Generally Helpful Since Birth
LINK: After vandalism at Lincoln Memorial, cleaning and questions Much remains unanswered as cleaners work to return the statue to its untarnished splendor. It really is horrible that someone felt it was important, or funny, or significant at all to just splash paint on the Lincoln memorial. I believe graffiti can be a legitimate form… Read more It’s Vandalism, not blasphemy
Congressional Chaplains Attend Anti-Obama Breakfast before Inaguration As the Presidential Inaguration is quickly approaching, Congresspersons are preparing an event called “The Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast”. On the surface it seems like a well-intentioned, toothless form of civil religion. But a closer look at the schedule and featured speakers shows that it’s slated full of Obama… Read more Congressional Chaplains Attend Anti-Obama Breakfast before Inaguration
I’ll admit, I’m a fan of Obama. Not even so much as the President, but of him as a person. He’s got a way of being impressive but reserved, smooth talking but plain speaking. And, as a Christian — though I kind of cringe each time it happens — I’m always impressed when he quotes scripture.… Read more Easter, Obama, and Civil Religion
No Dancing?! Really!? So I’m about a year and one million views behind on this issue, but I haven’t seen anyone gripping about the CIVIL RELIGION aspect of this yet. So here I come! Basically, there was an ordinance made that says that national monuments are a place for “solemn commemoration”. So, without a permit,… Read more
Thanks to “Religion of One” (dwiwyd) for this fascinating piece. It’s a very clever and poignant way to emphasize the opinion that politician’s first loyalty should be to the State, and not their personal religion. This concept is what I (and Robert Bellah) would call civil religion. Using ritualistic symbols and gestures to codify allegiance… Read more
A superb example of church/state cross-over that I and anyone familiar with the First Amendment would be appalled by. Classic American Civil Religion, vilifying ”the left” as anti-religious, using religion as a political vote-winning tool. I have a feeling though that the 400,000+ DISlikes this ad received on YouTube.com are from his stance on gays serving openly… Read more
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?