Religion Dispatches
…ouch says this: We at Christianity Today believe Christians are absolutely free to use marijuana (where legalized). And, when it comes to pot in our particular cultural context, we think it would be foolish to use that freedom. For the CT editors, the moral quality of marijuana use seems to depend entirely upon the “cultural context” in which it occurs. And since our particular context is not conducive to marijuana use, marijuana use would be “foo…
Read More…on the Internet. Fiasco shares his decision to put the song on the Web for free in verse: “I’m not trying to profit off the prophet so this one’s for free.” He does this, ironically, even as his lyrics laud one of the most prominent black prosperity preachers, Creflo Dollar. Apparently, the two share a commitment to, as Lupe puts it, “no sex before you’re married,” if not a business ethic. And then there’s the fact that Kanye recorded three differ…
Read More…oing his best to spread the message through Israel HaYom (Israel Today), a free tabloid that is the country’s must-read news outlet. Adelson told reporters at the Jerusalem gathering that he does not dictate the newspaper’s coverage or editorials, but that both reflect his point of view and that of his close friend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a nation of news junkies, Israel HaYom is trying to steer public opinion to the right. And it’s…
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…abeled bigoted and narrow-minded. Yet many clamor to deny Muslins the very free exercise rights for which Sekulow, and now also his son Jordan, litigated, with the ACLJ leading the fight against the nonexistent effort by Muslims to take over America by implementing Sharia. We’re seeing the rhetoric around “religious freedom” as Christian privilege, the denial of which is framed as persecution from the Trump Administration—but there are at least tw…
Read More…church and state we thought we enjoyed just a few months ago, when we were free to run Catholic institutions in conformity with the demands of the Catholic faith, when the government couldn’t tell us which of our ministries are Catholic and which not, when the law protected rather than crushed conscience. The state is making itself into a church. Oh, to be able to perform an exegesis of that paragraph! Allow me an attempt: “Manipulated public disc…
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…men of the Society reinforcing the evils of feminism, of communism, and of free choice via conspiracy theory, Christian persecution, and an unwavering dedication to traditional gender roles. Replace “communism” with “socialism” and such an article would be right at home in today’s National Review or in one of the larger legacy papers—ostensibly “to ensure balanced coverage.” For Caldwell, the injustices of society were at the hands of the LGBTQ2SA…
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…eats that have been utilized by the US and the UK have only infringed upon free expression and civil liberties. Any legislation that seeks to advance a federal criminal statute for domestic terrorism will similarly be exploited and leveraged to harm minoritized communities in the United States. Pillar Four aims to “confront long-term contributors to domestic terrorism” by “tackling racism in America” and “protecting Americans from gun violence and…
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…at all Indians must appropriate and live under. Together, the RHC and Modi promote a narrow vision of Hinduism in the guise of Indian culture locally and abroad. Modi’s government has increasingly used the country’s broad and vague laws restricting free speech to stifle many forms of dissent, according to a recent report by Human Rights Watch. In addition to providing vague “values” Trump allegedly shares with Hindu Americans—“hard work, education…
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…tner jumped from a 24 mile-high space capsule, becoming the first human in free fall to break the sound barrier. His jump broke previous records set by retired Air Force colonel Joe Kittinger, who provided guidance to Baumgartner during the mission. Like Kittinger before him, the daredevil faced an early crisis as he began to enter, but quickly recovered from, a dreaded tailspin. “At a certain R.P.M.,” he explained, “there’s only one way for blood…
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…me the suffering of the most miserable; So I will know my people’s plight. Free me to pray for others; For you are present in every person. Help me to take responsibility for my own life; So that I can be free at last. Grant me courage to serve others; For in service there is true life. Give me honesty and patience; So that I can work with other workers. Bring forth song and celebration; So that the spirit will be alive among us. Let the spirit fl…
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