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Conservatives Stoke Fear of Fifth Column

By Sarah Posner

…to jihadists and are bent on bringing sharia law to the United States. (I reported on the Clarion Fund-Aish Hatorah link and the condemnation of Clarion Fund films by other Jewish leaders last year.) Last month, when the members of Congress, led by Rep. Sue Myrick, and the Clarion Fund called for an investigation of CAIR based on the charges made in Muslim Mafia, I wrote: CAIR and numerous other Muslim organizations were identified as unindicted…

Enlightenment’s Islam: A “Necessary Fiction”

By Rob Goodman

…r instance, simply to acknowledge the existence of Islam. “Far from being prepared to recognize any merit or authenticity in Islam as a religion,” writes historian Bernard Lewis, “Christendom had been unwilling to take cognizance of the fact that it was a religion, as is shown by the persistence of European Christians designating the Muslims by names which were ethnic rather than religious in connotation”: Arabs, Persians, Tatars, Moors, Turks, Sa…

Georgia Legislator Behind Bill Criminalizing Miscarriage is Christian Reconstructionist

By Julie Ingersoll

…te legislature’s website claims he “has been called ‘the conscience of the Republican Caucus’ because he believes that civil government should return to its biblically and constitutionally defined role.” That same website has a nifty little option that allows you to sort proposed bills according to their sponsors; so it was easy to get a sense of what he means by government’s biblically-defined role. He sponsored legislation to eliminate restricti…

Going Even Deeper on Santorum’s Comment

By Sarah Posner

…in the womb. This is a common point at the annual March for Life. In 2009, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry told activists at the pro-life event: “You are the new abolitionists. You are the new civil-rights movement.” Jamelle Bouie rips into Santorum’s attempt to analogize abortion to slavery. But I actually think Santorum is aiming to suggest something even more sinister about Obama’s support for abortion rights, rather than just claiming abortion as a cons…

In Praise of Gay Republicans

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…w York. Sen. John McCain’s daughter Megan has also been a supporter. Other Republicans, like Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, are also supporting LGBT people from within the party. Ros-Lehtinen has become the first Republican to co-sponsor a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. She has long been a supporter of the community, serving as vice-chair of the House LGBT Equality Caucus. She recently spoke before the Log Cabin Republicans, tel…

In Which I Explain why Marathon Runners are Depraved and Should Just Have their Knees Fall Off Before I Give them One
Red Cent

By Sarah Morice-Brubaker

…sses both sexual violence in intimate relationships, and lack of access to reproductive health information and to contraception. (Since restricting access to contraception, or sabotaging its effectiveness, is a technique that abusive partners are known to use in order to perpetuate the abuse, that makes good sense.) Of course, this mixed bag of news only hints at the central question, which is: What about those of us who have all the right ideas a…

“Gotcha” Video & Pro-Life Bill Released Together

By Andy Kopsa

…showpiece. But, because the suspension rules call for a two-thirds majority for passage, Yeung remains hopeful the bill won’t pass, “It could work in our favor as two-thirds would mean they [Republicans] would have to siphon off some Democrats.” You can track the bill here. And look for calendar updates on Representative Cantor’s website here….

If it’s Really About “Religious Freedom,” Why Mention Just One Belief?

By Sunnivie Brydum

…ware of the power of their framing, which suggests that one either has freedom or they don’t—when the reality is that freedom is always circumscribed. We don’t have the freedom to do anything we want, regardless of our justification. And I’d venture to argue that most folks, including those seeking a religious exemption to marriage equality, would stop short of advocating for total, unlimited freedom to live out any individual’s beliefs, regardles…

Nebraska Latest State to Declare Open Season on Abortion Doctors

By Lauri Lebo

…d essentially mean open season on abortion providers. Now, Mother Jones is reporting on a nearly identical bill from a Nebraska lawmaker who wants to expand the justifiable homicide definition to include protecting a fetus. But apparently Republican Sen. Mark Christensen, a devout Christian who opposes abortion even in the case of rape, doesn’t just want to limit the aggrieved parties to a family member. No, that would be too restricting. Rather,…

Violence of the Lambs: The Legacy of Anti-Choice Extremist Father Norman Weslin

By Kathryn Joyce

…ut coming to get Weslin. “When these Satanic interventions ended,” Samuels reported, “the afflicted Lambs would lie on their beds with peaceful smiling faces and proclaim that ‘the Blessed Mother was issuing little babies out of me, and she loves the Lambs of Christ.’ From that era, Weslin’s activism took a particular emphasis on spiritual warfare, seeing the battle over abortion as part of a larger, unseen fight between angelic and demonic force…