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Religion or Insanity? Two Upcoming Murder Trials Will Ask the (Burning) Question

By Joseph Laycock

…tially different from ordinary Christian beliefs. In 2013 Ferguson was executed under the legal pretext that he was not mentally ill, but simply a murderous Christian. From a critical perspective, it seems untenable to assume that the categories of “religion” and “insanity” are mutually exclusive. And yet legal claims often assume that these two categories are neatly separate. Partly because of this assumption, the “religion or insanity” question…

I Owe, Therefore I Am: Why Struggling Against the Banks is a Holy Obligation

By Peter Laarman

…am very much afraid that our masters, both corporate and civic, may be about to put all of us now-sorrowing borrowers through a public shaming to the point that we will begin to think it’s completely our fault that we took advantage of all the shiny new financial “products” that got us into trouble. There’ll be enough moralizing and shaming going around so that the far greater excesses and far greater misfeasance of corporate creditors get airbru…

Gay Suicide and the Ethic of Love: A Progressive Christian Response

By Eric Reitan

…he same sentiments that quietly tormented him in high school were being shouted out and applauded by adults the same age as his own parents.” Predictably, many of the Norman residents who spoke out against the proclamation justified their stance by appealing to biblical teachings. The message was clear: honoring GLBT history was, in their view, an insult to God. As they saw it, the very creator of the universe stood against homosexuality so strong…

Missouri Pastor Goes Viral on Gawker: ‘Separation of Church and Hate’

By Sarah Morice-Brubaker

…n the other, well, obviously, that’s much healthier for the relationship. But throughout the course of my pastoral ministry, I started to notice that people who are gay don’t tend to get better over time when they try to renounce their sexuality. I know several people who have gone to counseling to try to become straight, or have literally had people pray in exorcism fashion for their “gay” demons to leave them, but none of it worked. Then I start…

Ricky Gervais: Why I’m an Atheist

By Lauri Lebo

…ent and perfect. Jesus was a man. He had to work at it. He had temptation but defeated sin. He had integrity and courage. But He was my hero because He was kind. And He was kind to everyone. He didn’t bow to peer pressure or tyranny or cruelty. He didn’t care who you were. He loved you. What a guy. I wanted to be just like Him. One day when I was about 8 years old, I was drawing the crucifixion as part of my Bible-studies homework. I loved art to…

A Valentine for the World…and for the Church I Left

By Carolyn S. Briggs

…this heart, this desire for all things good and lovely and of excellent repute. But I don’t want to quibble. Even though we’re very, very good at quibbling and quoting chapter and verse, can I just say again—I like you. Do you like me? I have known hundreds of believers and only two have contacted me in the years since I’ve been gone. (D.L. and L.W.) Each contacted me after reading my book. They expressed pain at my departure, and they told me the…

Why is Liberty Institute Still Defending Phillip Monk?

By Rob Shryock

…military code) at the Values Voters Summit for a panel. The Liberty Institute’s Jeff Mateer put his hand on Monk’s shoulder and praised him, saying, “We’ve gotten phone calls from military members who are undergoing discrimination…and with the exception of him, those folks that have called us have all wanted to remain anonymous. Sergeant Monk, to his credit, is willing to stand up.” Let’s read between the lines here: Monk is, quite literally, th…

Facebook, Twitter, and the Death of Body Language

By Anthony B. Pinn

…and so on provide opportunities for the sharing of large amounts of data, but perhaps without the type of quality control one would anticipate when face-to-face, or when shared in any way that brings the physical body into play. There’s an ability to hide oneself through technology that reduces vulnerability and reserve. What to do about this? I’m not giving up my messaging, and I’m not suggesting anyone should. Tweet if you must. Update your Face…

Obama’s Muslim Strategy 2.0

By Haroon Moghul

…e global system—say, the G20. (Once you buy in, it’s a lot harder to cash out.) But the OIC? Quite often mocked, the OIC’s only competition in presumed irrelevance was long the Arab League, as jaded Arabs and Muslims struggled to determine whose global body was more completely pointless. By appointing an accomplished young lawyer as America’s envoy to the OIC, Obama is raising the organization’s profile. (Somebody listened.) Identifying the OIC a…

Why It’s Heresy to Read the Bible Literally: An Interview with John Shelby Spong

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…speaking to me.” I really appreciate that. Writing is a strange gift. You put it out into the void and you really have no idea how people will respond to it except by the mail you get. Speaking again as a recovering Southern Baptist, I was taught that our job was to go out into the world and convert people to my religion. And yet, in the book, you say the whole basis of that “evangelical” bent of many Christian churches, the “Great Commission” in…