…nature of her own existence!” Similarly, Darwin doubted whether Fuegians felt religious devotion yet saw “some distinct approach to this state of mind in the deep love of a dog for his master.” Darwin attributed the evolution of even the most ennobling of human traits to the same gradual, naturalistic, survival-of-the-fittest processes that he envisioned as producing all living things. Here was his theory of evolution by natural selection applied…
…conservatives and three liberals. Doocy, in characterizing the advisory panel, held up his fingers to emphasize the balance, an issue that particularly irks Texas Freedom Network’s Dan Quinn. “This is not a debate between left and right,” Quinn said. “This is a debate between radicalism and the mainstream.” “What they’ve done is the same thing they did with the science experts,” Quinn added. “They’ve packed the panel with ideologues whose politics…
…e spotlight after Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code hit the New York Times bestseller list. The novel suggested that the women in Opus Dei are “forced to clean the men’s residence halls for no pay,” and remarked upon the broad subjugation of women in the order. And while the novel is fictional, the alleged “misconceptions” that arose in the fallout of the media attention surrounding The DaVinci Code provided much of the impetus for a new book: Women of…
By Randall Balmer, Anthea Butler, Evan Derkacz, Jeff Sharlet, and Diane Winston
…rist.”—Charles Colson, author, founder of Prison Fellowship and Watergate felon Religion or Politics? It’s come up a number of times both in the book and in this roundtable; whether The Family is a religious or a political movement; “a political theology”? Randy wrote that: “The author parses this group as a political movement, but that scheme… doesn’t hold. What if he looked at The Family as a religious movement instead, as I think it is?” Jeff j…
…elevision and some radio. Reuters reported in February 2008 that Bezeq Israel Telecom launched a new “kosher” landline phone service, which will block calls to porn and other “improper” destinations for these conservative groups. The same sentiment appears to be troubling religious courts in the United Kingdom, where judges are hearing a case about whether or not church steeples can host mobile phone masts, since the masts might be used to relay p…
…esponse is that we’re morally bound to admit and help them. But what precisely is the moral and religious claim? And what are the possible outcomes if we do or don’t follow it? Most of the Republican candidates would refuse to admit refugees as would 30 governors. Ben Carson compared them to “rabid dogs.” Jeb Bush would admit only Christians. Chris Christie would bar even orphaned toddlers. Supporting the House bill that limits Syrian refugees (pa…
…gy makes sexual morality rather clear.” Last Sunday’s pride parade in New Delhi celebrated LGBT community gains while demanding repeal of the reinstated colonial era law that criminalizes homosexual activity. Bermuda: Pastor supports son’s push for marriage equality, cites ‘whole Jesus concept’ Ijumo Hayward and Clarence Williams III, a gay couple, filed notice of their intention to marry, with plans to take their case to the Supreme Court. A huma…
…. But at what costs do we maintain a revered institution like the military code of honor? Holocaust levels of genocide threaten the Syrian Kurds. Why isn’t the prospect of mass murder enough to make Mattis reconsider the politics of personal honor? If that grim prospect is not enough, what is? Mattis’ deferral to presidential rights, for instance, should challenge us to reconsider whether a president like FDR had an analogous “right” to have a cab…
…e referendum; they won more than 60 percent of the vote but since turnout fell below 50 percent it was not considered legally valid. Malta: Marriage equality becomes campaign issue The government of the Catholic-majority country introduced civil unions in 2014. Now Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is promising to introduce marriage equality if his Labour party is returned to power, and the opposition Nationalist Party announced it will not try to roll…
…ects a sacred and unlimited right is a legal narrative recently invented, deliberately advanced, and grossly manipulated by the NRA—and it’s killing Americans. The Supreme Court’s political manipulation of the constitutional right has allowed guns to become as much of a public health crisis as Covid and has thwarted sensible gun regulation. This Supreme Court is considering another Second Amendment case this term (oral argument is on Nov. 3) that…
