Generally Helpful Since Birth
I started “The Church State Guy” because I wanted a forum to talk about ways in which I see religion basically doing bad PR for itself. The relationship between religious institutions and society are complex and have long, thorny roots. Because of that, it takes a special skill to navigate the line between things like religious public advocacy and proselytism (for example). How can people of faith voice their concerns regarding issues of life and death without seeking to legislate morality, or suggesting that only those of faith are moral. These are issues that are regularly covered in the news. Some of the most prominent religion blogs out there now discuss these issues at length. HuffPo’s Religion Blog, Religion News Service, and Patheos each have a certain perspective and discuss these kinds of issues as well. The unique perspective I attempt to bring is in discussing the historic roots of these issues, being a person of faith with a theological education, and interacting with my very diverse family and friends who provoke a lot of discussion all by themselves.
A Call for Sanctuaries to Become Sanctuaries Psalm 20:7 (NIV) 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. One of my main objectives in beginning this blog was to provide a space for reasonable discussion of a healthy separation of Religious Institutions and State. I believe people… Read more In Guns We Shall Not Trust
Latest science news is that the researchers at CERN have verified the existence of the Higgs-Boson particle. This particle was believed to be that which gives everything mass, meaning it explains why there is something, rather than nothing. Here’s a fun take on why that rattles some bones in the religion/science world (heads up if you… Read more Holy Higgs-Boson Batman!
Corporate Advocacy, or Public Morality Shaping? This past weekend, Internet search giant Google announced a global campaign to support the rights of gay’s and lesbians. They pitched it as a priority for them as a corporation, specifically as an ethical employer who wants all of their employees to be able to enjoy the same basic… Read more Google’s Corporate Philosophy versus Religious Morality
Via Kristof: “We are All Nuns” Excellent and inspiring piece by the NYT’s Nicolaus Kristof. Through all the controversy the Catholic Church has been forcing upon itself over the last few years, you would think they would try to HEIGHTEN the importance of the best bastion’s of their religion… but no, even the 70+ year… Read more Via Kristof: “We are All Nuns”
Just started following “St. Thomas the Doubter” Church because of cartoons like this one! Classic! This is a great illustration of why fundamentalism exists. Somehow, in the midst of all of this division, people want certainty. So new trends evolve in order to provide certainty… but the giant web of divisions increases yearly which adds… Read more Doubt and Faith
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has a strong track-record of opposing religious leaders and institutions who overstep their religious liberties and invade the political spectrum. The above link is about the contraception debate that I recently discussed. AU claims that religious institutions do not have a special exemption to “deny the… Read more Americans United doesn’t Get it
The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine, the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at… Read more Be a Martyr for Valentine’s Day
The Issue: Obama is pushing forward one element of his landmark health reform bill (PPACA), which is to provide birth cotrol to all women without a co-pay. The administration sees it as a public safety issue in which millions of dollars can be saved in health costs preventatively. The Complications: Catholic women use birth control… Read more The Pill and Religious Freedom
So, the most recent roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (sometimes derogatorily called Obamacare) is to require all insurance policies to cover birth control without a co-pay. This seems great… unless you’re Catholic, of course. Catholics don’t “officially” believe in birth control. There are several other very conservative denominations who also equate birth control with pre-emptive abortion,… Read more “The Pill” on Both Your Houses!
Via Salon.com: Are Evangelicals a Threat to National Security? If, as Islamophobes argue, refusing to assimilate is defined as expressing loyalty to a religion before loyalty to country, then this data suggests it is evangelical Christians who are very resistant to assimilation. And yet, few would cite these findings to argue that Christians pose a… Read more Are Evangelicals a Threat to National Security?