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God Dissolves into the Occupy Movement

By Nathan Schneider

…atnot. And I am not being patronizing here: the clearing dimension, the out-of-the-blue dimension, is important. None of it will be transformational, however, unless a lot more people can be touched by the same spirit of exodus and be actively engaged in some form of active or even symbolic resistance. The vicarious identification thing will have a very short shelf life. Saying no to the death culture, to the money culture, takes practice. We woul…

“Guerilla Warrior of Judeo-Christian Political Commentary” Stars in Anti-Newt Video in Iowa

By Sarah Posner

…via text messaging starting Thursday, to every registered Republican or non-aligned Iowa voter with a cell phone on record. . . . The video’s star is Molotov Mitchell, whom Cary K. Gordon, president of PeaceMakers Institute and pastor of Sioux City’s Cornerstone Church, calls “the guerilla warrior of Judeo-Christian political commentary.” Mitchell is an edgy independent filmmaker whose Illuminati Pictures delivers something akin to an animated po…

The Great Cremation Debate

By David Marchese

…with one’s beliefs about what happens to the body after death. For a forty-one-year-old New York historian (who also asked that his name not be used), cremation remains the best choice. “Why would I care what happens to my body?” he asks. “I’ll be dead. There are environmental issues at play here. Going straight to the deep fryer or being dumped in the sea is preferable to taking up space in what could be a forest or a skateboard park.” The histo…

Closed-Door Conference in Poland Shows How US Conservative Christian Networks Export ‘Conversion Therapy’

By Antonia Gross and Rina Nikolaeva

…arsaw conference. Elsewhere, she claims to have successfully advocated face-to-face with UK parliamentarians against the national conversion therapy ban, which was dropped by premier Rishi Sunak last autumn. Also present was retired doctor Christl R. Vonholdt, a prominent figure in the conversion therapy bubble, who traveled from Germany. A member of the IFTCC Board of Directors from 2017 to 2020, Vonholdt directed the German Institute for Youth a…

Is LGBT-Muslim Clash Aiding Rise of Right in Europe?

By Peter Montgomery

…its storyline that depicts the struggles of transgender people in their day-to-day lives. Langlois notes that while “Brazil is far more liberal than many other Latin American countries when it comes to sexuality and gender,” it is also true that “violence targeting gay, lesbian and transgender people has been on the rise nationwide.” In a statement critical of the ruling, Human Rights Watch noted that a 2015 statement issued by 12 United Nations a…

From Pastor to Harvard’s ‘Godless Church’ Planter

By Becky Garrison

…d avoid this by offering solid training, resources, accountability, and one-on-one leadership consultation. Through the HCP, we want to establish a plan with the communities who want to work with us that includes leadership development, training on conflict resolution, and the support from our main organization. We also want to encourage them not to get too big too fast. Then it’s way too big of a monster for anyone to manage. Our movement is curr…

Presidential Debate: We Are All Socialists Now

By Louis A. Ruprecht

…Cain repeated it all evening long, lest we miss it. He now proposes a state-sponsored re-definition of the current housing market, such that the federal government will buy up an enormous number of imminent foreclosures (how?), mandate a new evaluation of the real value of these homes (how?), then enable homeowners to re-negotiate their current mortgages and to stay in their homes (huh?). The failure of “Fannie and Freddie,” McCain insisted, was “…

The Religious Mourning of ‘Saint’ Kobe Bryant Continues

By Terry Shoemaker

…en thousands of fans gathered at the Staples Center to pay homage to the 18-time all-star. Flowers, photos, and candles were transported immediately by fans wearing Kobe’s jersey to create a memorialized space and share in the tragedy. Around the league, NBA games held moments of silence to recognize Kobe’s contribution to the sport, while individual players found ways to honor Bryant’s legacy. Some took symbolic penalties like a 24-second shot cl…

New Poll Finds “Growing Appetite” for Mixing Religion and Politics

By Sarah Posner

…ess to have strong religious beliefs has remained steady since 2010—about 6-in-10, with even more significant majorities among Protestants and Catholics—this poll shows a growing number of Americans who want to hear candidates talk about their religion. On the Republican side, candidates could view this finding, along with the dissatisfaction among white evangelicals with the GOP’s advocacy on same-sex marriage and other issues as demanding even m…

The Benedict Opt-Out: Why Christian Self-Isolation Won’t Work

By Kaya Oakes

…s to relationships, but also to Christians’ relationships with the growing number of Nones. Christians who self-isolate will miss out on the opportunity to know, learn from, and perhaps even to love some of the Americans who have thought the hardest and longest about religion and its role in their lives. Jesus, after all, did not lead his disciples away from the people and their questions, and their messy, real lives, and doubts. He walked toward…