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Marriage Equality: No More (Word) Games

By William Myatt

…the person they love. Not surprisingly, my small gesture sparked a bit of online controversy. Because my Facebook friends mirror the various chapters of my life, they also represent various constituencies: Southern Baptists from Tennessee, evangelicals from Nebraska, and progressive Christians from Chicago. In fact, my wall sometimes feels like a mashup of Bill Gaither, Rob Bell, and Amanda Palmer—a quality I liken to our wonderfully pluralistic…

LGBT’s, Opponents Prep for Vatican Synod; UN Rights Council Adopts LGBT Resolution; Brazil’s Evangelicals Eye Presidency; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…Pope Francis to make the church more inclusive. According to Portugal News Online, the meeting has been timed to coincide with the Synod on the Family, and will promote the acceptance and integration of LGBT people in parishes and local communities. New Ways Ministry will be active in both Rome and Portugal. In contrast, dozens of conservative Christian activists are urging Pope Francis and the bishops to “protect marriage” and “reiterate a tradit…

Cyclops Baby of the Apocalypse? Another Day in ISIS Fundamentalism

By Joseph Laycock

…e rumors resulting from the fog of war, the rapid spread of misinformation online, or even propaganda intended to inspire further Muslim opposition to ISIS. However, the apparent rise of bizarre beliefs and practices seems to reflect the type of recruits that ISIS attracts. Last month, it was widely reported that would-be jihadists purchased Islam for Dummies before heading out to join terrorists in Syria. Here on RD Mark Juergensmeyer suggested t…

Is the State a Religious Actor in Deeming Teen’s Crotch-Rubbing of Jesus Statue Illegal?

By Joseph Laycock

…at a teenager “mistreated” a statue of Jesus, even posting violent threats online. But for others, it was likewise upsetting to see a statue of Satan broken by careless workers. For the 1,000 people who signed a petition, the guerilla art installation has significance because it was clever, pointed out the bureaucratic absurdity of an empty pedestal, and because it was art! If the statue was not a “venerated object” it was clearly “special” and se…

Russian Attack on LGBTs at UN Rejected; Gay Cake Controversy Rages in N. Ireland; Bishop Calls for Marriage Referendum in Puerto Rico; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…e “out of the closet”. What we were hearing – and it has snatched the microphone of homosexual life in the same unrepresentative way that Islamism has grabbed the public voice of Muslims – was the voice of a self-appointed moral policeman. If you are gay, Mr Strudwick seemed to assert, there are certain things you must believe. Nothing else is permitted under the gay rights sharia. Nigeria: Presidential candidate denies marriage-equality deal We r…

3 Takeaways from #Easter2015

By Michael Schulson

…Manley Hopkins poem, or simply because our culture verbs almost everything online). “#EasterWithUs,” requested North Point Ministries, also in the Atlanta area. Gateway Church, in Texas, urged parishioners to post a selfie of themselves with someone they’d brought to church, as part of the #EasterYourSelfie campaign. At least one church actively discouraged selfies, though. 3) Hashtagging to Calvary One advantage of hashtags: you can string a seri…

“Muscular Christianity” Not to Blame For Driscoll: A Response

By Jessica Johnson

…want to mention that I have been inspired by the testimonies of ex-leaders online. As these men confess to their roles as abusers and abused within the church’s administration, there’s hope in their willingness to publicly repent and live the gospel as a perpetually transformative process. In recent months, I have sat with some of these men (and women), who still believe in male headship within the church, but do not subscribe to the doctrine as p…

Ignoring the Pope on Climate Change is Not Like Using Contraception

By Kevin M. Lowe

…released today and has already produced a tremendous amount of commentary online. And yet the political ramifications of the encyclical, at least in the United States, remain controversial. Much digital ink has already been spilled over the way American politicians (especially Republicans) have been reacting to the prospect of the Vatican weighing in on global climate change. Jeb Bush, a Catholic convert, has aired his discomfort with the Pope’s…

What to Wear When Praying with the Pope

By Donna Schaper

…pink tights? Too hot. The skirt won. Plus, I talked with my women’s group online while listening to the Pope livestream his speech to Congress yesterday. I was surprised that we were all listening, avidly. The pink tights were out: “too provocative.” The blue jeans were out: “too disrespectful of how excited you are to see him.” The skirt won again. Even wondering what to wear is a window on how important the Pope is. I am almost embarrassed to h…

Unpacking the Giglio Imbroglio

By Sarah Posner

…he find an LGBT-affirming clergy, or at least someone who doesn’t have an online trove of sermons denouncing sexual sin, or, barring that, someone who has repented from homophobia, to put it in religious terms? The answer is, of course, all those options are available to him (and many observers, including the Washington Monthly’s Ed Kilgore, have started making suggestions for Giglio replacements). Recall 2009, when Obama was faced with oppositi…