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Who’s Scared of Polygamy? A Restrained Case for the “Slippery Slope” Argument

…ractice. The Protestant Reformation is famous for, in theory, leveling the spiritual playing field between marriage and celibacy while, in practice, giving marriage primacy. These Reformers permitted priests, monks, and nuns to marry, overhauled the Catholic system of marital impediments and kinship (dramatically reducing the number of people a person was related to in a way that barred marriage), and cracked open the door to divorce. But as histo…

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Data-Mining The Denominations: The Southern Baptists in Four Charts

…se members. In 2013, the SBC claimed 15,735,640 members, and in 2014, that number fell by 236,467 to 15,499,173—that’s a 1.5 percent decline. However, on this stat alone, the claim could be made that churches are simply clearing out the cobwebs and tidying up their membership rolls so their numbers more accurately reflect their active members. The problem is, membership isn’t alone in its decline—it’s joined by baptisms and weekly worship attendan…

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The End (of Religion) is Near, Scientists Say

…ctivity bubble to the surface. Lost in the debate is the large and growing number of thoughtful people who self-identify as “spiritual, but not religious” (that is, as non-affiliated), an admittedly complex phrase than doesn’t allow for easy analysis either. But, as has been frequently noted on RD, religion is highly dispersed in the modern period; it’s not going away, it’s just going elsewhere. Sometimes the “spiritual, but not religious” person…

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National Review’s Kevin Williamson Comes Out Against Daughters, Misunderstands Science

…y many as espousing virulent, mean-spirited sexism; There is a non-trivial number of men who actually love their daughters and are neither disappointed they exist nor convinced that it means they’re low-status males; There is a non-trivial number of human beings who are unrepentant daughters and/or fallopian tube havers and/or cardigan wearers; There was a Republican president in recent memory who had two daughters; There are social conservatives…

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Pussy Riot Members Sentenced to 2 Years for Offending Russian Orthodox Church

…ak out in our support. There are a vast number, I know. I know that a huge number of Orthodox people are standing up for us. They are praying for us outside the courtroom, for the members of Pussy Riot who are incarcerated. We’ve seen the little booklets Orthodox people are handing out with prayers for those in prison. This shows that there isn’t a unified social group of Orthodox believers as the prosecution is endeavouring to say. No such thing…

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Hell, in Rob Bell’s Own Words: State of Belief Radio

…and I’ll do an event, and the level of electricity, of excitement, and the number of people who say: “I always had these questions, I always wondered about this, I always knew there was another way to understanding this…” It’s really… It blows me away. Every night, at one of these events, I just… Wow. What an amazing thing to be a part of. [WG]: Tell us, what has been your favorite comment from a reader, or, one or two of your favorite comments. […

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Elephant Orphans and Ecological Spiritualities: An Earth Day Reflection

…ysteries of these creatures. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. A large number of the “spiritual but not religious” crowd in the West are self-proclaimed ecologists or naturalists. A large number of atheists and agnostics are deeply passionate about ecological ethics, or how we might be more “in tune” with nature. Culturally, they become fascinated in the personalities of cats and cat videos, the companionship of dogs who offer a kind of faithf…

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Forced Cremation of Covid Dead in Sri Lanka Further Marginalizes Muslim Community

…020, there have been 146 Covid deaths in Sri Lanka with a disproportionate number coming from the Muslim community; despite making up less than 10% of the population, Muslims account for nearly half of the reported deaths. A Muslim leader in Sri Lanka informed the authors that the number is actually higher, and that 82 Muslims have died, with over 70 cremations. The cremation of the victims was carried out by the state without the approval of the…

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Don’t Misread Russell Moore’s Disavowal of “Christian Nation” and Anti-Trump Stance

…ive the wrath that is to come in November. We’ll see. Ted Cruz opened door number three on Tuesday: “This man is a pathological liar,” Mr. Cruz said, ticking off Mr. Trump’s distortions, his infidelities, his penchant for conspiracy theories. “The man is utterly amoral.” As I mentioned the other day, the rejectionist route seems to be the one Baptist leaders are taking as well. Any of these options involves some risk, but door number three is a pa…

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How the COVID-19 Pandemic May Permanently Change Our ‘Good Death’ Narrative

…of death’s approach and willing to accept it. Family members assessed the spiritual state of the dying in relation to the deathbed scene, including careful attention to the dying person’s last words. And families cared for their own dead, in what we now call “green burials” (or, as they called them, “burials”). Fewer than 15% of Americans died away from home in the mid-19th century. The Civil War ruptured that norm in a dramatic fashion. Over 600…

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