Religion Dispatches
…t this did make me think about the phenomenon of interfaith as it is being promoted these days. First of all, this is not an idea promoted by the oppressed to invite others to celebrate their faith. It is something those already in power or with privilege extend to make an opening or orchestrate a collective. This means, those who do get invitations are usually at a disadvantage. If nothing else, it could be from the mere organizational standpoint…
Read More…ing the off-season. An update on the Oklahoma atheist billboard story. The sign reads “Atheism is OK in Oklahoma.” A billboard company has answered the atheists with signs reading: “Why settle for OK? God promises MORE” and “God is more than OK in Oklahoma.” Take that. The Oklevueha Native American Church of Utah is suing to prevent state and federal authorities from arresting and prosecuting church members for peyote possession and use. Only memb…
Read More…ion of Independence is a document Gingrich maintains proves “American exceptionalism,” which of course a Kenyan anti-colonialist doesn’t understand either. In a depressing, ridiculous, maddening sign of the times, the White House press office actually issued a statement to Brody that “The President is in full agreement with the Declaration of Independence.”…
Read More…ent from an anonymous person with the name Amina Wadud to my professional specification, but I will take that as a good sign for now….
Read More…dam Serwer’s takedown of it, the money line being “This is the witchdoctor sign without photoshop, WorldNetDaily without the exclamation points.” Or, from the right, Daniel Larison’s pronouncement of the story “the most ridiculous piece of Obama analysis yet written,” its thesis “simply stupid,” its conclusion “inexcusably moronic. . . ideological Birtherism.” At Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition conference on Friday (D’Souza delivered a s…
Read More…to our friends at The Revealer (they’ve relaunched… go check them out and sign up for their newsletter here): Yesterday [May 28th] Glenn Beck struck out at Simon Greer, President and CEO of Jewish Funds for Justice for his recent statement of support for government as a tool for protecting and facilitating the common good in society. Beck was moved by Greer’s rather moderate statement to respond, on his Premier Radio Networks show, thusly: This l…
Read More
…supporter of the former presidential candidate, whom he is encouraging to promote a home school curriculum. The Pauls and North have connections to the Constitution Party, founded by Christian Reconstructionist Howard Phillips, also founder of the 1980s Christian right group the Conservative Caucus. Ron Paul has spoken at Constitution Party events and Phillips has spoken for Ron Paul in favor of his candidacy for president. Rand Paul went on to…
Read More
…other sexually transmitted infections than is an exclusive focus on condom promotion. Regrettably, however, many scientists, HIV prevention educators, and AIDS activists are so fixed on condom promotion that they do not give due attention to the risk avoidance that is possible to achieve through abstinence outside marriage and mutual, lifelong fidelity within marriage.” Who, one asks, are these scientists who believe in the “exclusive focus on con…
Read More
…f Spiritual Progressives ran a full page ad in the New York Times. The ad, signed by Dr. Cornel West, Sister Joan Chittister, and 2800 others, urges President-Elect Obama to: 1.) Call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza when he is sworn in as president, and 2.) Convene an International Peace Conference to resolve the Israel/Palestine struggle. He now seeks to have that ad republished in the Washington Post and other media. You can read, sign and/o…
Read More
…s approval ratings were in permanent free fall, his nefarious theocratic designs evidently vanquished. In that climate, Roose found ready at hand the language for common ground and the gradient of hope. Sound familiar? A New Era of Responsibility Throughout Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and into his administration, he has tried to work his words around the culture wars. He speaks of “abortion reduction” rather than “choice” or “life.” A sup…
Read More