Religion Dispatches
…f time some white congregations lived out a radical welcome by joining the New Sanctuary Movement—sheltering individual immigrant families from deportation—but these gestures were so little reported and remained so incomprehensible to most on the outside that they barely made a dent in the wider public consciousness. In addition, New Sanctuary’s focus was mainly on hospitality for immigrants who are here without documents; it did little to help th…
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…trinating children and society through propaganda at all levels.” Vatican: New document on priesthood affirms ban on people with ‘deep-seated’ gay tendencies In a new document on the priesthood, the Vatican said that people with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” or who “support the so-called ‘gay culture’” cannot be priests, reports the Washington Post’s Julie Zauzmer. The statement, released by the Congregation for the Clergy but approved by Po…
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…gs.” China: Some parents unhappy with new inclusive sex ed curriculum Pink News reports on a new and “surprisingly inclusive” sex education curriculum that addresses issues from sexual intercourse to LGBT identity in a matter-of fact way: “A minority of people experience attraction to members of the same sex,” reads one section. But the textbook does not only define sexual orientations as gay or straight, it points out that people are bisexual too…
Read More…oncern about LGBT Equality in a Post-Mandela Nation Joe Morgan of Gay Star News reported on New Year’s Day that some South African activists are concerned that the legacy of Nelson Mandela, which included the groundbreaking inclusion of sexual orientation in the Constitution, could be at risk in his absence. President Jacob Zuma, as well as several other representatives in South Africa, have made homophobic comments in the past. ‘When I was growin…
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…rights (the rabbi, of course), FIPL believes that the Council “captures a new moment in American faith and politics.” That new moment seems to be one of unprecedented self-promotion of religion in service of politics and “voice” at any price. The “voice” however must be “moderate” and “acceptable.” And the feminist project will not be included. Much is made by the theo-politicians of their work across ideological differences. But this has been ac…
Read More…be killed,” another reads. Germany: Lesbian teacher rehired under bishops’ new employment policy New Ways Ministry reports on the case of a German teacher who is getting her teaching job back after the implementation of a new policy by German bishops that is more welcoming of LGBT church workers: A German educator fired for her plans to marry a woman will return to her position as head of a Bavarian kindergarten, aided by a new church employment p…
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…at applies Christian principles of democracy), the political vision of the new Islamism melds the broad cultural identity of being a Muslim with constitutional and democratic governing systems. While this may seem like a new and counterintuitive phenomenon to some, it’s actually a trend that goes back at least to the 1980s, but which really took shape in the 1990s when a new, political form of Islam garnered a majority in the Turkish parliament an…
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…ever he dies. He’s met his demise ten times now, each time emerging with a new face and new personality. The first three episodes of the current season use that regeneration as the jumping-off point for a sort of trilogy exploring the show’s interlocking themes of identity, morality, and integrity. As years pass and more actors step into the role, it becomes increasingly important for each performer to distinguish their version of the Doctor from…
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…e. Bermuda’s government rejected marriage equality in 2013. Faroe Islands: New parliament may pass marriage equality Last week, a survey of members of the parliament o the Faroe Islands found that 16 were in favor of marriage equality, 11 were opposed, and 6 did not answer. Recent elections led to a two-seat gain by the Social Democrats in the territory’s 33 member parliament; it was reported that the new government is expected to pass legislation…
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…hosts) interviewed me. On the Internet, Mark Karlin of Buzzflash strongly promoted our work, accurately dubbing Palin a ‘Manchurian candidate.’ New York Times religion reporter Laurie Goodstein interviewed us at considerable length and quoted me in her NYT story on Palin. She was one of the few journalists assigned to the beat (Garance Burke, writing for the Associated Press, also stood out) who got it. Her story, without actually naming the New…
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