Religion Dispatches
…e Muslims contributed? Why are they always so angry? Why do they wear so many clothes, wield so many weapons, and engage in such horrific and disgusting acts of violence—suicide bombing strikes one as unusually depraved and exceptionally brutal. What kind of a religion brings this about? As such, for the average American, it is easy to selectively link disparate events into a broader narrative of who Muslims are and what Islam is—except, of course…
Read More…rmal economy springs up. In Kazungula it yields makeshift stands offering any kind of goods its citizens can imagine selling: “top off” cards to add minutes to cellphone accounts; dried, salted fish fanned out on tables; informal restaurants selling plates of kapenta or nshima to be washed down with homemade beer (called Chibuku or “Shake Shake”); a tub of water for bathing; bolts of cloth for the wife back home to make a new chitenge, or long ski…
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…ligion is brought into the mix, most white evangelical Protestants would deny any legal recognition to gay unions (58 percent). Among black Protestants, 48 percent say gay unions should have no legal protections, while a solid majority of Catholics (61 percent) and white mainline Protestants (70 percent) support civil unions or marriage equality. Again, the age gap plays a role as “younger white evangelicals are 2.5 times more likely to favor same…
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…the Gentiles… .” Paul’s teaching about “justification by faith” (which in any case does not constitute the core of Paul’s message) meant that Gentiles were not accountable to God for their lack of Torah observance. To Paul the death and resurrection of Jesus signaled the end of the age; as a result, Paul became concerned about the fate of Gentiles. The prophets had predicted that all the nations would come streaming to Jerusalem to worship the one…
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…to support the seemingly natural, godly gifts of Driscoll is discussed at any length or with any depth in the podcast. Instead, charisma is assumed as a known quantity and supernatural quality bestowed by God and possessed by select, unique individuals—a blessing and a curse, according to the podcast’s narrative. White male leaders in Driscoll’s orbit during the church’s rise and fall—those who enabled and capitalized on his appeal and popularity—…
Read More…spects of the “value voters” belief system. With abortion remaining at the number one spot, it’s clear that all things sexual continue to occupy the minds of those who seem the most opposed to anyone actually having sex. It’s interesting to view the “value voter” summit in juxtaposition with a new survey conducted by the Des Moines Register. In a surprising move last April, the Iowa Supreme Court overturned a state ban on same-sex marriage. Since…
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…r a great deal of influence on U.S. laws. The only other groups that come anywhere near that number are Hispanic Protestants (78%) and Black Protestants (74%). White evangelicals are also the most likely to say that when scripture and the will of the people conflict, the Bible should win. Hispanic Protestants come in not far behind. Interestingly, White evangelicals are not the most likely to say that the Bible currently has a great deal of influe…
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…his amongst Muslims of generations, even my friends, I was surprised how many determined that by this fact of ancestral anthropology alone, then I was really Muslim. As one friend put it, “You are really one of us.” So I take another approach (no surprises there). I reason that if the prophet was already 40 years old before he received the first Qur’anic revelation, and then he died after the last at age 63, then historically speaking he was only…
Read More…Christ of Latter-day Saints, it’s pretty safe to assume that a significant number of “Concerned Citizens of the United States” are Mormon. But so too are a significant number of undocumented immigrants living in the American West. As we’ve reported here at RD, the Church’s strongest growth over the last decade has been among Latino populations, and almost 4.5 million Mormons worldwide are Spanish-speaking. Economic downtimes and anti-immigrant out…
Read More…s, encourages or sensitizes people of the same sex, to sexual relation or any sexual practice.” If the Chamber of Deputies approves, the draft code will go before the Rwandan Senate most likely in early 2010. It’s not like this is shocking news on the continent where 38 of Africa’s 53 nations outlaw homosexuality, including Kenya where a homosexual act can land you in prison for up to 14 years. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg: Nigeria has a…
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