Religion Dispatches
…way from the hard work of repentance, who tickle our ears with promises of cheap grace, and offer a vision of the cross of Jesus that has nothing to say to the crosses, and lynching trees, of history. But, if we do, we will be settling for the gospel of Caesar, not the good news of Jesus Christ. Perhaps it is time to put down the chalk, stop drawing pyrotechnical conspiracy theories that play into our worst fears and listen, instead, for the diffi…
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…deeply concerned about the interpenetration of the two. When asked by the Arizona Republic about where he got his ideas, Jake Angeli mentioned “internet research” and Behold a Pale Horse by William Cooper. Cooper was another Arizona resident, killed by police, whose book went on to influence QAnon and the right-wing Patriot movement. YouTube research led Angeli to spiritual content and QAnon. The two may seem disparate, but this appearance is mis…
Read More…im Wallis, President and CEO of Sojourners proclaims: It is not just about Arizona, but about all of us, and about what kind of country we want to be… This law will make it illegal to love your neighbor in Arizona, and will force us to disobey Jesus and his gospel. We will not comply. While not advocating illegal immigration, the need to find a more compassionate avenue for addressing the undocumented immigrants in our midst—one that does not tear…
Read More…d the deaths of six other people. When I first heard about the violence in Tucson my heart sank, and I began to wonder what was the entire point of trying to spread hope and love in a world so determined to stamp out both? It’s certainly not the first time I’ve had that thought. The descent of political discourse in this country to its lowest common denominator, and the language of violence that pervades both political and religious conversation h…
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…We have an unprecedented access to cheap goods, yet we must recognize that cheap goods are cheaply made. I am not speaking of quality, I am speaking of cheap labor. We must recognize that through the act of shopping, whether it is for an article of clothing, a toy, a pint of strawberries, or even our morning cup of coffee, we participate in a global economy that values profit over people. Disposable goods are made by disposable people, faceless in…
Read More…acks. A “community healing” mass was held at St. Odiilia Church in Tucson, Arizona. It was the church where the 9-year-old shooting victim, Christina Green, had her first communion. A group of Trappist monks from Iowa built, engraved, and blessed a handmade casket for Green. The monks specialize in hand-crafting caskets “with reverence for nature.” Not to be outdone by compassionate monks, the hateful folks at Westboro Baptist Church announced the…
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…e success either. The opening weekend saw sales of more than $6 million in tickets. That’s the kind of number that will inspire others to try and figure out the formula for the faith-and-family blockbuster. Yet, with the cost of the film reportedly exceeding $30 million, it’s an open question whether or not the Left Behind reboot will get a second installment. The marketing problem of evangelical movies is still, stubbornly, a problem. The general…
Read More…oved mental health services? An impossibility in cash-strapped states like Arizona. I’m sort of ashamed to admit it now, but in the first hours after the shooting, I went to the internet—then awash in conflicting reports about the fate of Gabrielle Giffords—with one question in mind: was the shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, a Mormon like me? In Arizona, where 6% of the population is LDS, it certainly seemed a possibility, even more so given the rumors…
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…ou’ll read an excerpt below—has surprised me, too. I wish I could find my airline companion and give him this book, to surprise him, too—in a good way. (I would accept Lakers tickets in lieu of apologies, but I think that particular era is done.) This whole book is a result of a profound evolution, and needs to be seen as such. American Muslims have gone through a lot over the last few decades. We were never the caricature Islamophobes made us ou…
Read MoreAt oral argument in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties, Inc. v. Sebelius this morning, the Supreme Court justices spent a great deal of time questioning the lawyers in the case about whether corporations have a religious conscience, and whether Congress intended to protect it when enacting the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). What was most striking, though, was how all three female justices, Sonia So…
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