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The Blasphemy of ISIS: A 7-Point Pro-Guide to Islam(ism)

By Haroon Moghul

…nstances and recommended in others, but to whom? In what ways? What is the best way to fight poverty? Is it by cutting checks, or investing in education, or making better nutrition available? But why do people think Muslims are supposed to kill, when it’s clearly forbidden? They’ll point to the verse, ‘kill them where you find them,’ and say, there it is, plain as day, limpid, translucent, undeniable. Except, it’s wrong. Sunni and Shi’a Islamic sc…

The Age of Dhikr

By Amina Wadud

…mature person. Age does not make maturation, per se. Yesterday we had the best of the best; the age was augmented by the quality of maturation and illuminated by the etiquette (or adab) of simple yet deep devotion. I was, for a brief moment, at home and when this happens to me, I feel a special grace from Allah. I could just be in the midst of my own love for Allah. I did not have to fight. I did not have to struggle for justice. And even more: I…

Escalating Afghanistan: What Did You Do in the Class War, Daddy?

By Peter Laarman

…ctly private property in the manner of Athenian slaves; rather, they could best be described as serfs or slaves of the public: available and expected to do the public’s bloody business of conquest and pillage. Let us say it clearly and see how it feels upon the tongue: today’s “all-volunteer” military represents a contemporary form of helotry. We give the great majority of our young very little hope for a foothold in our collapsed economy; then we…

Hajj Journal: Makkah as the Most Romantic City

By Amina Wadud

…and over again. Imagine my thoughts about this reversed order, right? The best position for the man in hajj is behind the woman. It made sense that these guys would literally need to be instructed for such, because their normal way of thinking must be, me first. Yes, yes, our wives are equal, but we’re the standard bearers and she must follow our leads. But in the jostle, if the person is behind you, they are more likely to be separated by the cr…

RDPulpit: On the Betrayal of King’s Legacy and Culture Wars

By Rev. Osagyefo Sekou

…s a negotiated settlement between progressives and evangelicals is weak at best. To claim King’s legacy without his sacrifice is childish; to bear witness to his courage but lack his conviction is cowardly. They betray King’s legacy, hinder democracy and make a mockery of the tradition that afforded me the right to write these words as free man. But there is hope. In the prophetic tradition that King embodied, there is much that the signers of “Re…

In Trump’s America, a Reminder of Our Prophetic Past

By Peter Laarman

…ice commitment grew, Merton was unflinching in critiquing his earliest and best-known work, The Seven Storey Mountain, for being so focused on the importance of contemplation as to be acquiescent in relation to social injustice. But Raboteau is at his very best in evoking Howard Thurman’s under-appreciated greatness: his distinctive and powerful nature-based mysticism, his prescience in respect to the spiritual cost of environmental degradation, h…

A Peek Inside the ‘Onion’ of Scientology

By Kristin Rawls

…gold. They are the public face of the Church, so you want them to have the best possible experience, so you won’t be punitive. Current Scientologists and ex-Scientologists have described Scientology to me as an onion, and celebrities are on the outside of the onion. David Miscavige resides in the center, and the Scientology experienced by members of the Sea Organization, which Miscavige heads, is vastly different than the Scienotology experienced…

The “Southern Cage”: How the Myth of the Redemptive Depression Keeps Blacks at the Margins

By Eric C. Miller

…cal churches sometimes helped people with food, clothing, and fuel. At its best, religious aid was limited, and churches scrambled for donations to keep benevolent institutions afloat. Then the bottom fell out. The stock market and agricultural markets crashed, unemployment soared, banks failed, and a drought withered a year’s crops. National income dropped by 50 percent. People were starving, and sick, and broken. Churches weren’t doing well eith…

Civil Unions Battle Heats Up in Italy; Church Leaders in Malawi Defend Criminalization of Homosexuality; Report on LGBT Student Group Sparks Backlash in Indonesia; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…it. Still, when human beings made in the image and likeness of God are our best selves then – we can be confident – that “all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” Mormon Church: Teen Suicides Reportedly Jump in Wake of New Anti-Gay ‘Revelation’ Mama Dragons, a group of Mormon mothers with gay children, said it had been informed of 32 young LGBT Mormons who had committed suicide in the U.S. since early Novembe…

Islamophobia and Racism: Civil Rights at the Breaking Point

By Erik Love

…intention is to show them the truth, no matter how unpleasant. I tried my best to deliver the truth as it was told to me by the dozens of advocates I spoke with, and as I saw it in the archival record. If I am even partially successful, then anyone who reads the book will want to learn more about what these remarkable advocates are doing. I hope some will get inspired to become more personally involved in the struggle against Islamophobia. What a…