Religion Dispatches

If Not for AIPAC: What Ilhan Omar Should Have Said

Haroon Moghul

I hope Rep. Omar is able to move forward after this unfortunate, second charge of anti-Semitism; to do less social media and more of what she was elected to do: legislate.

MIT, Facing Opposition to Extremist Speaker, Might Try Google Next Time

Murali Balaji

Swamy, who has been affiliated with right-wing politics in India, is India's version of Louis Farrakhan, Milo Yiannopoulos, or Nigel Farage: a polarizing figure with a long history of demonizing statements.

‘When I Spoke in Tongues’ Points the Way Out of Fundamentalist Christianity

Andreea Nica

Research shows that individuals who leave Christian fundamentalism often experience a crisis. In her memoir Jessica Wilbanks shares her difficulties, including exploring her bisexuality, recreational drugs, and premarital relations.

Supreme Court Conservatives Allow Execution of Muslim Prisoner Despite Religious Freedom Violation

Andrew L. Seidel

If you’re seeking justice or vindication of your religious freedom, this Supreme Court has just said non-Christians need not apply.

Senators Can and Must Ask About Nominees’ Religious Beliefs

Andrew L. Seidel

Questioning federal nominees on religion has been decried as a violation of the Constitution's ban on religious tests. But not only does it do nothing of the kind, there’s good reason to think Article VI actually requires these questions.

If Pelosi Is Guilty, So’s Jesus

Jill Marshall

Nancy Pelosi has come under fire because her "favorite Bible verse" isn't actually in the Bible. But there's a long and storied history of misquoting the Bible, including a couple of figures you'd least expect.

Vatican Sexual Abuse Meeting Is Destined to Fail—To Stop the Problem or the Decline

Mary Hunt

With no women, lay people, or survivors invited, nothing will change and everyone will go home feeling righteous about having "done" something. The something will be more prayer than policy, more story than analysis, more circling the wagons than opening the doors to the light of justice.

American Missionary Could Face Genocide Charges, But Brazil’s Indigenous Communities Have a Bigger Problem

Amy Fallas

While second-generation missionary Steve Campbell faces potential genocide charges, it's really Brazil's new right wing president and his evangelical base that may be the target audience for these efforts.

Texas Woman Opposes Divorce Citing ‘Blood Covenant’; Will Anti-Sharia Law Get in the Way?

Elizabeth Reiner Platt

The conflict between Shawn’s request for state enforcement of her Christian understanding of marriage and anti-sharia legislation raises larger questions about whose religious beliefs are, or should be, respected under the law.

Is the Decline of Religion the Decline of Generosity?

Peter Laarman

Sure, religious households give more money away than unaffiliated households. But do they ever question why poverty and hunger and homelessness continue to soar in this supposedly "rich" country?