Religion Dispatches
…sident is undoubtedly entitled to receive and read whatever religious materials he desires, should they really be coming from a White House staffer? Two years ago, Jacques Berlinerblau, the Georgetown professor and proponent of secular government, criticized Obama’s “platitude fest” at the National Prayer Breakfast and compared the faith-based office to the Kremlin. Instead of starting the president’s morning with scripture, Berlinerblau wrote, “I…
Read More…the parents and their vulnerability. Nikita fumbles for an answer to Victoria’s question. Victoria struggles to contain her frustration. Marie Coleman frantically tries to get hold of Taylor, while Ken (whom we hardly see this episode) is in intensive care. And for all that Mark and Cheryl have tried to protect Olivia by scoping out Frankie, in the end Olivia is hurt. (That’s when Mark asks if Olivia would like him to pray for her. She replies tha…
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…ered for the exhibition. As he began reading aloud an oral history from Marian Sahadi Ciacci—“A Syrian who married an Italian!”—it felt like a religious occasion, a conjuring out of almost nothing of an entire world gone by. The “Little Syria” exhibit closes Monday, May 27. Though the Arab American National Museum will continue to tour it, next to Philadelphia, it’s hard to imagine it being as evocative anywhere else. When it moves on, the Friends…
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…uent trial, Dr. Butler has done us all a profound service. But as a theologian or a Christian intellectual, I want to up the ante on her provocative and important analysis and propose that the only moral, ethical, and religious response worth its salt to the Zimmerman verdict is to be atheist. Now before you shut me down, hear me out. On that fateful night a year and a half ago, George Zimmerman did not see Trayvon Martin, the human being. He did…
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…es are predators, whose primary purpose is to infect. Not surprisingly, hordes of zombies, unidentifiable masses, are the center of the film’s big budget effects. Zekes scale walls, cling onto jets, and take down helicopters. Yet the most compelling scenes of World War Z focus on the Lane family, who start the day eating pancakes together and get caught up in the outbreak. Karin Lane (Mirielle Enos) anxiously awaits word from her husband, Gerry La…
Read More…hat the commander indeed reassigned Monk in a highly irregular manner immediately after her ultimatum to him regarding his views on same-sex marriage. This is totally consistent with his accusation, and totally at odds with the Air Force’s new official explanation. That’s a lot of intention to read into a date change the Air Force has never denied, which makes the claim that this evidence is “totally at odds with the Air Force’s new official expla…
Read More…d himself an unexpected media darling. Becky Garrison caught up with Bell via phone to talk about his motivations, the reactions of his friends and family, and what he hopes to discover. BG: What’s your reaction to this surge of media coverage? RB: When I started this, I thought my blog would only be read by a few people. It’s been surreal. I have no clue how to make anything go viral, so this is totally unexpected. But eventually, I think this at…
Read More…e world like you do are completely crazy?” Absolutely. I think Phelps is crazy. I think this student is crazy—and immoral—for hating people with a different skin color or sexuality. But I think the same way about people who can’t see that it’s not just common decency, but true morality, to grant gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people full and equal rights in both society and the church. It’s easy to think of these folks as crazy—and it’s fa…
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…e’s executive editor. CT’s investigation of CP was no mere matter of Christian media competition: the man really at the helm of CP, David Jang, reportedly has a history with the Unification Church, and may have claimed to the Second Coming of Christ, an apostasy far more alarming to many Christians than a second Obama presidency. (Never mind that, owing to the Jang controversy, the Southern Baptist Convention has refused to engage in a real estate…
Read More…ainst what he said is an increasingly forceful pro-equality movement on social media. Andersen reportedly said he admires those who “struggle with same-sex attraction” but “stay true to the commandments of God” by remaining celibate. Today, April 10, the Tenth Circuit Court will hear the state of Utah’s appeal of a federal judge’s ruling overturning the state’s ban on same-sex couples getting married. Adventists: Church Leadership Adopts Anti-LGBT…
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