Religion Dispatches
But even while the language and the tone of anti-gay evangelical groups is beginning to shift, the reality is that while the language of anti-bullying has been adopted by groups like Focus on the Family, the theological and ideological currents that produce the reality of anti-gay bullying remain unquestioned.
Read MoreOh, and what about the rights of the homophobe?
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Bell, the enormously popular pastor of the enormous Mars Hill Bible Church, has a new book coming out this month called Love Wins in which Bell “puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly optimistic—eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins.” This description launched a frenzy of reactions within the evangelical community.
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If you haven’t heard of Jonathan Haidt yet, you probably will soon. The social psychologist from the University of Virginia is making quite a media splash. Most recently, he set off a small media storm by calling out his fellow psychologists for unacknowledged liberal bias.
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Tribulation Trail, and other “Hell Houses” are not solely managing hypothetical fears of what may happen in end-times scenarios; they are about managing fears about the present and imagining a way out now. This “way out” is much more than metaphysical. It seems to fit with the material realities of what it is like to be a member of the working class of the U.S., by offering a sense of orientation and self-worth to people who have been demoralized and exploited in almost every other possible way.
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After this weekend’s rally by the new Evangelist-in-Chief, Glenn Beck, I am left with a question: Why is it that when white religious men say outlandish stuff, it’s brilliant, and when black religious men say outlandish stuff, they are evil and racist?
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For the past four years, Pastor Bill Dunfee of the New Beginnings Ministries Church has led his congregation in picketing The Foxhole, a tiny gentleman’s club in Warsaw, Ohio. Church members usually arrive at the Foxhole on weekends at 11:30pm, bearing signs, bullhorns, and cameras. While…
Read MoreA tidal wave of change in the opinion of religious communities toward LGBT inclusion is met by even more strident opposition by some conservatives.
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Where contemporary culture has come to think of heaven as a place to chat, catch up with friends, and eat ice cream, conservative believers are concerned that God has been left out of the picture. A new book by Newsweek’s religion editor, Lisa Miller, covers this and other top stories on the celestial beat.
Read MoreHas the incivility and outright hostility finally wound down, or is it just getting started?
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