Religion Dispatches
…his candidacy, most were downright hostile. Huckabee attacks the influential Arlington Group for jerking him around and goes after several high-profile leaders by name: Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Rod Parsley, Bob Jones III, and especially Gary Bauer, whom he calls “politically clueless.” Interestingly, there is not one mention of James Dobson, whose feckless wavering during the GOP primary apparently didn’t warrant Huckabee’s scorn. Perhaps that…
Read More…ully everyone had a lovely Memorial Day. Things were not so lovely outside Arlington National Cemetery where the Westboro Baptist Church brought its sideshow of hate only to be opposed by a group of counter-protesters that included self-proclaimed members of the KKK. Talk about the racist pot calling the hateful kettle black. In the New York Times, historian David Blight tells the story of the first Memorial Day, celebrated by newly freed blacks i…
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…Not again, not ever again, a ritual recitation before the real life, the real meal, the real conversation. For on that night, the Haggadah itself, the Telling of our slavery and our freedom, became the real conversation about our real life. The ritual foods, the bitterness of the bitter herb, the pressed-down bread of everyone’s oppression, the wine of joy in struggle, became the real meal. For the first time, we paused in the midst of the Telling…
Read More…feel compelled to compartmentalize their personal spirituality and missional calling for the sake of survival and emotional health. “People of color [have been] willing to fit themselves into these white evangelical spaces even when it was uncomfortable,” explains Walker-Barnes. The expectation that minorities—especially women—do the emotional labor in conversations about race takes a psychological and physical toll, she argues. They hope to “mov…
Read More…ue. I, like many of you, believe that all religions other than my own are false. I also believe in religious freedom, which is what the Supreme Court is preparing to consider in the coming days. True freedom is uncomfortable. To be truly free we must step outside our own beliefs. The religion of the majority cannot be encouraged, promoted, or endorsed using non-voluntary communal funds. We live in a time when Christianity is viewed as the “civiliz…
Read More…arriage” was announced in a letter addressed to “General Authorities; General Auxiliary Presidencies; Area Seventies; Temple, Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents” but not to rank and file members. The letter and an enclosure explain how leaders should “[help] members understand, prepare for, and enjoy the blessings of eternal marriage.” This change is long overdue, and I should know: it was 2010 when I first wrot…
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…building strong marriages and families through love, protection and biblical values. Promise #5 Serving: A Promise Keeper understands that Jesus calls him to be His hands and feet, serving others with integrity. He purposely lifts up the leadership of the church and his nation in prayer. Promise #6 Unity: A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity. Promise #7…
Read More…mmunity to rally against Phelps et al. Westboro members protested on Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery with their “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” signs. About 80 counter protestors came out to confront the handful of Westboro members. CNN reported that among the strange bedfellows that Westboro seems to unite were about 10 members of a Virginia branch of the Ku Klux Klan called the Knights of the Southern Cross: “It’s the soldier that fought and di…
Read More…I’m back at Bloggingheads, and this week I spoke with the University of Texas-Arlington’s Brent Sasley, about why hawkish Jewish groups have dominated the conversation around the Chuck Hagel nomination—and why they are not as influential among Jews as cable news bookers seem to think:…
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…e Bible, you read devotional books, and books designed to help your spiritual walk or the church broadly construed. That is the problem with focusing in only on NAR and dominionism. If you don’t know the everyday context of how people, churches, and organizations deal with these broad-based movements, it can sound like a vast conspiracy theory. People who are in that web don’t often recognize differences, or they don’t care about them. They care a…
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