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Economy Yields Too Few Prophets
Few mainstream journalists are truly capturing the reality of the economy in terms of the nation’s worst off. As of last month, the actual number of workers in crisis is not the 14 million but more like 29 million, or 18 percent of the total workforce. Where are the religious coalitions willing to challenge the president’s policies?
Obama Threaded the Moral Needle of Latino Evangelicals in ’08
Obama won, in part, by flipping the vote of Latino evangelicals back from their support of Republicans in ’00 and ’04. This switch, argues Prof. Gastón Espinosa, is due to a combination of targeted and aggressive outreach to evangelicals, the candidate’s ability to talk about his faith, and a compromise on the abortion and gay rights issues.
“Who Will Rid Me of This Troublesome Doctor?”: Bill O’Reilly, King Henry II, and George Tiller
Thomas Becket was murdered at the suggestion of the powerful King Henry II, who then did public penance. Do pundits like Bill O’Reilly, who spoke so hatefully of George Tiller, likewise bear some responsibility for that crime?
Dilemmas of American Empire: Can Obama Pull Off a Game-Changer in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan?
For Obama to steer us back to the softer side of Empire, withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan (and negotiating with Iran), he’ll have to overrule his key officials, Hillary Clinton and Dennis Ross, risk alienating Israel for its own good, and stand up to bracing public attacks. And he'll need a hand from a strong, anti-imperial religious and secular peace movement.
Catholic Bad Girls or Good Catholic Women: Bridging the Generation Gap
A young, lesbian, Catholic progressive responds to Frances Kissling on the question of old-school ideas and strategies versus the brave new world of boundary-busting and online activism.
Undemocratic Republic of Iran: How Did the Hardliners Pull Off a Coup?
What we are witnessing in Iran is a coup against elements of the establishment deemed insufficiently committed to a radical reading of Islam. Unable to handle the messy outcome of democracy is the regime in serious trouble?
Eternal Culture War: Pat Buchanan on Notre Dame and Sotomayor
The original culture warrior has softened his rhetoric, but the message, aired all day long on various networks (it seems) is no less divisive than in the heady days of the early ’90s.
Obama Quietly Declares June “LGBT Pride Month”
Was he speaking with too soft a voice? Many LGBT leaders think so, and are publicly expressing disappointment. But some cannot help but admire the president’s principled pragmatism.
The Nation of Islam at the End of the Apocalyptic Age?
Has the Nation of Islam, a tradition hinged on separatism, evolved into supporters of the President of the United States? If so, how does that affect the Nation’s ground-up community networks and sociopolitical analysis of American society?
By the Way: “Ten Commandments Judge” To Be Alabama’s Next Gov?
An expert witness in the case against the affable Roy Moore recalls a meeting during which they tangled over the First Amendment.
Salaam Obama
An American president addresses a Cairo audience with respect, and with appropriate language. What is truly remarkable is that Obama’s good manners seem remarkable to us.
From Cairo to the Bible Belt: What US Christianity Must Face for Peace in the Middle East
Obama’s speech marks a radical departure from the prophetically-laden, right-wing rhetoric that cast America and Israel together waiting for Armageddon at the hands of Arab countries. In fact, what if the speech were intended to deconstruct the simplistic mistrust of American Christianity towards Islam?
From a religious and biblical perspective, the sons of Isaac have long viewed the sons of Ishmael as potential enemies, and vice versa. Each side sees the other as the opponent in a battle for God’s single blessing. But—in fact—God invented the two-state solution in Genesis 21.
Transforming America’s Israel Lobby
In an excerpt from a new book Dan Fleshler, an American Jewish activist from “the pro-Israel left,” explains the reluctance of Jewish liberals to criticize Israel on the human rights front, even when they share the rest of the world’s objections to Israeli behavior.
Putting the “Protest” Back in Protestant: Reclaiming the Spirit of Resistance
Why has so much religious leadership come to look like “the bland leading the bland”? On the occasion of Pentecost, we present a romp through the wide range of Protestantisms, and answer the question: Why is that biblical book called “Acts” and not “Lazing About”?
Obama’s Notre Dame Commencement: Common Ground on Abortion—Or Appeasement of Foes?
In his address to graduates, Obama urged “common ground” on abortion. The Rev. Dr. Carlton Veazey argues that if you accept that women are full persons in the eyes of God and the law, then you cannot stop working for women’s control over childbearing.
Obama’s Pick Sotomayor Derided by Conservatives For Empathy
Conservatives insist that empathy is a touchy-feely code word for pro-choice and pro-LGBT rights. But true empathy is a form of intelligence that, according to studies, may be missing in those predisposed to authoritarian rule. Why would right-wingers be suspicious of a Supreme Court Justice with a high EQ, a trait commonly associated with women?
Distortions Aside, Clergy Support Gay Rights in Surprising Numbers
Recently released results from a survey of mainline clergy reveals that, when policies are portrayed honestly, the number of clergy who support same-sex marriage, adoption, etc., nearly doubles.
The Rage Behind Outrage
The director of a new documentary talks about Dick Cheney’s daughter, the arrogance of power, and the days when Republicans weren’t anti-gay.
The Unsung Speech at Notre Dame, A Postmortem
While President Obama’s speech has been praised, criticized, and otherwise picked over, an eminent conservative chosen to “balance” the president’s pro-choice position gave a surprisingly philosophical talk that may have unsettled conservative activists.