Obama still hasn't fulfilled campaign promises to reform Bush policies.
Obama administration under fire from civil liberties advocates for failing to reverse Bush-era policies.
No Buddhists in Washington?
Buddhism, which has a larger US population than either Islam or Hinduism, has had a sizable and growing impact on American culture. So why no representative on the Obama administration’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Time for Jews to Abandon the Old Foundation Myth of Israel?
Beneath the violence and inability to find peace in Israel/Palestine lie a series of narratives and myths American and Israeli Jews employ to understand the situation. One such narrative has shifted toward hope recently, but does it go deep enough?
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?
... GOP Opposed.
Withholding them at this point further fuels the idea that we have done something so horrible that it cannot be seen. This notion is a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists.
“Stress Test” a Con: Obama Still Coddling Banks
“Asking” the banks how they “feel” may be politically shrewd, but it’s morally bankrupt.
Larry Summers can’t keep his eyes open for 30 frickin minutes while his President speaks of the need for the banks to play fair. Is there no more fitting symbol?
It's difficult to believe that Newt's role as critic of Obama's foreign policy has as much to do with patriotism as with raw political ambition.
In a recent speech on the the economy, Obama could have stressed biblical justice; instead he opted for a “post-partisan” emphasis on firm foundations and solidarity in common cause.
Of Taxes, Tea, and Timidity: What Obama Should Tell the Protest’s Right-Wing Organizers
Obama might mention the super rich, for example.
Know-Nothing Christians Irate Over Obama Comments
During a profoundly symbolic trip to Turkey the president assured the Muslim nation that America is not a Christian nation, sparking right wing cries that he’s “thrown Christianity under the bus.” The real problem here is the absence of religious literacy among the critics currently speaking in alleged defense of the Christian faith.
Did the president's rhetoric at the recent press conference in Turkey signal a shift toward a new national identity, or merely a shift in emphasis?
New Yorker on Banking Corruption: Suck it Up and Stop Whining
Pardon me, Nick, but the course you are recommending—and the White House policy you are explicitly endorsing—happens to represent a complete breach of public trust.
Not only is the balance on Obama’s Faith-Based Council tipped toward conservatives, it seems that for every gay rights advocate there must be a homophobe.
Plus: Let the Judicial Wars begin; Falwell Jr. warns of The Rapture; Out gays will create ‘turmoil’ in the military, says anti-gay leader, and more.
New Poll Reveals Jews May Be Open to Change in Israel Policy
Don't break out the Ram's Horn just yet, the Devil's in the details.
Jewish State, Islamic State: All States are Religious
All nations contribute to the management and definition of religion so it’s neither necessary, nor possible, to identify any state as definitively “religious” or “secular.” To choose is largely political.