Religion Dispatches
…way from the hard work of repentance, who tickle our ears with promises of cheap grace, and offer a vision of the cross of Jesus that has nothing to say to the crosses, and lynching trees, of history. But, if we do, we will be settling for the gospel of Caesar, not the good news of Jesus Christ. Perhaps it is time to put down the chalk, stop drawing pyrotechnical conspiracy theories that play into our worst fears and listen, instead, for the diffi…
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…as citizens and lower dignity as human beings. Other readers proposed that airlines set aside special seating for men requiring such accommodations—in the back of the airplane. I fly frequently and while I have never witnessed the above situation I have seen many circumstances in which people have moved to accommodate others. I have seen people give up their aisle seat to a senior citizen and take his middle. I have watched passengers with first c…
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…terners,” said Carrie Zheng, a college student in her first year away from China. “The first thing is, Tibet is, was and always will be a part of China. We don’t have restrictions on religion in Tibet. We will never, ever deny their religion.” For Tibetan Buddhist Tseten Dorjee, who flew from Oregon to protest, the debate is nuanced. “A lot of [Chinese] have sympathy with what’s happening in Tibet,” she said, even if they are afraid to say so. “Th…
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…We have an unprecedented access to cheap goods, yet we must recognize that cheap goods are cheaply made. I am not speaking of quality, I am speaking of cheap labor. We must recognize that through the act of shopping, whether it is for an article of clothing, a toy, a pint of strawberries, or even our morning cup of coffee, we participate in a global economy that values profit over people. Disposable goods are made by disposable people, faceless in…
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…ed Irish Central: “This is not your grandfather’s Ireland any more folks.” China: Propaganda officials tell media to play down Taiwan marriage ruling According to Radio Free Asia, “China’s state propaganda machine has warned the country’s media not to ‘make a big deal’ of” Taiwan’s marriage equality ruling. The government of Hong Kong has appealed a ruling by the city’s high court that the city must provide spousal benefits to civil servants who m…
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…e success either. The opening weekend saw sales of more than $6 million in tickets. That’s the kind of number that will inspire others to try and figure out the formula for the faith-and-family blockbuster. Yet, with the cost of the film reportedly exceeding $30 million, it’s an open question whether or not the Left Behind reboot will get a second installment. The marketing problem of evangelical movies is still, stubbornly, a problem. The general…
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…ty of indiscriminate violence. Too many people—not just dentists on Virgin Airlines—make statements like, “Muslims don’t do enough to reject terrorism.” It’s probable many of them have never met Muslims. If they tried, they might be surprised. In fact, the reaction to my essay—you’ll read an excerpt below—has surprised me, too. I wish I could find my airline companion and give him this book, to surprise him, too—in a good way. (I would accept La…
Read MoreAt oral argument in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties, Inc. v. Sebelius this morning, the Supreme Court justices spent a great deal of time questioning the lawyers in the case about whether corporations have a religious conscience, and whether Congress intended to protect it when enacting the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). What was most striking, though, was how all three female justices, Sonia So…
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…ing COVID-19 the ‘China Virus.’” Searching Twitter for the phrase “Godless China” or “Godless Communist China” yields an ever-updating string of unironically bigoted results. Indeed, it was precisely because of such virulent religiosity, which exploits my faith to launder attacks on my ethnicity, that I began writing an open letter on anti-Asian racism and Christian nationalism in early December. The letter has now amassed over 300 signatures from…
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…independence for Tibet and his spiritual leader’s call for autonomy within China. Many young Tibetans break from the Dalai Lama over his effort to compromise with China. Strategically, it’s better to ask for it all, Raha says, but as a Buddhist convert about to make his first 10-day meditation retreat, he also sees independence as “the best way to preserve the true culture.” The extreme stance, however, does not call for extreme actions, Raha says…
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