Religion Dispatches
…ding up to this year’s election.“ (For more on Pray the Vote, go here) The promo for Craig Detweiler’s new book Into the Dark reads: “Detweiler, a well-respected film expert and media spokesperson on Hollywood and Christianity, examines forty-five twenty-first-century films that resonate theologically—from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Little Miss Sunshine—offering groundbreaking insight into their scriptural connections and theological applica…
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…inciple that imagining creates reality has captivated modern readers,” the promo copy explains. The publisher probably didn’t expect the book to resonate quite so uncomfortably with the political moment when they chose November 8th—Election Day—as its publication date. But indeed, Donald Trump’s distinctive style has roots in the spiritual tradition of which At Your Command and The Secret are both a part. Neville was just ahead of his time. Born i…
Read More…view LGBT people—as purely sexual beings. Foster’s screed is simply a long promo for a new ex-gay movie coming out, and the trailer, three-minutes of nauseating footage, centers around how each of these former homosexuals lived their lives in clubs, engaging in cheap, easy, and often public sex, or were sexually abused. For all the claptrap the religious right yells about how they don’t want to think of us “that way,” the trailer for the film is p…
Read More…ing that Obama should be impeached because he is a Muslim (complete with a promo promising free guns, paid for by “a millionaire” who wants you “protected against what’s coming.”) The video in the email is by evangelist Jack van Impe, known for his premillennial rapture theology and his disconnected rambling in Bible verses. It is entitled “President Obama’s Religion in Question” and argues that he is really a Muslim. Joan, who claims in an email…
Read More…er likes the rules. Given how important European institutions have been in promoting LGBT rights both in the region and worldwide, “anything that puts a hold on European progress causes concern about advancement for rights for LGBT people, especially in countries that are lagging behind,” said Brian Sheehan, a leader of the successful Irish marriage equality campaign who now co-chairs the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Associ…
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…lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in Poland is contained in the Labor Code. This ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation was introduced as a requirement for EU accession. There is no similar measure covering gender identity. There are still no legal avenues allowing same-sex couples to register their relationships with the state. Children born to LGB Polish parents abroad are denied Polish citizenship. Due to a presidential veto of…
Read More…larger struggle within hierarchy James Martin, a Jesuit priest whose book promoting bridge-building between the church and gay Catholics has exposed him to vehement criticism from anti-LGBT Catholics, described his experience at the hands of “the Catholic alt-right” in a Washington Post op ed. For just one example, see Claire Chretien’s attack for Life Site News on what she calls the “extreme” things Martin has said about Catholics and gay marria…
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…ble people, including LGBTI people, opened the proceedings with a prayer.” Turkey: Gay Iraqi refugee stranded by Trump freeze on resettlement Last week we reported that Turkish police had targeted LGBT activists who tried to defy a government ban on Istanbul’s planned pride celebration. IGLYO has shared reflections on the day from Hakan, an activist with the KAOS GL organization. Also, the New York Times reported from Istanbul on the story of Moha…
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…ase has only gone on due to “the twisted state of American jurisprudence.” Turkey: LGBT activist and lawyer detained Amid a broad assault on political opponents by the Turkish government, LGBT News in Turkey reports that Levent Pişkin, a lawyer and LGBTI activist, had been detained. Special operations police units arrived at Pişkin’s house in Kurtuluş, Istanbul around 05.00 a.m and confiscated some of Pişkin’s belongings from his room after detain…
Read More…ia Gasper, a town counselor and academic with a record of anti-gay rhetoric, created an offensive “queer dictionary.” Sample definition: “Gay community: People busy killing each other then blaming heterosexuals.” Turkey: Roundtable on LGBTI planned by European Intergroup on LGBTI Rights The European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBTI Rights will host a roundtable on LGBTI rights in Turkey on Tuesday in Brussels….
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