Religion Dispatches
…don’t need the headaches that come with that much “success” in the church business. Jesus counted success differently than we do these days. He didn’t build a big church, didn’t send letters to his followers asking for donations, didn’t seek to give high profile prayers. He simply went about the business of helping people. He didn’t seek acclaim or write any best- selling books. He simply went to where the hurting people were and healed them. His…
Read More…italism, disguised as Christianity, isn’t hidden for long as he re-aired a portion of his 1992 interview with now-deceased financial expert Larry Burkett, who advised: ”There’s no better time to start a business than when everybody else is going out of business.” In other words, the least of these are struggling—time to cash in! Forgive me, Dr. Dobson, if I choke on your sympathy….
Read More…exposé of the work of Steven Emerson—a noted “expert” who points to shady business practices of Muslim organizations as proof of terrorism—focusing on his own shady business practices. This article prompted a follow-up in Florida. The strength of the local reporting reveals the vested economic interests in perpetuating a conflict narrative with Muslims in America. Unfortunately, the national media has a harder time wrapping itself around that nar…
Read MoreGrace Wyler has a good scoop over at Business Insider on the behind-the-scenes fighting at the big religious right confab in Texas this past weekend—the one that produced a consensus around Rick Santorum, which few observers think will result in a surge for Santorum. Wyler: Influential evangelical leader James Dobson set off the fireworks at this weekend’s Christian Right summit, giving a speech that lavished praise on Karen Santorum and asked wh…
Read More…faith can use his influence to get his church out of the anti-gay marriage business. When he did his book tour at [LDS Church-owned] Deseret Bookstores a year ago, I ran advertisements: “Please get your church out of the marriage equality business.” If it’s between stopping gay marriage and getting a president, I think the church would rather have a president. There’s so many wonderful things the LDS Church does. Why focus on gay marriage? JB: …
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…ion is at the heart of a massive Religious Right coalition pushing to give business owners a broad legal right to discriminate against LGBT people and families as well as single parents based on their holding traditional religious views about gender, marriage and family. Shortly before his colleague was named to join the delegation, Ruse had been writing about C-Fam as a tiny David standing up against a Goliath of “sexual revolutionaries.” One of…
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…n of interracial marriage and relationships in the last century) is that a business discriminating against same-sex couples is exercising a reasonable extension of their religious opposition to marriage equality. State legislation that included the Hobby Lobby principle in this way has been attempted in several states, but has so far only been enacted in Mississippi. A Hobby Lobby-type bill that passed in Indiana was later amended to explicitly ba…
Read More…bow’s handlers might have urged him to cancel because Jeffress was bad for business. Those who have followed Jeffress’ media habits will not be surprised to find he’s making the most of the moment, dishing up interviews and grabbing airtime with just about anyone who will listen. But can the example of Tim Tebow, who is a member of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, speak louder than the voice of Robert Jeffress? Could Tebow convince the…
Read More…look busy.” We’re so concerned to look busy—to look like we’re about God’s business in the world, that we forget what it means to truly be about God’s business in the world. Jesus isn’t some micro-managing boss who demands that we look busy or we’ll be in trouble. What God demands is that we do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God. What God demands is that we love our neighbor just as much as we love ourselves and that we love God with all…
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…om his treatment of employees. He replied, “I like to keep my faith out of business decisions.” Keeping faith out of business is the logical extension of separating concern for workers from theological conversations. Separating matters of faith and conversations about God into private realms, or squeezing them into an hour per week of worship, diminishes the value, scope and reach of faith. This closet view of religion and faith has persuaded too…
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