Religion Dispatches
…rs weren’t asked if they were white born again Christian or evangelical. The exit poll has Romney winning among white Protestants, who make up 41% of voters, 75-25%, among white Catholics (11%), 64-33%, but Obama is winning 89% of non-whites (33% of the electorate). Bonus point of interest in the Virginia exit poll: Obama is winning among voters who attend religious services weekly (44% of voters), 51-49%, among those who attend occasionally (36%)…
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…lessing the set of The Devil Made Me Do It before filming began in 2019. Ouellette tells the crew, “The cosmos doesn’t know the difference between fiction and non-fiction.” He warns that even depicting “dark archetypes” can cause actual demons to manifest. So even if it is just a movie, we’re still in supernatural peril. All this blending of fantasy and reality is done to make a compelling summer horror movie. But it’s not surprising that fans are…
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…Zoroastrianism. Part of the growth in “other religion” segment is being fueled by religion-switching. Nearly 2 million people are expected to be added to the “other religion” category over the next generation or so by switching their allegiance from another religious tradition (or none). Islam, by comparison, is projected to gain to gain 3.2 million new adherents and “folk religions” (these tend to be small in number and tied to a particular peop…
Read More…t sense) she’s put in place with her boyfriend, Teryn asks, “Mom, do you feel like she should tell you what they do physically?” Victoria demurs: no, but she still hopes she will. Then Teryn comes back with another question: “What if she were to tell you, ‘Actually, Mom, we’re sleeping together’?” Brava, Teryn. Victoria responds that she’d be horrified, whereupon Teryn reveals that she herself was not a virgin at marriage. This does not go well f…
Read More…revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad, from God, via the Archangel Gabriel. Practically speaking, this just means the 27th night, because who after all can make an effort for ten whole nights every year? Masjid-Hopping. Like bar-hopping except more likely to get you into heaven. You may, however, wake up where you didn’t expect to, such as beside your slashed tires in the mosque parking lot—but you deserved it. Many Muslims, especiall…
Read More…marriage, and “a huge fan of the transgender community.” But as the WBC belted out its parody of Kesha’s gay anthem “We R Who We R,” a trio of her backup dancers joined in: In case you couldn’t hear, WBC members sang: Your hearts are turning hard God smacks this world of ours He’ll tear it all apart You think you’re superstars God hates who you are! Your proud and Bible dumb Your consciences are numb In God’s eyes you are dung You think you’re…
Read More…ic revealed that she had written her undergraduate thesis on Mark Twain novels, so maybe she was just channeling a familiar fictional world. Weiss, who has the soothing voice and professorial handsomeness of a soap opera shrink, was unruffled. Perhaps, he suggested, Couric’s past life influenced her choice of a thesis. The blending of sensationalist graphics, unverifiable claims, and obvious profit motives makes for some cringe-worthy televisi…
Read More…ly, is, “Yes, if they work for Sarkaty Advisors.” Everyone else involved should be polishing their resumes, while the rest of us hearken to the death knell of a venerable American brand. Bonus: Sammy Davis Junior for Manischewitz….
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…d none of them has an a priori claim in a democracy. The second and intimately related reality is that even for those who do remain Catholic, the institutional Roman Catholic Church, the largest single denomination, is losing ground fast. I suspect that these losses will be accelerated by recent pulpit calls for voting Republican. Many Catholics are insulted by the notion that local clergy—not high on most people’s list these days given the priest…
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…nd of consumerist individualism. There’s a “truthiness” there, since they selectively appeal to religious and scientific facts. To push your metaphor further: if practices and philosophies necessarily become a crutch, doesn’t this just lead to the relativistic individualism you critique? I love the wisdom of your question. Listening to what I’ve been saying you could ask, “Should we trash every tradition and belief every chance we get in the name…
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