Lutheran Bishops Speak Out Against Federal Budget
The conference of bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), representing 65 synods (geographical regions of the church), have sent a letter to every United States Senator opposing...
View ArticleStrict Constructionism = Biblical Literalism
I've been reading a lot about strict constructionism lately, trying to get a handle on that particular school of thought (for obvious reasons). What strikes me, among other things, is the incredible...
View ArticleScathing Critique of BushCo's "Moral Values"
By now we all are painfully aware of the atrocious Budget Reconciliation Bill passed by the Senate last week. The Budget itself is a travesty, a systematic attack on programs designed to assist the...
View ArticleACTION ALERT! Call Your Rep. to Oppose the Budget Reconciliation Bill!
The House of Representatives will soon begin debating the Budget Reconciliation Bill, which was recently passed by the Senate. This bill is nothing less than a travesty, including massive cuts to...
View ArticlePat Robertson Is At It Again
Just when you thought Pat Robertson might be slinking into the background after the enormous backlash over his fatwa against Hugo Chavez, he's back and crazier than ever.
View ArticleOn Being Away From Daily Kos
Originally posted at Street Prophets Consider this a "meta-diary", or at least a piece of self-reflection by "Meta-Mahanoy". With that little caveat out of the way, let me get right to it...
View ArticleLawsuit for Academic Freedom: Islamic Scholar banned from U.S.
The American Academy of Religion has joined the American Association of University Professors", the PEN American Center and the ACLU in a lawsuit to prevent the U.S. government from barring...
View ArticleHow do we reach someone like THIS?
[Originally posted at Street Prophets] On January 20, 2006, Baltimore Circuit Court Judge M. Brooke Murdock ruled in favor of 9 same-sex couples and one widower who wanted to marry in Maryland,...
View ArticleDeconstructing the Dominionists, Part I
Welcome to this multi-part critical review of the recently published booklet, America, Return to God, edited by "The Chinese Billy Graham," Thomas Wang. This collection of essays by prominent leaders...
View ArticleDeconstructing the Dominionists, Part II
Welcome to this second installment of my critical review of the recently published booklet America, Return to God, edited by Thomas Wang. What is at stake here are two very different understandings of...
View ArticleDeconstructing the Dominionists, Part III
What is at stake here are two very different understandings of the Bible, American history, and Christianity itself, specifically what it means to be a Christian in a cosmopolitan society. The...
View ArticleDominionism in Action. Reminder: America is NOT a Christian Nation!
We've all heard about the controversy surrounding San Diego's Korean War memorial, a 29-foot tall cross on a hill above the city. A citizen of San Diego - a Vietnam War veteran and an atheist - has...
View ArticleDeconstructing the Dominionists, Part IV
What is at stake here are two very different understandings of the Bible, American history, and Christianity itself, specifically what it means to be a Christian in a cosmopolitan society. The...
View ArticleDeconstructing the Dominionists, Part V
Welcome to this fifth installment of my series, Deconstructing the Dominionists, a critical analysis of several essays in the booklet America, Return to God. As we have seen in the previous...
View ArticleChurch Leaders Address Israel-Lebanon Conflict
[Originally posted at Street Prophets] We have all watched the unfolding violence in Israel and Lebanon with mingled horror and frustration. As people of faith we pray for peace, and as American...
View ArticleDeconstructing the Dominionists, Part VI
Welcome to this sixth installment of my series on the Dominionists. As we have seen in the previous installments, the Dominionists desire nothing less than an American theocracy, the application of...
View ArticleThis Would Be Hilarious If It Weren't Serious...
Some of my most entertaining reading comes out of my hometown newspaper, especially the Editorial page, which usually serves as a message board for Kool-Aid drinkers. Last week's paper arrived and I...
View ArticleAU's Guide to the Religious Right
The single greatest threat to church-state separation in America is the movement known as the Religious Right. Organizations and leaders representing this religio-political crusade seek to impose a...
View ArticleAsk a Theologian
I may regret doing this, but here goes! Over at Street Prophets a few months ago we had a lot of fun with a series of "Ask a..." diaries (Ask a Quaker, Ask a UU, Ask a Wiccan, Ask a Lutheran, etc.),...
View ArticleThe Scooter Libby Trial and False Memory
It appears that Scooter Libby's research team has done its homework. Libby's team has recently contacted Daniel L. Schacter, Professor of Psychology at Harvard and the nation's leading authority on...
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