…

The Search For Proofs For God’s Existence

By Gordon Haber

…o be the case that our beliefs become stronger and more satisfying when we manage to convince others of them; doing so also strengthens our personal commitment to those beliefs because of the power dynamics we experience as a result of persuading others. (Consult an evolutionary psychologist for a plethora of possible reasons why.) A lot of people get into the business of proofs because they themselves have experienced radical doubt at some point…

UPDATE: An Abrupt End to Quebec Separatist Plan to Ban “Ostentatious Signs” of Religion

By Jeremy Stolow

…remains to be seen how the newly elected Liberal government in Quebec will manage these questions of religious identity and diversity, and whether they will end up entangled in the very same language of ‘liberal tolerance’ one finds at the root of previous government’s Charter initiative. To unearth the reasons why the animating force of Bill 60 might remain in play within Quebec politics, even in the wake of the recent election, we need to examin…