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Health Care as Moral Drama
Myths of good versus evil have long sustained conservatism, but these narratives, with their shining heroes, and dastardly evildoers, are irrelevant to the civil debates at hand, and threaten to undermine the reforms that would help us all the most.
American Brokenness: A Lament
Conservatives in this country are undergoing an existential crisis, but this is not the time for liberals to sit by smugly and watch.
Blackwater’s Free-Market Crusade
New testimony from Blackwater whistleblowers alleges that the notorious military contractor murdered Iraqi civilians and destroyed the evidence, all in support of founder Erik Prince's vision of an epic battle for the defense of Christendom.
Prison Religion: Rehabilitation or Forced Conversion?
Prison and evangelical religion have been linked throughout US history; but when a faith-based rehabilitation program compels prisoners to memorize Bible verses, boundaries get blurred.
The Resurrection of Terri Schiavo
Opponents of health care reform have raised the specter of Terri Schiavo to mobilize “pro-life” activists and the elderly, but what they forget is that this case was a powerful instance of an unpopular government intervention in a family matter. They can’t have it both ways.
Old Politics, New Bedfellows: The Olson/Boies Challenge to Prop. 8
When two attorneys from opposing sides of the political spectrum argue that some issues transcend the differences between liberals and conservatives we must remember that, as nice as it sounds, none of us can afford the luxury of imagining ourselves above the political fray.
How End-of-Life Issues Are Being Used to Thwart Health Care Reform
As they muster their forces against health care reform, Republican culture warriors and conservative media outlets stir fear of “deadly doctors” and "government-encouraged euthanasia".
Cafeteria Cockroaches and Synagogue-State Relations in Israel
Set against the backdrop of the recent closure of a Knesset cafeteria due to an unkosher cockroach, Shalom Goldman takes an entertaining and meandering look at the state of affairs in Israel. Touching on topics as disparate as the alliteration-happy Israeli media and racist policy proposals, Goldman brings into sharp relief some of the tensions in Israeli religious and cultural life, much of which remains at the mercy of the Orthodox rabbinate.
Episcopal Church Walks with American Clergy on Gay and Lesbian Equality
Despite worldwide calls from conservative Anglicans that the American church is choosing to “walk apart” from the wider community, the numbers don't agree—at least not in America.
Is Obama the Antichrist? Why Armageddon Stands Between the President and the Evangelical Vote
While the president has reached out to the faithful, he has yet to realize that he is dealing with a countercultural movement that at its foundation is obsessed with the apocalypse. But he will know it soon enough as evangelical interpretations of the Bible point to Barack Obama as the Antichrist.
The Next Generation of the Pro-Life Movement
Young people are being trained by militant anti-abortion groups to be informed, media-savvy, publicity-oriented foot soldiers in the battle to outlaw abortion.
Diplomatic Suckerhood: Why Israel Is Fighting Toward its Own Demise
A new study reveals that the majority of Israelis view the conflict with Palestine through the lens of fear, throwing their support behind a parade of bellicose and paranoid leaders. Until the cycle of victimhood and aggression is broken no amount of pressure from the U.S., vain military adventures, or Labor Party victories will alter the tragic stalemate in the region.
Prosperity, Spiritual Warfare, and the “On-Demand” God
Given that so many powerful Pentecostals and Charismatics, like Senator John Ensign and Sarah Palin, are embroiled in high-profile scandals, one might expect to hear more about the movements that unite them. Anthea Butler, a leading scholar on Pentecostalism and American religious history, traces the various movements and their theologies of wealth, healing, and dominion.
RDRoundtable: Republican Scandals Drag Secretive “Family” Into the Big Time
Last week it was discovered that several powerful republicans at the heart of two sex scandals—Sens. John Ensign and Tom Coburn and Gov. Mark Sanford, among others—are members of The Family, reputed to be an “aggressively anti-democratic” Christian movement quietly steering us toward a “theocentric” state. Three scholars discuss The Family with the author. Sparks fly.
Fear of Empathy: Senate Republicans Attack Sotomayor
In their campaign to malign Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Republican senators have confused empathy for sympathy, blatantly distorting the meaning of a word for political purposes.
Rage Against the Regime: Voices from the Iranian Underground Music Scene
Iran’s Green Revolt is about freedom and democracy, sure. But it usually has to take form in a particular issue or, as in the case of a growing portion of Iran’s youth, in song. Meet the resistance in the form of the underground music scene.
By the Way: McNamara, Dead at 93, Lived Long and Rueful Life
What went through the mind of this haunted man with the “thousand-yard stare” in his later years as he shuffled back and forth to work just “a hand grenade’s throw” from the Vietnam War Memorial?
Beyond the Spin: Palin Hurt the GOP, According to the Numbers
With her resignation as Alaska’s governor, rumors are flying about Palin’s plans to run for president in 2012. But what do the numbers reveal about her effect on the McCain ticket in 2008? In fact, among key religious demographics, they don’t bode well for the “hockey mom” from Alaska.
French President Sarkozy declared recently that the burqa “will not be welcome on our territory,” as it is a symbol of the enslavement of women. If the president is trying to foster equality of women, is this the best way to go about it?
RDPulpit: Is Barack Obama a “Fierce Advocate” For Gays or Just Pragmatist-in-Chief?
The Obama administration has gone from indifference to actively promoting religious opposition to the civil rights of gay Americans, comparing same-sex marriage to incest and pedophilia. Only when “pink dollars” were pulled did the president approach the LGBT community. A former priest suggests how to make Obama listen.