Religion Dispatches
…belongs to a Church that strictly prohibits tobacco use, apparently had no reservations about promoting tobacco in countries which had no or few regulations on the promotion or use of tobacco products. In fact, the documents show that this was the clear objective of American tobacco companies who were facing declining sales at home due to increased government regulations and scrutiny. Romney has spoken of his personal disdain for tobacco, revealin…
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…somebody or an accidental rumor that made one “take the risk” and attend a service at CBST. In the Internet era, however, the information is easily available to the “accidental” lesbian or gay man in their search for suitable venues of sociability and spirituality. Actually, during my last visits to services I was overwhelmed by the growth of the congregation and particularly the high percentage of young people present among the congregants. You h…
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…even worse — a mass “prophylactic” cleansing of homosexuals, the security service agents told the gay men as they rounded them up. At a protest in Santiago, Chile, people wore pink triangles, drawing parallels between the reported concentration camps in Chechnya and those in Nazi Germany. Human rights activists began collecting and publicizing accounts of survivors and called on Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s “top diplomat,” to raise hu…
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…disappointed to see that Humanists were not included in today’s interfaith service. Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core offered these comments: Atheists and secular humanists should absolutely be included in interfaith memorial ceremonies. They represent 20% of the population, and they grieve and hope with the same intensity that believers do. Furthermore, institutions like the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard are shaping lang…
Read More…ondents were essentially even (49% to 48%) on whether providers of wedding services should be able to refuse those services to same-sex couples on religious grounds. It’s an interesting split, given that a clear majority of Americans have supported marriage equality since at least 2013, according to Pew. It’s worth noting that Pew asked respondents about their feelings on these issues, but did not include information about the current state of law…
Read More…nvestigate. The gang scattered at the approach of the police, and in their flight on drew a revolver and fired at Officer Rowan, without effect, however. William Nangle, age 14, and Sidney Duncan, age 12, were captured, but the other five or six escaped, among them the one who who did the shooting. The boys refused to disclose the object of their meeting, but it is thought that another ‘Jesse James’ organization has been broken up.” • March 15, 18…
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…mah and bleacher-style pews (bridging a forest-fire resistant pool), where services are held before an audience of refugees living in an on-site block of temporary housing apartments. “Since Dalet means door, among other things, I started thinking about Lazarus, and ‘I lift my light besides a golden door,’ and refugees in relation to the people who go to pray on a nice Saturday or Sunday. [For them] everything is lovely, and they have their childr…
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…It does make me wonder, though, what would happen if this family got their flight waivers tomorrow and showed up next week. Would they be redirected to Connecticut like the family turned away from Indiana this week? Would they face open hostility, suspicion, even violence, as Muslims in many states have? Would my parishioners still want to befriend them, or would they be cowed or converted by the mean-spirited rhetoric that has been flying loose r…
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…rethink their attitudes about climate change. Can you say more about this online support system you’re trying to build? We are trying to keep everyone positive and connected. It’s going to be more and more important to set up alternative forms of socializing. I think this a place where we as a religious community can really provide a service to people. Is it normal for you to end your communications, “Love, Lucien Greaves?” Have you ever done tha…
Read More…lain that we shouldn’t be allowed to enter a “’til death do us part” marriage – now, we can’t even be allowed to look for a potential mate using one of the most popular online dating services out there. Wow, it’s almost as if they don’t want us to exist at all. Oh, wait a minute ……
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