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Electionpocalypse, Part I (Christianity)

By Sarah Posner

…o longer a Christian nation” (read: we were once a Christian nation but bwwaaahahahahahaha, my evil Islamo-socialist plan has worked!). In case you had questions, Obama was merely discussing how we’re a pluralistic nation of many faiths, something that people claiming to be protecting religious freedom might pay a mind to. But Obama is an oppressor of Christianity, in the view of the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, who tweeted that “#Obama…

Escape From Manhattan: Tech, Tragedy and Storytelling in Sandy’s Wake

By Rachel Wagner

…en investment in other worlds. Then Hurricane Sandy arrived, blew New York away, and as the convention center where Comic Con had been held drained of water from the Hudson River; and as the lower half of Manhattan met Halloween in utter darkness, I found myself shuttered in without electricity in southern Connecticut, watching the world fall apart in New York City, where even today people are scrambling for gasoline to power their generators, whe…

Soldier Hot Line Draws Calls Over DADT Repeal

By Lauri Lebo

…are few and far between. The New York Times builds its whole story out of a handful of phone calls and an email. But the article indicates that those who run the various nonprofits that help soldiers achieve conscientious objector status expect a floodgate of calls if Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is formally repealed. The good news is that the groups don’t think there is legal basis for the claims. In the “don’t ask, don’t tell” cases, Ms. McNeil conclud…

Romney Had No Clue as to Obama Ground Game

By Joanna Brooks

…given the revolutionary turnout tactics and tactical smarts of President Obama’s operation.” To wit: Team Romney was (as we all knew) far too timid in telling the candidate’s personal story—especially his faith and his service in his faith community. Team Obama had way better tech guys. Team Romney had a better debate. Team Obama had wiser financing strategies. But here’s the stunner. Apparently, Team Romney had no clue as to the extent of Obama’s…

The Only Religion Question Reporters and Debate Moderators Should Ask Presidential Candidates (Kim Davis Edition)

By Sarah Posner

…urt. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, not known for shying away from hot-button religious culture war battles, “visited by phone” with Rowan County, Kentucky court clerk Kim Davis yesterday, according to a statement issued by his campaign. “I let her know how proud I am of her for not abandoning her religious convictions and standing strong for religious liberty,” the former pastor, Arkansas governor, and now two-time presidential…

“What Kind of Islam Is That?”: Talking With Refugees From ISIS

By Mark Juergensmeyer

…some strange religion, not Islam,” a Muslim refugee from the Iraq city of Ramadi told me when I talked with him recently in a camp near the Kurdistan capital of Erbil in Northern Iraq. ISIS territory was some 40 miles away, but he spoke as if they could return at any moment. “They reject our religion and say we are not sufficiently Muslim, but they kill the men and rape the women. What kind of Islam is that?” Though his religious affiliation was S…

Cross-Burning Hearing Ends, Trial Set to Begin

By Lauri Lebo

…looking for answers. When they felt they didn’t get them, they filed suit against both the Mt. Vernon School District and Freshwater. The district settled with the Dennis family last summer, although the suit against Freshwater awaits. Meanwhile, a federal judge in the civil suit against Freshwater issued an order last week directing Freshwater’s attorneys to turn over billing records related to time spent preparing affidavits related to an inter…

Meet the “New Age” Stephen Colbert

By Andrew Aghapour

…ome in Charleston, South Carolina to find out, among other things, how he balances comic and spiritual concerns that appear to be at odds with one another. Note: this interview has been edited for clarity and length. What does it mean to be Ultra Spiritual? Ultra Spiritual is the practice of looking spiritual and getting other people to notice how spiritual you look. Does this reflect a cultural trend in contemporary American society? It does. And…

US Names Int’l Envoy for LGBT Rights; Marriage revolution spreads in Mexico; Scott Lively Warns World of Anti-Christ; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…s worldwide.” Also commenting was Ugandan LGBTI Activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera: “We join the US in welcoming the newly appointed LGBTI envoy. It’s not going to be easy inviting Mr. Berry to countries where human rights of LGBTI people are not respected. However, it’s a step in the right direction. Eventually, countries such as Uganda will have to respect their partners’ foreign policies if they are to have great relations. I look forward to…

Pope Decries ‘Ideological Colonization’ of Family; Islamic State Executes Gays and Others; Gay Couple Gets Long-Delayed Wedding in Mexico; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

US President Barack Obama made history this week with what are reported to have been the first appearances of the words lesbian, bisexual, and transgender in a State of the Union address. He also referred to marriage equality as a civil right and “a story of freedom.” We have reported on the World Council of Families and its promotion of anti-gay policies in Russia and around the world, as well as religious conservatives’ rhetorical opposition to…