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The Non-Existent Tea Party-Religious Right God Gap

…ts back to one that many speakers, including Reed and Gingrich, emphasized today: that not only did God ordain a limited role for government, God, and not the government, is the source of individual rights. “God gives you sovereignty,” said Gingrich, and “the government doesn’t define rights.” In other words, if the government tells you to buy insurance under the individual mandate, it’s not only infringing on your God-given rights, but exceeding…

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Swimming Against the Tide: Religious (Non) Affiliation Might Not Mean What You Think It Means

…Such changes in declared identification have huge implications for society today. And yet the import and meaning of these changes are likely more nuanced than how they often are portrayed. A mouse pad decorated with a school of ancient “ichthus” Christian symbols (and a contemporary “evangellyfish” headed in the opposite direction). Image via Zazzle.com. A few examples: Self-reported church attendance is roughly the same today as in the 1940’s and…

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The People’s Temple, the Black Church, and the Tragic Legacy of Jonestown

…sed visibility of the black atheist community. Is that growth we’re seeing today influenced by the way the Bible was historically used to justify the degradation of black people? I absolutely think that is the motivation for many African-American nonbelievers. That the whole Curse of Ham lore, the justification of slavery, the justification of rape and commodification of black women’s bodies— all of that plays a big role in the embrace of atheism…

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Sister Rose and a Teenager’s First Headscarf

…nated by my new-found religiosity, and fostered their animosity toward me. Today, I can look back at Sister Rose and Matilde with sorrow. Today when I see nuns, orthodox rabbis, and Buddhist monks, I’m filled with joy and a desire to share with them. Surely so many private hours spent with God must be full of light. I hope they are. I hope they engender love and peace for them, and through them, for others. I no longer wear a headscarf because my…

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Huckabee Launches Videos to Teach Kids About American Exceptionalism

…r children a historically accurate and unbiased education that allows kids today to enjoy and understand our history, and build their pride in our great nation.” Learn Our History’s messages are all geared to promoting the idea of American Exceptionalism, and from the clips, they appear to be delivered with all the subtlety and Cold War fervor of the movie Red Dawn. From Learn Our History web site’s Frequently Asked Questions: What does it mean th…

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Disaster Theology: Blame and Powerlessness in Japan

…, “I hate to say, ‘I told you so’—but I told you so!” Fortunately, we know today that tsunamis are caused by earthquakes and other forms of seismic activity, and that seismic activity is caused by a shift in tectonic plates. We can’t predict exactly when they’re going to shift, but we are increasingly certain that they don’t do so in response to the immorality of the people in the countries where they occur. There are plenty of evil people living…

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Colorado Springs Massacre Captures the Christian Nationalist ‘Monster In The Mirror’

…nationalism dates back to the pilgrims, my series examines how features of today’s God-and-country ideology owe a particular debt to the obsessions that transfixed the popular culture of Britain in the 1890s: the supposed “hordes” of immigrants diluting the nation’s racial stock; melancholy over the putative “weakness” of a once-great nation; panic over non-straight public expressions of sexuality; a sci-fi tinged apocalypticism, in which heroes a…

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“Junk Religion”: White House Fills Remaining Faith-Based Slots

…’s failure to meet even the lowest standard of respect for women’s rights. Today’s disappointment was the White House announcement of the full President’s Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Fifteen members had been previously appointed. Ten new names were released today. Among the 25 members are six representatives of non-religious, community based organizations. The only Hindu member of the Council and the second Musli…

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Churches Can No Longer Hide the Truth: Daniel Dennett on the New Transparency

…hat’s a projection, and it’s based on the analysis of trends that are seen today. My suspicion is that they are underestimating the importance of this new transparency. It takes twenty years to grow a Baptist, and twenty minutes to lose one. And I think that people may be in for some real surprises in those areas. After all, it’s only been a decade or two that this has been an issue for Muslim children. Are they going to let their children have ce…

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Why Do Evangelicals And Dems Want Immigration Reform?

…50, about one in five Americans will be foreign born, up from one in eight today. … Hispanics also have historic ties to the Democrats, if not as strong as blacks’ ties. But they are as strong or stronger in their support for active government, the safety net, and generous government service provisions. And the issue of immigration looms large, with Democrats viewed overwhelmingly as the most favorable party to immigrants. In the same Gallup analy…

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