Religion Dispatches
…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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…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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…ou’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 Lakers tickets in lieu of apologies, but I think that particular era is done.) This whole book is a result of a profound evolution, and needs to be seen as such. American Muslims have gone through a lot over the last few decades. We were never the caricature Islamophobes made us ou…
Read More…of health care is not a religious tenet,” and Kagan distinguished between “wanting to be a good employer” and “saying your religious beliefs” compel providing a health insurance plan. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, arguing the government’s position, highlighted that if the Court ruled for Hobby Lobby, it would mark the first time a court granted an exemption that “extinguishe[d] the statutorily guaranteed benefits” of someone else: Hobby Lobby…
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…ment of 50,000, as if the faithful at church. The devotion was audible, as tickets were distributed to friends of the Cuban government and not through a public sale. Here the religious nature of the Cuban sporting event is acknowledged only to be dismissed as inauthentic. The patriotic, quasi-religious crooning is suspicious because of its apparent production by the Cuban government, which distributed tickets to friends. Morosi recognizes religiou…
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…ISIS,” he said. “I don’t know about you but I am a homosexual and I do not want to be stoned to death. I want my country to remain the way it is now. I don’t want the state religion to change. I don’t want the way this country is run to change. I want people who accept our values.” Ireland: Marriage bill introduced; Catholic group complains about ‘same love’ posters; Presbyterian minister who praised marriage equality recants under pressure Marria…
Read More…rdinator for Asia and Pacific Islands, published a reflection on the papal visit. An excerpt: The visit was an inspiring moment to the majority of Filipinos where almost 80% are Catholics, while at the same time offered crucial insight into the limitations to Pope Francis’ apparent openness about welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals of faith to the church. While many Catholic LGBT individuals in the Philippines—and e…
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…the United States is becoming a more urbanized country, and in many areas cities are thriving while suburbs are losing ground. In general, residents of cities tend to be more socially liberal than residents of suburbs. What does this mean for today’s religious right, whose success is so intertwined with the rise of suburbs? One possibility is that American evangelicalism will become more urbanized—leaving suburban evangelicalism with an uncertain…
Read More…ore refused to discontinue a promotion which offers its customers discount tickets to a Christian magic show produced by Lawrence Khong, the anti-gay pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church: Mr Khong has claimed that gay people have “a shorter lifespan, more sexually transmitted infections and more health problems than the general population” and has warned of a “looming threat” of “homosexual activists” trying to repeal sodomy laws. Many custome…
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…ion is so important. That’s also why dissatisfied customers at restaurants want to get their dish for free, or get a free glass of wine, or a free dessert, because that balances out the input-output equation. So if the customer service agent gives you something, then you feel compensated, then you’re okay, and it’s not such a cognitive puzzle, and also not such a frustration to deal with the amorphous agent of the airline as a whole. It doesn’t ma…
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