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Sacred Texting: When Religious Writ Gets Wired

By Rachel Wagner

…ability of cell phones to be used for impure activities, some Jewish cell-phone users have requested so-called “kosher” phones. The idea is to offer conservative Jews a phone that is free of “corrupting influences” of the sort that are already avoided by ultra-orthodox Jews through a ban on television and some radio. Reuters reported in February 2008 that Bezeq Israel Telecom launched a new “kosher” landline phone service, which will block calls…

Francis Visits the Church that John Paul Broke

By Patricia Miller

…of the general trend toward non-affiliation; in fact, it’s the other way around: the unprecedented number of Catholics leaving the church is a major driver of the increase in “nones.” A recent Pew Poll, which provides one of the most detailed looks to date at this phenomenon, found that while 20 percent of US adults currently identify as Catholic, nine percent identify as ex-Catholic, with an additional six percent who were raised Catholic (or wh…

We Went Through Amoris Laetitia Section by Section So You Wouldn’t Have To

By Anthony Adams

…a married clergy could also be drawn upon. While Pope Francis is on solid ground in Amoris Laetitia when he talks about the need for communication, respect, gratitude and courage in moments of crisis faced by husbands, wives and families, he does not apply any of that wisdom to same-sex couples. As Mary E. Hunt writes here on RD, he never deviates from the patriarchal ideal of “heteronormative uncontracepted sex in monogamous marriage.” Sections 2…

Marriage Equality Vote Costs Conservative MP a Trip to Australia

By Peter Montgomery

Earlier this month, the British House of Commons overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill for England and Wales on its second reading. (After additional legislative review and a third reading, the bill will go to the House of Lords). Prime Minister David Cameron pushed for marriage equality over the objections of church leaders and many in his Conservative Party. One who did vote for the marriage bill is the conservative Iain Duncan Smit…

From “Jane Roe” to “Roe No More”: Norma McCorvey’s Long Strange Trip Through the Politics of Abortion

By Patricia Miller

…the politics of abortion, married that to a fierce grassroots legislative ground game to make stunning inroads on abortion access in the United States, even as the procedure remains technically legal. So perhaps it’s symbolically appropriate that McCorvey went to her maker right after the 2016 presidential election proved the staying power of the issue that she helped elevate to the national stage. Say what you want about belligerent blue-collar w…

Sarah Palin to Tour Israel, Christian-Style

By Anthea Butler

…to-play dates, Palin can still suck all of the media air out of the room without declaring her intent, while her followers can organize underneath the eyes of the media glare. Whatever Palin does on her Israel trip will be a signal to her supporters and detractors alike. No matter what the pollsters may say, this trip will be an important step in the reading of the tea leaves for a potential 2012 run….

Pride Month & Prejudice; ‘Worrisome Time’ For LGBT People; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…osition parties said they would consider legalizing marriage equality at a roundtable that was snubbed by the ruling Cambodia’s People Party. Forty civil society organizations have called on Cambodia to legalize marriage for same-sex couples after a court ruling in Taiwan in favor of marriage equality. More from Khmer Times: “Taiwan becomes a trailblazer in respect of LGBT rights in Asia, building momentum for marriage equality across the continen…

Put Your Money Where Your Mind Is: A For-Profit Meditation Studio Opens in New York

By Michael Schulson

…age. His 2012 book, The Buddha Walks into a Bar, has sold widely. Over the phone, I asked Rinzler why he and Burrows had chosen to establish the studio as a for-profit company. “We really wanted to make sure we had all the resources we need for supporting people who are trying meditation for the first time,” Rinzler explained. Because they’re a business, there’s more professionalism. The teachers they’ve hired show up on time, and, as Rinzler put…

‘Anti-Romeo’ Vigilante Squads Target Men Suspected Of Being Gay; More in the Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…he Washington Post reports. “Because, you know, it’s been banned.” Finland: 800+ same-sex couples married in first month; Lutheran priests barred from officiating More than 800 same-sex couples were married in March after marriage equality went into effect on the first of the month; 770 had already been in civil partnerships. The Lutheran Evangelical Church has decreed that priests are not permitted to marry same-sex couples and some bishops warne…

How to Choose a Tour Company for Your Hajj

By Amina Wadud

…nts than their quota allows. Most Muslim countries have a quota; a limited number of hajjis permitted from that country in any one year. This number is set by hajj authorities in Saudi Arabia, because, in all fairness, there has to be a cap on how many Muslims converge on the place. Right now, it stands at around 3 million! Countries with large populations of Muslims have many more applicants than their allotted number of pilgrims. This means you…