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Ralph Reed’s Group Goes after “Union Thugs” in Wisconsin

By Sarah Posner

…this is,” Marx told the Post. “Pure and simple.” It’s 2012’s version of the Christian Coalition: melding evangelicals with the tea party issues they’re already comfortable with, but maintaining their distinct identity as a voting bloc that pre-dates the tea party, and is courted as a separate group by Republican candidates. Who does this “pro-family” opponent of “union thugs” think has the best shot at the GOP primary? Reed told the Christian Pos…

Escape From Manhattan: Tech, Tragedy and Storytelling in Sandy’s Wake

By Rachel Wagner

…rs Upon entering the Javits Center for Comic Con Manhattan, the energy was palpable. Over half of the attendees were in full costume, and I was immediately struck by the care that obviously went into their production. Most of the costumes were not pre-fabricated, but had obviously been lovingly constructed over months. I saw numerous iterations of Spiderman, Captain America, and Batman. I saw Finn, Fionna, and Marceline “the Scream Queen” from the…

Church Uses Facebook for Sacramental Scrutiny at its Peril

By Elizabeth Drescher

…ofoundly disturbing to the equilibrium for which Pope Benedict argued. Some might even say “sinful.” *Elizabeth Drescher’s research on the ethics of digital social media participation is supported by a generous grant from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University….

Pope Decries ‘Ideological Colonization’ of Family; Islamic State Executes Gays and Others; Gay Couple Gets Long-Delayed Wedding in Mexico; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…s a surprise to the pair, who had come to City Hall on Saturday morning to participate in a gay rights demonstration, said their attorney, Jose Luis Marquez. They had received hints that a wedding might take place, but were doubtful. They had already been rejected three times, despite an order from Mexico’s Supreme Court last June. More from the Washington Blade: A local judge officiated what the San Diego Union-Tribune described as the “impromptu…

“Symbolic” Personhood Bill Could Kill

By Sarah Morice-Brubaker

…o-life, conservative state. Senator Crain’s office did not return repeated phone calls, but according to The Daily Beast, he “said the bill is simply a statement that Oklahoma is ‘pro-life.’” Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman said much the same thing, according to Reuters, offering that “Oklahoma is a conservative pro-life state—we are proud to stand up for what we know is right.” Well, yes, it feels very good to be proud of things, doesn’t it? Might I…

Even Tougher Questions to Ask Mormon Presidential Candidates

By Joanna Brooks

…ond? How would you respond in such a situation? 2. Mormonism is an openly patriarchal religious culture—one of the most patriarchal modern cultures on the face of the earth. Your own father is (or was) an extremely powerful and wealthy man with great influence within LDS culture and beyond. How have you personally benefitted from a patriarchal (and therefore exclusionary) religion and culture? How has patriarchy shaped your ability to exercise in…

Suicide Leads to Calls for Improved Treatment of LGBT Mormons

By Joanna Brooks

…erence talk shaming homosexuality. “I have a brother who said to me on the phone last Christmas, ‘Elder Packer says God does not make gays. This is your choice.’ And then he used some very hurtful language with me,” Jahn relates. “I had to hang up on him. But he feels he has been given permission to speak this way by the prophet.” “Even a simple phrase uttered by a General Authority can give Church members broad permission to look down on, discrim…

Where are the Clergy? A Report from Occupy DC

By Sarah Posner

…f our politics with big corporate money. But for Micah Bales, an Occupy DC participant known for his Quaker activism, the group is not so much occupying McPherson Square as “holding space for the 99% to come and gather.” There was, notably, no drum circle, which has become a symbol of both liberal and conservative scorn of the New York movement (conservatives scoff while some liberals cringe). Why Aren’t There 50 Clergy? But there was a tiny glimm…

God Dissolves into the Occupy Movement

By Nathan Schneider

…hat are prone to gravitate to this movement. Folks like myself who want to participate and help will not tolerate the kind of disrespect of a noted Civil Rights leader, even if it wasn’t deliberate. Still, I am 100% down with the Occupy movement. Every movement will have its growing pains, and this was one of them. There have been other racial incidents, including here in Philadelphia. I hope these growing pains will not hamper the momentum of a m…

Qaddafi Dies; Should it Matter How?

By Haroon Moghul

…power and his arrogant prestige had deserted him, and he was in the end a pathetic, hideous thing, hated and humiliated. We do not always see justice in this world. But seeing what happened to Qaddafi, it is hard to deny there is not here an epic, divine, overwhelming arc of evil rising and consuming itself. He brought this on himself. But that thought doesn’t push me to celebration. In this death brought by a man upon himself, I think rather of…