Infographic: how religious is the United States government?
Jesus is coming. Let’s vote.
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The devil is in the details: WHICH Christianity are we making the official state religion, exactly?
Legislators in North Carolina recently introduced a bill to make Christianity the official state religion. That bill has now been turfed, but we can probably expect similar moves in the future. An Omnibus Poll, sponsored by YouGov.com and the Huffington Post, reveals just how far from the nation’s roots we have traveled on the subject of separating church and state
Read moreSt. Patrick’s Day: wearing o’ the black
In a very real way, the celebration of St. Patrick is a celebration of cultural genocide.
Read moreTim Tebow decides to do the right thing for professional reasons (but reserves the right to do the wrong thing later when nobody is paying attention)
I was reading the Internets today and guess what? – our boy Timmy is back in the news. New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has decided to cancel his appearance at a Dallas church that is led by a pastor, Robert Jeffress, who has been criticized for his remarks about gays and other faiths. Tebow sent out a series of tweets
Read moreAre Americans becoming less religious? New Pew study says yes and Dawkins is optimistic
Given the course of Campaign 2012, the idea that Americans are trending toward less religion probably sounds ludicrous. But maybe not. In response to an audience question last night, Richard Dawkins said he’s “optimistic” about the future of religion. (If you’re a religious type, he doesn’t mean that in the way it probably sounds.) He noted that the US is still
Read moreThe God Test
Suppose the following: Later today, an organization dedicated to studying science and religion announces it has devised a “God Test.” This process will conclusively reveal whether or not there is a god (or gods). Further, it will discern the nature of god, if one (or more) exists. Does it desire/require obeisance/worship? Of what specific sort? Or is it a distant
Read moreNorth Carolina’s Amendment One and America’s youth: more on winning the battle and losing the war
Rachel Held Evans nails it: When asked by The Barna Group what words or phrases best describe Christianity, the top response among Americans ages 16-29 was “antihomosexual.” For a staggering 91 percent of non-Christians, this was the first word that came to their mind when asked about the Christian faith. The same was true for 80 percent of young churchgoers. (The next
Read moreSurvivor wrap: the question I wish someone had posed at the final tribal council
A few weeks ago I had some thoughts on the embarrassing displays of blasphemy in this season of Survivor. A quick refresher.
Read moreTim Tebow: a morality play in faith and football (and maybe even national pride)
Some time back I called Tim Tebow a “faith-based” quarterback. In that article I took on a prominent sports commentator who had lost all perspective and tried to address the ways in which the questions of religion and quarterbacking ability were getting all twisted up around the second-year Denver Broncos QB. Since that post, some things have changed and others
Read moreTime for some straight talk on the NFL’s top faith-based quarterback
This just in: CBS Sports game analyst Randy Cross believes Tebow haters are bashing him for his outspoken Christian opinions. “People, especially the media, root against him because of what he stands for,” said Cross. The 3-time Super Bowl champ added: “My personal belief is there are people in the media, people in the stands, who are predisposed to see
Read moreThe problem with “faith”
Well, Tim Tebow’s new memoir is out, and it’s being joyously welcomed by those who think that sanctimonious 23 year-old jocks have something important to say about life. I got to hear some deep thoughts on the book and on the admirable life of young Tebow from the crew of The Stupid Show as I drove around yesterday afternoon, and
Read moreFour quick notes on the Rapture
First, via Ann Ivins: Harold Camping’s Family Radio has completely redesigned its Web site with no mention of the Rapture. Hunh. I hopped over to have a look, because cynical me wondered if the redesign was sophisticated enough to suggest that they had been working on it since, you know, last week. But have a look. Nothing here that a
Read moreGays and professional sports: Sir Charles stands up for what’s right. Again.
A few days ago, Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts revealed that he is gay. And the whole sporting world exploded yawned. Okay, that’s not precisely true. There has been a bit of comment and analysis. But so far, no controversy. No homophobic ranting, no athletes stepping up to say that Jesus doesn’t approve, none of that. This is a wonderful
Read more30-Day Song Challenge, day 29: a song from my childhood
And now, something completely different. One of the best things about my life as a child, a thing I looked forward to eagerly, was Sunday morning, before we went to church. Channel 12 had a show featuring gospel quartets and I’d always park in front of the TV and listen to those marvelous harmonies. Religiously, you might say. Even as
Read moreThe American Parliament: our nation’s 10 political parties
Part two in a series. Forgive me for abstracting and oversimplifying a bit, but one might argue that American politics breaks along the following 10 lines: Social Conservatives Neocons Business Conservatives Traditional Conservatives (there’s probably a better term, but I’m thinking of old-line Western land and water rights types) Blue Dog Democrats New Democrats Progressives
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