an online journal of religion and politics
A recent piece in Daily Kos writes t’s difficult to see why any believer, fundamentalist or “moderate,” should receive special treatment ― especially when even the most moderate and “progressive” Christians are nurturing the xenophobic, racist, uncharitable and decidedly “un-Christian” America we are finding ourselves in today. And make no mistake: there is no […]
David Gushee, an American Baptist ethicist writes on the state of evangelicalism and the LGBT debate that has embroiled so many churches: I now believe that incommensurable differences in understanding the very meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the interpretation of the Bible, and the sources and methods of moral discernment, separate many of us […]
We are in the season of Easter, Eastertide. For 50 days, we have a chance to reflect on the meaning of resurrection, in our life and in our faith. Pentecost, from both Greek and Latin means the 50th day, which celebrates the beginning of the church, when the disciples in the upper room are given […]
I had a chance to attend a symposium on religious pluralism at Oklahoma City Community College, where I teach religion and philosophy part time. It became obvious that there was a tension in the room. This came from having two opposing view points in the room. And the viewpoints largely talked around each other. Let’s […]
If you believe that Christianity is something that people can re-form into a shape that suits our felt needs in this time and place….then a strong form of Christianity cannot survive…The grandchildren of today’s progressive Christians will either be traditionalist Christians or not Christian at all. We really are at a dramatic fork in the […]
In lieu of the critiques Rod Dreher offers against modernity, which he sees playing out in American culture, including the increasing acceptance of LGBT people, the dramatic rise of the nones, and the failure of our society to agree on a common good, he offers a proposal: the Benedict Option. The Benedict Option is […]
Rod Dreher, an Eastern Orthodox writer, has written the Benedict Option. A book of counsel for fellow social conservatives, in particular those he considers small o orthodox. That counsel is partially based on responding to the shift in our society towards LGBT inclusion, the rise of the nones, and the political fragmentation of a society that no […]
Andrew Walker, Director of Policy Studies at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, gives us a dichotomy. We can believe that there is a final justice, an ultimate ordering of society, of life. The question is, does it happen in this world? Or does it happen in the next world? […]
Lent according to Wikipedia “is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations that begins on Ash Wednesday and covers a period of approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday.The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, alms giving, and self-denial.” This begins […]
Despite the numerous times leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have spoken about embracing immigrants, making a place for the refugee, and the need to open our arms to every man, woman, and child in need, and religious EFFING freedom, they suddenly had nothing to say in the face of blatant religious discrimination.
So I’ve been increasingly convinced, that in the US, being a Christian is often considered part of a package. A package that includes an American form nationalism, right wing politics, and an identification with the GOP. This creates pressure among Republicans, who do not have a religious bent, to identify with Christianity so as to […]
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Few words are more well known. I love the speeches of Lincoln. While this speech may not be his greatest, I think that in many […]
