Religion Dispatches
…efforts by proving that children raised by intact mom-and-dad families do better than kids raised by two loving moms or dads. It won’t matter that the study didn’t do that. Blamers Also a safe bet: natural disasters like Hurricane-Superstorm Sandy will continue to be chalked up to God’s anger at the advance of gay rights. So will tragedies like the mass murder of students and educators at Sandy Hook elementary school. But those blamers will sound…
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…a might result in a sense of physical and emotional freedom. What could be better? Hell, they might make it as far as throwing off their yoke and joining the ranks of the liberated. Swimming is probably the best form of cardiovascular exercise for almost everyone, including individuals with depression, obesity, arthritis, diabetes, and various age-related ailments. Unlike jogging, it does not cause strain to your joints. Water calms you. Swimming…
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…Improving educator training so they can do this effectively? Absolutely. I bet more Americans would be attracted to, appreciate and consider careers in science (the number is decreasing annually). I bet we’d have more productive conversation among students and leaders of science and religion around the many profound issues in our nation that engage both: abortion, medical care, stem cells, homosexuality, and genomic research. The battle rhetoric w…
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…rse be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, I would absolutely not bet in Judge Patrick’s favor, knowing what we do about her fondness for conspiratorial and explicitly QAnon-linked “prophets” and the broader interplay between QAnon conspiracies and conservative Christian beliefs in American society. On the other hand, given the number of judges Donald Trump was able to appoint during his term as president, I wouldn’t bet the farm against…
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…in the states that are the most likely to criminalize the practice? Don’t bet on it. And certainly don’t bet on the bishops threatening to withhold communion from a politician over it. No follow-up questions, please A third trend: as many of the examples above show, anti-abortion “centrists” are a little too coy about what they’re willing to accept in order to maintain the criminalization of abortion. This is especially important to me because th…
Read More…the matzo fit only for brei and the wine is unspeakable—as soon as I knew better I insisted that we drink a good kosher cabernet at seder and leave the Concord Grape for Elijah. (In all fairness, the wine is now made by a giant beverage conglomerate that slaps a Manischewitz label on the bottle. But the Talmud says that if you put your name on something, you’re responsible for its quality… Actually I just made that up. But it should say that.) No…
Read More…History, distant lands; studios and cafes: you can occupy them. And, as a bonus, families can get reunited in life after life—“we come into lifetimes often with the same people,” Weiss explains—so there’s a wholesome message here, too. Reincarnation is the rare topic that provokes both scientists and the Southern Baptist Convention. But, as quack-ish doctors and bold religious repackaging goes, Couric’s reincarnation episode doesn’t seem so bad a…
Read More…hear, WBC members sang: Your hearts are turning hard God smacks this world of ours He’ll tear it all apart You think you’re superstars God hates who you are! Your proud and Bible dumb Your consciences are numb In God’s eyes you are dung You think you’re superstars God hates who you are! Bonus! Turns out the WBC has literally dozens of parodies you can listen to on its website, everything from Rogers and Hammerstein to Miley Cyrus. What strikes you…
Read More…bes our resurrection with all humanity for Judgment, but, you know, that’s between you and anyone you tell and judges you for it), and a beautiful person has your pre-fast meal prepared for you. This person is your suhouri, your beautiful best friend in the world. No greater gorgeousness can be imagined or described. (Despite this beauty, please keep an eye on small children, who may fall asleep and drown in cereal bowls because they are like ‘dea…
Read More…ly—well, one begins to wonder whether you’ve thought even one step ahead. Bonus tip: When your dad asks you, three times, what happened at your friend’s house, and when he prefaces the third time with “I’m going to give you one last chance,” the jig is up, and it’s time to confess everything. 3. A large vocabulary is an asset. If a family member has just confessed something regarding her sexual history, and you’re surprised by the news, search yo…
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