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Controversial “Bishop of the Poor” Dies at 86

By Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado

…to do, and forget the flesh and blood individuals whose lives have been transformed and who deeply mourn the passing of religious leaders such as Ruiz; he not only lived with the poor, he learned their language (four Mayan dialects), and placed their struggles on an international arena. And yet I hope that ten years from now his advocacy will not be remembered as a relic of the past—a Church that once was—and instead that there’ll be an active rem…

“Taliban Dan’s” Teacher: Inside Bill Gothard’s Authoritarian Subculture

By Sarah Posner

…ed objects, and by saying that “authority” is simply “love” and “love” is “freedom”—flies in the face of his critics’ descriptions of the impact of his authoritarian teachings on their lives. In interviews, former adherents to Gothard’s teachings, disillusioned former members of “ATI families,” and an evangelical critic told me that his unyielding theology, including “non-optional” compliance with seven “biblical” principles (the “basic” life prin…

Funding of Creationist Organizations Doubles

By Lauri Lebo

…esis remains the big boy in the business, far ahead of Creation Ministries International (from which AIG split a few years ago) and Institute for Creation Institute. AIG is the owner of the Kentucky-based Creation Museum, which features saddle-wearing dinosaurs and a recreation of Noah’s Ark built to biblical scale. Sadly, the gross revenue of National Center for Science Education, the primary defender of public education from anti-science attacks…

The Muslim Loyalty Oath

By Hussein Rashid

…est of the Muslim community, which has made these arguments for years. The international Amman Message, for example, was issued in 2007, and the Islamic Center at NYU is a center based on the message. The Islamic Society of North America issued a similar statement in 2005. The difference between these endeavors and the Ahmadi community’s statement is that that these other messages are far-reaching, including as they do wide sections of the Muslim…

Frank Gaffney Appointed to Clarion Fund Board

By Sarah Posner

…ice presidents. Clarion’s address is also the same as that of Aish HaTorah International, a fundraising arm of Aish HaTorah. In addition to being available on DVD, Iranium will be shown in limited release in theaters starting February 8, and will be screened on Capitol Hill in conjunction with a Heritage Foundation event on February 1, according Shore’s fundraising email. “Several notable Congressmen and Senators,” Shore added, “have pledged their…

Yo, Gays, Stop Bogarting that Rainbow!

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…ncan territory. It has also been used by the peace movement as well as the International Cooperative Alliance. What all these uses have in common is that the rainbow flag represents diversity, as Morse rightly claims. However, the overarching meaning of the rainbow flag is one of inclusion. When gay and lesbian people fly the rainbow flag they are not seeking “special rights” or making any special claim to the rainbow. Instead, the rainbow flag is…

Indonesian Volcano Update: Yes, it’s a Religion Story…

By Mark Woodward

…. Word of people in need spread on Facebook and by text messages on mobile phones. People collected money or “in kind” contributions, bought what was needed, packed it into any vehicle they had or could borrow and headed off into the countryside. Most of these aid shipments included bottled water, rice, personal hygiene items and of “nasi bungkus” — packaged prepared meals including rice, vegetables and some combination of meat or fish eggs and to…

Cuba Opens its Doors to the Catholic Church

By Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado

…blessed the cornerstone of the seminary, which was funded by a variety of international organizations, including the Knights of Columbus. Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega warmly greeted Castro at the inauguration, saying “In the name of the Church, I thank both the former president, as well as current President Raul Castro, who honors us with his presence, for the state’s support of this work.” The significance of Wenski, Castro, and Ortega together a…

Condoms and Common Sense

By Frances Kissling

…procreation as the only legitimate expression of human sexuality. Caritas International, the official Vatican umbrella for poverty eradication, including AIDS work, welcomed the Pope’s remarks; but Msgr. Robert Vitillo, the Special Advisor on HIV and AIDS immediately added: “I would like to… emphasize my strong conviction that the Church’s teaching, which insists on sexual abstinence outside marriage and lifelong, mutual fidelity within marriage,…

Glenn Beck Hijacks It’s a Wonderful Life

By Lauri Lebo

…on, which has only about 12,000 people, may be one of the worst. After the international shipping firm DHL restructured and pulled up stakes in 2008, approximately 9,000 people from the area lost their jobs. Beck claims the town “is fighting to be Bedford Falls, not Pottersville.” Now, I’m a great fan of It’s a Wonderful Life, which is set in the fictional town of Bedford Falls. Sure, it’s overly sentimental—Capra-corn, as it’s often called. But t…