Much has been written about the success of recent books by Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens. David C. Steinmetz, the Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of the History of Christianity at the Duke University Divinity School, offers a useful guide to two of the most prominent “New Atheists.”
Virtually every major religious group in the United States has renounced the use of torture. Surprisingly, however, a recent Pew Research survey found that the American public shows strong support for the use of torture as a tactic in fighting terror. Perhaps even more surprisingly, one’s religious beliefs has only a modest effect on views about torture.
I hear what you’re saying but, with all due respect, it’s not exactly rocket science. Basically, at the end of the day, the fact of the matter is you have got to be able to tick all the boxes. It’s not the end of the world, but, to be perfectly honest with you, when push comes to shove, you don’t want to be literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Are Republican voters really “conservative” in the culture wars sense of the word? Not really, suggests a poll from Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates, which you can find on MSNBC’s blog, First Read. Fifty-two percent believe abortions should be legal under certain circumstances, and 51 percent agree that universal health care should be a right of all people.
Mainline churches seeking to ape the the techniques of megachurches should be aware that megachurches are just beginning to ape the mainline’s commitment to social justice. Jason Byassee noted this intriguing dynamic when he accompanied a group of Methodist ministers from North Carolina on a visit to Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago.
In the Anglican blogosphere, and in the media at large, the left is always calling upon the right to adopt a more civil tone. And vice versa. The most recent case in point involves a dispute between the conservative commentator Ann Coulter, and Elizabeth Edwards, wife of the Democratic presidential candidate.
The Washington Post Religion page has a long article discussing the various Christian themes found in the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling: “By the
We don’t have an item. It’s just that her name has been appearing all over the place, and we were beginning to feel left out.
The last Lambeth meeting encouraged all the Provinces of the Communion to create forums for listening to the experience of LBTG christians who are seeking Christ within the congregations of the Anglican church.
The Anglican Communion Office has created called the Rev. Canon Phil Groves to serve as the facilitator of these programs around the church.
Bishop Victoria Matthews interprets the apparently contradictory actions of the Canadian Synod: the “Synod consistently demonstrated that it is more interested in considering redefining marriage than continuing the debate about blessings.”