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Community Organizing and Symbolic Electioneering

By Laura R. Olson

…r a new phenomenon nor a rare one, so any discussion of faith-based social service delivery by either political party must include community organizers. Saul Alinsky initiated the idea of faith-based community organizing in the 1930s, challenging people in impoverished urban areas to address their neighborhoods’ various socioeconomic and crime-related challenges themselves — in partnership with local religious leaders, who had the wherewithal to l…

Marriage Vote ‘Transforms’ Not-So-Catholic Ireland; Activist to Malaysian PM – ‘Love Is Not Terrorism’; LGBTs Find Growing Acceptance in Colombia, Not At World Meeting of Families; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…an integral part of supporting human rights for all. “It is a vocation of service to everyone,” said the monsignor. Ireland: Marriage equality vote ‘transforms’ gay Ireland, no longer ‘most Catholic country in world’ Conor Humphries at Reuters writes that Ireland’s referendum in favor of marriage equality “is having a profound effect on the country’s gay community even though a legal challenge has delayed the first weddings.” Gay couples holding…

Homophobia an “Atrocity,” LDS Bishop Tells Gay Mormon Conference

By Joanna Brooks

…he Saturday closing session and speak on Sunday at the interdenominational service. What did you hope to say? I had prepared something to say but then one of the organizers of the event said the theme of this service is “finding peace” or “how do you find peace.” So, I chucked my talk and spoke from the heart. That’s a fine Mormon tradition. Yes. President Boyd Packer said prepare, prepare, prepare, and then chuck your notes, and let the Spirit gu…

Dog Whistles and Holes in the Masterpiece Cakeshop Arguments?

By Patrick Hornbeck

…hat Phillips could not refuse to serve interracial couples (but could deny service to interreligious and same-sex couples) is one way for them to do so. As we have already seen, their proposition makes little sense in terms of strict scrutiny, and in fact the Colorado law at issue in Masterpiece Cakeshop likewise does not differentiate among the kinds of discrimination from which it seeks to protect citizens. Waggoner’s and Francisco’s claims only…

Prominent Russian Orthodox Church Rejects Pro-Putin Patriarch Kirill, Raising Tensions Within Orthodox World

By Katherine Kelaidis

…St. Nicholas refused to relent. It was at this point the threats began. A service was interrupted by a man who broke a window; an online smear campaign was launched against the parish; and the church was vandalized with the pro-Putin, pro-war “Z” symbol graffitied across the walls. Despite all this, the Archbishop inexplicably shared on social media that the situation at St. Nicholas had been resolved. Thus, this past Saturday, March 12th, after…

“Godly Or Bad?”: The Return of Ted Haggard

By J. Terry Todd

…t—evangelical practice itself is arguably one source of that cult. Evangelicals have always tended to invest the preacher and his words with central importance, an importance that has too often been wielded not just in the service of the Lord but also in the service of the preacher’s own power. And that, of course, is a risky set-up when it comes to sex—a sign that supposedly godly lives can turn into a living hell, right here, right now….

Inventing “Jihad”

By Asma Afsaruddin

…rican history indicates how powerful such pseudo-theological narratives in service of the state can be). Thus we observe that later exegetes and jurists began to make frequent exceptions to the injunction against committing aggression contained in Qur’an 2:190 and preferred to understand the verse as mandating primarily non-combatant immunity without placing any restriction on the Muslim army’s ability to commence fighting. This progressive wateri…

Anti-Gay, Anti Catholic Evangelical Sworn In As Mayor of Rio; More in Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…olic Group Offers Pastoral Support to Transgender People The Catholic News Service reports that a “pro-life” ministry in the state of Kerala “has formed a group of priests, nuns and laypeople to respond to the pastoral needs of transgender people.” Formed in Cochin under the aegis of Pro-Life Support, a global social service movement within the church, the ministry is significant as it is one of the few outreach programs for the transgender commun…

Pope Francis Loves Nuns, But Can the Divide Between Sisters and Vatican Be Healed?

By Megan Sweas

…memoir, their goal was not only to protest proposed budget cuts to social services, but also “to lift up the work of our sisters.” It’s notable that a journey that started out of censure is now pointed in the direction of Pope Francis. This year’s “Nuns on the Bus” tour starts in St. Louis this week and ends in Washington, D.C., in time for the start of the papal visit on September 23. Its theme, “bridge the divide,” refers to the political divid…

‘Putin’s Children’ Push ‘Traditional Values’ in Latvia; Jewish Reparative Therapy Group Finds ‘Haven’ In Israel; Sikh Activist in UK Supports LGBT South Asians; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…etimes years, or even never. One should definitely not seek help of social services, she says, because this is the surest step to child removal from the family. The hidden goal of the child protection services is to legalize the illegal child trade. Kornetova’s presentation shows potential buyers of children: childless couples, especially those who are unable to conceive, same-sex couples and pedophiles. “And they want our children, who are beauti…