Religion Dispatches
…and plentiful images.” So, the question is, will the pope heed Lam’s advice and embark on the wonderful world of blogging? Will he use this twenty-first century means of communication to express obsolete ideology? Or would blogging help the pope realize that some of his teachings are a wee bit outdated? What next, Pope Benedict on Facebook? If so, you can bet your mortgage that plenty of “good” Catholics will be editing their profiles before they…
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…her than try to change God’s standards” (1-14-08). 6.) TOP TEN COMPARISONS BETWEEN RELIGION AND DENTISTRY: Between Google ads for “oral sedation” and “dental fear,” blogger Mark Wright writes thoughtfully about many things. On this list he points out, helpfully, that “Both Dentistry and Religion benefit financially from your sins” and reminds us that “In Religion there is the promise of Heaven. In Dentistry there is only Hell.” 7.) BOOKLIST’S TOP…
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…retrogressive, exclusionary, and misogynist. Quite an agenda to defy. “I feel both helpless and urgent,” she says. But life, wisdom, is in the community. “Catholicism is an important expression of historical Christianity in the West, and its reform is vital to many around the world who are part of this church, and others affected by its presence and power.” As one who witnessed the machinations of the Vatican delegation at the United Nations aroun…
Read More…religion (regardless of whether compelled by, or central to, a system of religious belief), speech, expression, or association…” Despite the exception, the religious right continues its “hair-on-fire” hysterics about how the law discriminates against them. Their chief complaint is that all crimes are “hate crimes” and such special laws are not needed. But, as David Saperstein wisely reminds us, hate crimes are often not just directed at the parti…
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…l world with adolescence hints at this as a kind of rite of passage—a time betwixt and between childhood and full adult responsibilities. Much like game worlds, it occurs within a space where actions have been stripped of real-world consequences, though from the first, we discover that Zoe has discovered ways to make what happens in this space count: she’s turned to it as a space of religious conversion and political activism. One of the recurring…
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…nce of Taqwacore I was hesitant to label things “Islamic.” It implies a level of religiosity that may not be present and obscures other intentions and meanings in the music. I much prefer Marshall Hodgson’s construction of “Islamicate,” for things that may be influenced by Islam, but are not necessarily religious. I am curious about KF’s point about identity crisis. I never heard your music in that way. To me, it is a declaration of the multiple i…
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…e have we heard this debate between psychoanalysis and religious belief lately? Well, for one, through the Church of Scientology, but of course, we know that it has a much longer history with many who we might in the modern Western world classify as “mad” being treated as holy fools in other cultures. And of course, this history of mental illness may explain why Amanda is such a blabbermouth and says things that are so destructive to the interests…
Read More…e the king imperial And I’ll take the bible literal… …On TV, I’ve seen it They sell forgiveness, how convenient Master, Visa, the shit’s ingenious Why go to church, stay home with Jesus… …I’m talking about televangelists, need to be sued for spiritual damages… …And I don’t know what right is, And I ain’t all self-righteous I just want to know what Christ is I just want to know what Christ is……
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…e very small Central Valley town. The labor in California’s agricultural fields was largely taken up by Mexican migrant workers—the very workers Chavez had been unable to reconcile to his American union, whom he had branded “scabs” and wanted reported to immigration authorities. This is far from the whole story. In fact Chavez did organize and reconcile undocumented workers to his union. He also worked to repeal the infamous bracero program which…
Read More…f II Corinthians 6:14… The Mormon Church is now rejoicing over the public relations success that these undiscerning evangelical leaders have handed the Mormon Church by uniting with Glenn Beck in the two events that were promoted as spiritual. Cameron, known also for his part on the television series Growing Pains and more recently nicknamed Banana-man (along with Ray Comfort) for the anti-evolution DVDs that became the source of tremendous intern…
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