Why the Disappeared Malaysian Airliner Brings Out the Paranormal
…help find the missing airliner by using the power of remote viewing, a form of ESP….
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Religious Affiliation, ‘Mankind’: India’s Anti-Corruption Activist Leads Second Freedom Struggle
…good move. When I got to the lobby another something told me to dig out my phone and check it for messages. Sure enough, I had one from an unfamiliar number. A woman’s voice said Bedi was still sleeping, exhausted from the previous day’s overseas flight, and needed to reschedule our interview for that afternoon. I called the number back, convinced the opportunity was lost. “I’m here at the hotel now, but I’m booked solid this afternoon—” “Hold on,…
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The Book of Diana: Wonder Woman as Theological Text
…udendorff it seems that victory has been won, but to her surprise, the war does not end. The war’s continuation defies Diana’s central belief: that Ludendorff is none other than Ares, the god of war, and that killing the god of war will end the process of war. In all of the preceding build-up, the audience has been led to believe that Ares is the cause of war and the cause of the darkness of men, implying that his death will bring peace. In theolo…
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“I Had No Intention to Write Atheistically”: Darwin, God, and the 2500-Year History of the Debate
…f the Church had done it to raise money for its works? Benedict:The Church does not sell worthless securities! Dawkins: What about indulgences? The Church sold pieces of paper granting forgiveness for sins and pardon from purgatory. Benedict: But those had value. They gave peace of mind and passage to heaven. Dawkins: Only so long as people thought they had value. As Strepsiades says, even worthless securities have value so long as people think th…
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Billy Graham Is Probably Not the Author of His Own “Final Chapter”
…nces to events about which the named author could not have known? Finally, does the text reflect the style and ideas of the ascribed author as found in his or her more solidly attributed works? Posing these questions about Where I Am strongly suggests that the book is, in fact, pseudepigraphic—falsely named. Billy Graham is the sole author listed for this book. His son Franklin’s name appears on a three-page foreword, and, perhaps more tellingly,…
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The Sacred and the Dead: The Trouble with Sugar Magnolia
…r “Ripple” conversation, and today, there are hundreds of Dead songs on my phone and dozens of live recordings in playlists, even a nod when I see a Deadhead sticker on a car. I am a relapsed Catholic, and thanks to my friend, I am also a repentant Deadhead. Dear Jesus, let me confess: I even wear Birkenstocks. Shannon. Deadshow, Deadhead. Dominquez Hills, 1990. Photo by ChasM3/https://www.flickr.com/photos/chasm3/ “Sugar Magnolia,” however, still…
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Wichita, the Sequel: A Clinic Reopens at Ground Zero in America’s Fight over Abortion
…rs that followed are now at or approaching retirement; some are ill, and a number doubt how much they can physically invest this time around. Diane Wahto, a former college English instructor and co-founder of a pro-choice flash protest group called ZAP, described herself as an active “foot soldier” for the movement, staging guerilla demonstrations (like tying tampons to former Operation Rescue head Randall Terry’s car) well into her 50s. But she d…
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Death in the Desert: Riding With the Samaritans
…ing here to work our crap jobs. And a strategy of securing our border that doesn’t address our pushes and pulls, is going to be a failed strategy.” “It’s a shame. We depend on migrant labor, our economy does, and ultimately, most of the people who cross the border here make it. So, it’s a win-win. We can pretend like we’re doing something to secure our labor. Our labor supply isn’t taken from us. We still have that migrant labor available to us. I…
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NC’s Gay Marriage Ban: “It’s Going to Hurt the Church”
…n North Carolina. Referring to Bakker’s theological “feel-good stance” as “cheap grace,” Rev. Mark Creech of the Christian Action League attributed Bakker’s preaching of a “toxic and counterfeit gay-affirming gospel” to being injured by the church as a child. “In some ways he’s right,” Bakker told me in response. “It’s called empathy.” He continued: “Every time someone accuses me of cheap grace, I go back and say no, it’s free grace. Grace is free…
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Hookers for Jesus: Sex and Salvation on the Strip
…ells one woman who stuffs Lobért’s business card into her bra. “God really does love you and he loves girls like us. And you know what? You don’t have to quit working. You can come to church. Just like you are.” Despite their sincere efforts, Lobért and Hookers for Jesus have drawn their share of criticism. “Some Christians think we are just cheap harlots and tell us so,” she says. “But to be honest, we really don’t care.” Even the television show…
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