Religion Dispatches
…analysis of the duo’s two-step. Jenkins and LaHaye wisely distanced themselves from a bald assertion that Obama is the Antichrist, retreating instead to a somewhat more theologically tortuous position of Obama as something of a warm-up act. First, because the Antichrist will only appear after the rapture—and since Obama “claims to be a Christian” and “might be a closet Christian”—he may not even be on Earth during the crucial stages. (Familiar re…
Read More
In early April of last year, at a conference in Jerusalem of American evangelicals organized by Pastor John Hagee, Benjamin Netanyahu told the audience that Israel had no better friends than America’s Christian Zionists. “This is a friendship of the heart, a friendship of common roots, and a friendship of common civilization,” Netanyahu said. Now, nearly a year later, with Netanyahu cobbling together a ruling coalition in Israel, three men of the…
Read More
…thirst for blood. No longer a threat to humans, many vampires reveal themselves to the public, form advocacy groups, and begin dating human waitresses. Set in rural Louisiana, the vampires’ struggle against prejudice carries strong echoes of the civil rights movement. Last year’s season drew an average audience of 7.8 million viewers per episode. This was due, at least in part, to one of the most bizarre marketing campaigns in history. HBO hired a…
Read More
…found in sex, drugs, and rock and roll; God is love, peace, and war; God lives in anything, everything, and nothing at all; God evolves, is eternal, and is an illusion….
Read More
…ng gas, used to demand that I refer to farting as “fluffing.” No Harm in Salvation When analyzed from a feminist perspective, Janzen’s confessions of her inability to leave an abusive man seem frustratingly common. Though a nonbeliever in adulthood, Janzen’s Christian upbringing is mentioned more than once in reference to a woman’s strength—or lack thereof. “You show me a Mennonite woman, and I’ll show you a woman who sucks at asserting herself in…
Read MoreWhen members of the anti-gay group the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) gathers next month in Philadelphia for their annual convention, they’ll be facing a lot of baggage—theirs certainly, but also luggage being brought to them in protest. Truth Wins Out, a group that works to expose the scientific quackery of groups like NARTH, will sponsor a “Lift My Luggage” protest on Nov. 6: The notorious “ex-gay” group…
Read More
…n and will provide updates as soon as I have them. Whether the man was involved in gay activism in Uganda or not, this is still a terrible crime. The fact remains, however, that the lives of gay and lesbian Ugandans are in danger every single day – and if the anti-homosexuality measure passes, I fear we’ll be telling many stories of gay people being killed – but by the government that should be protecting them. As Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality bill…
Read More
…e hurting and upset and questioning whether they should continue to be involved with their religion, but there are also people channeling that pain, frustration and anger into positive action, reaching out to one another and to strangers. Some orthodox Mormons have responded to Elder Packer’s talk by saying, “He was just defending basic Mormon doctrine on marriage. I see no problem with what he said.” How would you respond? I would say, “I underst…
Read More…unique theological priority to marriage as a spiritual rite necessary to salvation. In addition to being theologically orthodox, Packer’s message was very much in keeping with the profile he has established in 40 years as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, including a speech to an All-Church Coordinating Council in 1993 declaring gays and lesbians, feminists, and intellectuals “dangers” to the LDS Church. In the academic discipline of reli…
Read More
…elieve that we can use these sentiments of guilt and sorrow to remind ourselves not to behave in a manner that leads to ecological ruin. It is possible that, in order to conserve this planet, we need to consecrate it, and perhaps one thing we could do towards this end is simply bear in mind the fact that all around us, our ancestors are trying to R.I.P. I see great potential in this morbid idealism because, for whatever reason, homo sapiens appear…
Read More