Religion Dispatches
…“other world” we yearn to live in, with its fantasy of keeping us forever “number one” and thus immune to change. Republicans have traded successfully on that fantasy ever since Richard Nixon’s victory in 1968. McCain is merely walking a well-worn path. And why shouldn’t he? It’s a path that has led to seven GOP victories in the last ten presidential elections. From an academic religious studies viewpoint, Obama did make several mistakes. All of t…
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…mediating theological conversations. This has given artists and audiences free rein to reach more deeply into their Christian heritages and memories to grapple with holy mysteries that were once closely managed by the church. The resulting shift means that artists are more likely to resist the concept of grace than the concept of sin: their defiance of the holy is not in the tone of repentant fear so much as a kind of performative dismissal of th…
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…ording to Robertson, they told Satan “we will serve you if you will get us free.” Satan then responded, “OK, it’s a deal” and “ever since, they have been cursed.” Is this worth acknowledging? Comments by Robertson that are racist, sexist, arrogant, complacent, misleading, and/or embarrassing are like a bus: if you miss one today, there will be another tomorrow. Those who stir the pot by writing “can you believe he said that!” do not always seem to…
Read More…en be tested on them. First, infected prostitutes were identified and made freely accessible to ‘volunteer’ prisoners for sex. When this didn’t work so well, attempts were made to infect patients in an asylum for the mentally ill, through such methods as abrading the skin on men’s genitalia. Reverby stumbled on the story while researching the better-known and just as disturbing experiments on black men with syphilis in Alabama from 1932-1972. In A…
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…ldview, but as a series of false claims of God-given pronouncements in the service of political and other opportunities. (Hume and others think that this is more grift than the gift of prophecy.) Hume’s purist approach is not only intolerant of charismatics, but much of what passes for modern conservatism. He writes that “these movements and personalities,” including ReAwaken America, MAGA, Julie Green, and Sean Feucht, “present an extremely shall…
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…,” wrote the National Catholic Register in March, emphasizing his military service. Does Hanson’s muscular Christian approach represent a viable future for the anti-aid-in-dying movement? Probably not. But the reasons it fails are instructive. Hanson’s message—of reliance on God, of fighting against all odds, of the soldier suffering for family, nation, and a higher purpose—appeal to the (male) patriotism and paternalism of social conservatives. B…
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…w you to list yourself and search others by religion, but there are dating services that cater specifically to Christians, Jews, or Muslims. And, of course, there are many shades of “Catholic.” St. Monica parishioner Molly Harrington, who isn’t involved in YMA’s dating scene, signed up for CatholicMatch.com during Lent one year. The site asks users whether they accept the church’s teachings on seven issues, from the Eucharist and Immaculate Concep…
Read More…nvention center hallway was, “Let’s pretend I picked you up from an escort service and we’ll walk over to that table over there together and sit down and chat.” Kirby posted an apology Thursday on his page, acknowledging that “much of what she describes in her account took place, albeit without some of the more sinister intentions many have alluded to.” Kirby’s defenders may likely protest that my framing of the interaction also exhibits “sinister…
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…ite diverse public high school here in Atlanta. Both went to baccalaureate services and graduation exercises. At none of these four events was any kind of religious expression attempted, not even at the baccalaureate services held at local churches. I was also struck by the lack of any kind of patriotic or ethical exhortation. The graduation events were primarily memorable for their extraordinary speed. Lacking anything much to say, school leaders…
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…e done when one’s pen reflects the greatness of the soul and is put at the service of truth and noble causes.” Since serving the truth and a noble cause is an admirable trait for a journalist, I can not help but point out that the day before, the Pope was continuing his “I’m sorry” tour before a crowd of people who perhaps needed to hear it the least. June 11 marked the end of the celebration of the “Year of the Priest” and the Pope marked it by c…
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