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In Convention Event Democrats Embrace the ‘Nones’

By Chrissy Stroop

…spoke about the horrors wrought by the Trump administration’s rejection of science, a topic about which Druyan, the award-winning producer and writer of Cosmos, waxed poetic, emphasizing how atheists can find meaning through science and nature. “Donald Trump hates science, and he believes you can change the meteorological map with your magic marker,” she stated colorfully. “But nature will not be deceived,” she maintained. “Science and democracy a…

Can I Get Some Birth Control Pills With That Slushie?: Unpacking the Contraceptive Mandate Rollback

By Sunnivie Brydum

…ever-expanding exemption suspected in the first place—that this was never about an actual conscience exemption as they have been traditionally understood, but was about allowing any employer to opt out of birth control coverage just because they don’t approve of birth control or don’t want to pay for what they consider “recreational” sex. The Trump administration, with its usual lack of subtlety, has confirmed that by not even requiring employers…

Mormon Leaks: Boring Meetings with Interesting Implications

By Mary Barker

…adership of what he considered to be a dangerous scientific development. A science of morality was considered to be a threatening “contradiction” that would “explain away” conscience. Thus was lost any deepening that new information may have had on our humility, compassion, and ability to love. Moreover, the discussion once again stands in stark contrast to early Mormon leaders who considered themselves on the cutting edge of science. A mixed bag…

Biology Textbooks Approved in Louisiana Over Creationist Objections

By Lauri Lebo

…nd his theory is a saint. You can’t touch it.” The Louisiana Coalition for Science has comprehensive coverage of the whole brouhaha here. The battle originated with the Louisiana’s 2008 Science Education Act, a slippery state anti-evolution law that encourages teachers and school districts to teach creationism and intelligent design. The terms of the law gave various appointed boards power to determine what textbooks are acceptable for adoption. T…

Christian Founder of Online Dating Site Wants to Ease Gay Pain

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…lar arousal patterns—babies aren’t gay or straight.” He suggested we think about the question a different way: Do we see evidence that, from a very early age, children exhibit behavior patterns that appear highly predictive of future sexual orientation? In other words, do children give us clues about whether they’re going to ultimately be sexually attracted to males, females, or both? To a certain extent, yes. But, certainly, Warren is not suggest…

When It’s OK to Ignore the Pope

By Patricia Miller

…er, deeper issues before I pass judgment. But I think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that end up getting in the political realm. So all of a sudden Republicans want to keep religion out of the “political realm” and make it personal? This is the same man who as governor intervened in the personal moral decision of Terri Schiavo’s husband and used the power of the state to keep her alive based on Bush’s o…

Contrary to Popular Narrative the Supreme Court’s ‘303’ Decision Gutting Civil Rights Laws is not About an Individual Standing Up For Her Beliefs

By Andrew L. Seidel

…the captured court and the binding precedent, the case would still not be about some bigot named Lorie Smith. Media that speak about Lorie Smith are falling into ADF’s narrative. This case is about a business, a limited liability company. That’s what the abbreviation “LLC” in the case caption (303 Creative LLC v. Elenis) means: limited liability company. That business has opened itself up to the public. The corporation is one of the most signific…

Mormons Fight Marriage Equality in Mexico; Is Catholic Church Italy’s Anti-Gay NRA?; Nigerian Anglicans Cut Ties With UK Diocese; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…y get this power from to subject us to this violence? I’m not just talking about my dance instructor. I’m talking about all the people in our lives who attempt to define us, our bodies, our sexualities, our genders, our identities, who try to define what ‘Armenia’ is–the parents, the teachers, the schools, the priests, the churches, the boards, the committees, the political parties, the ‘revolutionaries.’ Who are they? What gives them the right? A…

Keep Jews Interesting: It’s Time to Stop Being Defined by Anti-Semitism

By Shaul Magid

…tant to many of us, but because criticizing Jews is never really, or only, about criticizing Jews; it’s also, or primarily, about negating Jewish existence, whether that’s made explicit or not. This is captured in Weiss’ notion that anti-Semitism is “the grand unified theory of everything.” This puts us in a no-win situation, which in some sense is exactly where normative Judaism would like us to be. We lose until the messiah comes to redeem us. O…

The Anti-Gay Highway

By Kathryn Joyce

…n in America? What do they believe? The entire conference told me, we know about that. But when I asked what they know about Christian Right, they said they don’t know about the Christian Right at all. They don’t know, they think the right means the Bible, and the right thing to do. What is needed is for us to explain what the right stands for. And when people are arguing for greater health care and help for people, the people who are opposed to t…