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The Man in the Red Dress: My Unlikely Friendship with Cardinal Francis George

…media as a few of his brother cardinals did at the zenith of the clergy sex abuse scandal). He also didn’t lie to us (at least not as far as I know), which is an all-too-often rare experience among religious leaders, whether in the throes of crisis or not. For many years as a religion journalist, and even as a columnist where I was supposed to offer my opinion and perspective, I kept my own spiritual and religious predilections to myself lest I a…

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How Would Religion Respond to Extraterrestrials? A Thought Experiment

…god.” But Christians are left wondering whether the papal encyclical will explain how the crucifixion of Christ redeemed the Sagittarians, or whether they had need of their own “alien Christ.” For the next few days at least the Vatican remains silent while that corner of the night sky near NGC 6809 is still pulsing out prime numbers. –Rome, December, 2055 _________ The article that may one day be written about religious responses to E.T. will of c…

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The Plot to Turn the Synod into a “Plot”

…gives the pontiff latitude over the composition of the synod in Articles IX and X: In choosing those who are to represent the episcopal Conferences of one or a number of nations and the religious institutes in the Synod of Bishops, great attention should be paid not just to the general knowledge and wisdom of individuals, but also to their theoretical and practical knowledge of the matter which the Synod is to take up. The Supreme Pontiff may, if…

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25 Things You Can Blame Muslims For

…‘bawa’i,’ or remainders. Back from when most Spaniards spoke Arabic. 19. FOX News “FOX News” by Summer Putman Because what else would they talk about? 20. Band practice The Ottomans invented military parades, and attached military bands (with drums over horns) to battle formations, to boost troop morale and freak out whoever was being attacked. They attacked often, which was not cool. But pretty soon everyone who was anyone was doing it, and then…

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What the Conservative Christian “Fake-Trans Bathroom Creeper” Has To Do With Suburban Anxiety

…rries about bathroom invaders, when arguably they were the ones trying to exert influence on a space that wasn’t exactly theirs. The language and behavior of other conservative activists is likewise instructive. Pastor Jeremy Flanagan describes Fayetteville’s increasingly liberal politics as a sort of invasion from within. He faults liberals for forcing too many rules upon businesses, even as he’s blaming them for not regulating bathrooms. “Sure,”…

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Women’s Equality in the Church is No Longer Negotiable

…r what grounds them biologically. Being “created in the image of God” is a better bet. We are all learning together about this, some of us more willing to admit what we do not know than others. But we can certainly agree in the meantime that persons trump genitals, that competence and willingness to serve are far more relevant than gender identity when it comes to Christian life. This means ordination and decision making for women on a par with me…

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Before Oprah, There Was the “Hour of Power”: Crystal Cathedral Pastor Robert H. Schuller Has Died

…ng financial problems and infighting among church staff — including a rift between Schuller and his son (and heir apparent) the Rev. Robert Schuller, Jr., over the direction of church ministry — the Crystal Cathedral filed for bankruptcy, eventually reaching a $57.5 million agreement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange to purchase the gleaming architectural icon of American Protestantism. Exterior of the Crystal Cathedral, 2007. Image via Wi…

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Vatican Council on Women Would Be Funny Were it Not So Insulting

…of kyriarchal Catholic life, beginning with the most personal matters of sexuality and reproduction. Women also expect transparency of ourselves, one another, and our organizations. Let the structures and modes of decision-making in the Catholic community be laid bare, and then see if we all agree on how things work. I doubt it, and I know there are better ways to organize even a billion plus member organization. There are simply no excuses for du…

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Anti-Vaxxers Illustrate Danger of Overly Broad Religious Freedom Laws

…only for religious believers. (In the military conscientious objector context, the set of protected beliefs was expanded to include a philosophical opposition to war that was of a similar scope and gravity to a religious objection.) But a belief that vaccines cause autism (which is contrary to all scientific evidence) is not the kind of life philosophy that exemption laws are generally designed to protect. And in fact, there have been recent calls…

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Is Refusal to Write Anti-Gay Cake Message a Violation of Religious Freedom?

…raph the ceremony, etc.). And that’s probably not an accident; if I were a betting woman, I’d bet heavily that a pro-religious-exemption think tank or law firm, like the Becket Fund, had come up with this plan and recruited a plaintiff to set it in motion. The involvement of the local politicians mentioned in the story is likely strategic as well: Talking Points Memo quotes an “anti-gay” state lawmaker who says he supports the baker’s right to not…

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