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Gay-Hating Church Burns “Idols”: A Report

By Rebecca Barrett-Fox

…ce. Such is the awkward bedfellows that Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, loves to make. When Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Christian Outreach in Gainesville, Florida, reneged on his promise to burn a Qur’an on September 11, 2010—the last day of Ramadan and the ninth anniversary of the attacks of radical Muslims on American soil—Westboro Baptist Church was quick to pick up the torch. Though members of the two churches had stood side b…

“A Most Ungodly Way to View Religious Freedom”

By Sarah Posner

…o view religious freedom:” Arizona is not alone. Even though it looks like Kansas’ controversial HB 2453 won’t make it through the state senate, it’s possible the bill’s supporters will recraft it with different language and try again. Other states are attempting similar maneuvers. These efforts have met with vociferous opposition, but given that their supporters are backed by national groups like the Ethics and Public Policy Center and powerful s…

The Woody Allen Problem: How Do We Read Pacifist Theologian (and Sexual Abuser) John Howard Yoder?

By Stephanie Krehbiel

…Aaliyah, who was 14, and making an album he named Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number — I had Aaliyah’s mother cry on my shoulder and say her daughter’s life was ruined, Aaliyah’s life was never the same after that. That’s not an experience you’ve had. I’m not expecting you to feel the same way I do. But you can look at this body of evidence. “You” meaning everybody who cares. What changes if we care? What changes if we make respect for the humanity o…

No to Church, Yes to Jesus?

By Elizabeth Drescher

…it ignores the context in which self and other interact; it values reciprocity over self-preservation and, potentially, justice; and it offers a general moral principle without defining normative moral action. Christian thinkers, in turn, have robustly argued that the wider Gospel context of the Golden Rule grounds its interpretation in a self-giving love of neighbor exemplified by Jesus Christ. Still, “Good Samaritan Nones” up the ethical ante….

McCullen v. Coakley and the Meaning of Protests

By Sarah Posner

…intimidation disappear. During the so-called Summer of Mercy in Witchita, Kansas, in 1991, news coverage described Operation Rescue protesters “flinging themselves under cars, sitting by the hundreds at clinic doorways and blocking women from entering as they read them Scripture.” But 18 years later, during the supposed professionalization period, Dr. George Tiller was assassinated in that same city. And a subsequent investigation by journalist A…

Virtual Book Burning and Its Consequences

By Laurie Patton

…Qur’an burning actually never happened, but was only threatened (although Kansas pastor Fred Phelps did burn a Qur’an in its place). Perhaps the idea of book burning is so ensconced in both our political and our religious imaginations, that the mere imagining of it is enough to change the global political landscape. But others, in communities as small as Dove World Outreach, have burned books with very little fanfare. How could a simulacrum of an…

Capitalism and Christianity

By Peter Montgomery

…nt thing in their lives. This is an answer to the “what’s the matter with Kansas?” question. Many evangelicals and religious conservatives don’t agree with right-wing economic policies, but those concerns are trumped by social issues which they are more likely to see in religious terms. Columnist E.J. Dionne, co-author of a report on the survey, noted that this finding demonstrates the bind facing Republicans who want to broaden the party’s elect…

Political Consequences of a Judging God: A Yom Kippur Reflection

By Jay Michaelson

…uilt keep us honest, check the ego, and remind us that we all have the capacity to be selfish and cruel. The judging God, in this light, is simply the superego projected toward the heavens. As a form of social control, it is an effective story that doubtless keeps many of us from acting on our baser instincts. It just needs periodic updating from time to time. But the essential part of this image, particularly as it’s expressed on Yom Kippur, is t…

The Racial Politics of Atheism

By Sikivu Hutchinson

…color—are rejecting organized religion, much less God, in any significant numbers. I wanted to explore the reason for this, while at the same time providing a radical voice for the growing numbers of openly identified non-believers of color. What’s the most important take-home message for readers? That humanism can be culturally relevant to communities of color. Traditional mainstream white-dominated freethought/atheist/humanist models don’t offe…

Are the Culture Wars Over? Look at the States

By Sarah Posner

…United for Separation of Church and State. Similar bills are pending in Arkansas, Kansas, Nevada, and Texas, according to Elise Helgesen, AU’s State Legislative Counsel. After the bill passed, the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation put out a statement praising the veto override, and charging, “There is a concerted effort to dismantle our First Amendment rights and redefine freedom. As a result, elected leaders across the nation are realizing…