Religion Dispatches
…evangelicals were all too eager to point to that man’s material success as more than enough goodness to overlook his flaws. In fact, as the prosperity gospel teaches us, having material wealth is a sure sign of God’s favor. And losing all of your material wealth in a natural disaster? Well, that’s surely a sign of God’s judgment—so brace yourself for the victim-blaming aftershocks….
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…back before the millennium. From there they determined that there will be signs or indications that tell us we’re approaching the Second Coming. They believe the Bible had laid out these signs, the sequence of events that would happen, as they understood it, as we get closer and closer and closer to the Second Coming of Christ. The rough picture is that we’re moving towards the End Times. Instead of the idea that Christians are building the kingd…
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…that God is the source of life. In December 2014, I drew up and carried a sign with the words “James Cone Was Right” as I marched with members of the Union Theological Seminary community for the Millions March NYC. My sign became a hashtag and sparked a larger conversation. I think #JamesConeWasRight is about much more than just one person, it’s about voices that have long been sidelined; this includes Womanist theologians (many of whom were stud…
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…takes you out to the conference center). There we see a Panda holding the sign of resistance and hope and a young woman on the verge of skateboarding. The poster has the same fierceness the French showed on Sunday when, after terrorism and the police cancelled the giant kick-off march, they put their shoes in rows on the street. Not allowed to protest, they amused themselves and many others with the amuse-bouche of the human spirit. Ordinary peop…
Read More…for the cause. He had some good jokes about the various Buddhists who have signed on with Greenfaith. “Who knew Buddhists cared about who was listed first?” He called my denomination, the United Church of Christ, a “Fringe movement,” and I don’t think it was a compliment. His point was that you could expect people like us to sign on to GreenFaiths”s strong and inclusive positions. He was proud of how wide the religious coalition he has masterfully…
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…rst. The conference and the materials were free, and there’s nary a dollar sign to be seen for any of their heartfulness services on the website. But for the organization to have the reach and global real estate it apparently possesses, there is certainly a point at which revenue (donation!) is extracted. That combined with the nebulous promise of transformation (if only you connect with a Los Angeles-based trainer!) earned a side-eye or five from…
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…el Alito, who questioned the need for such laws and called it an “ominous” sign for religious liberty: There are strong reasons to doubt whether the regulations were adopted for—or that they actually serve—any legitimate purpose. And there is much evidence that the impetus for the adoption of the regulations was hostility to pharmacists whose religious beliefs regarding abortion and contraception are out of step with prevailing opinion in the Stat…
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…he also feels a growing sense of frustration with the Muslim community. “I signed that letter because it’s a step forward,” Aly said. “But the letter just focuses on Muslim issues, and at this point, we don’t need to have 400 people sign one letter. We need 400 letters—you know what I mean? We are not one voice, we are not a monolith.” Given the demographics of American Muslims, the most diverse faith community in the nation, it might seem natural…
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…body of Christ, can’t show that difference is not a bad thing, and it’s a sign of God’s divinity, if we can’t show what it’s like to live in the tension of those differences, and find unity, what hope is there for the rest of the world?” Nevertheless, Oliveto is optimistic about the future of the church that still makes her soul sing. “I really believe there’s a love revolution going on,” she said of the response to her election. Even those who r…
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…s, ritual: Merritt offered to anoint people “for wholeness,” with an equal sign on their foreheads, not a cross. He had several takers. Merritt told me that participants at ODC asked for a religious presence, religious ritual, religious gatherings. A woman who came to the interfaith service wanted to express a joy, saying she was “happy I am living through this process, of finally standing up for something… we’re coming together of one accord for…
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