Gays in Baghdad

Interesting and sad Newsweek article about the targeted violence in Iraq.

Al-Qaida’s stance on women sparks extremist debate – Yahoo! News

Ok, I thought this was an interesting story. On first blush, I’d want women to be respected and included and to contribute fully to any enterprise. But wait! The relevant enterprise is the use of violent means for political gain. I’m not sure that I want these folks to leverage their gender diversity in order to be more effective in their core mision.

Nevertheless, I can’t help think that if women were truly included in the top level leadership, the “movement” would tend to gravitate away from senseless violence and immolation and toward more practical, sensible, and ultimately constructive strategies.

So wait, perhaps I do want women to be fully included?

Priests brawl at Jesus’ birthplace

This is an incredible story.  This is a definite example of folks not being clear on the concept.

While most Christians embrace Christmas, a few recall a more complex history

There are folks who publicly object to efforts to make the holiday season more inclusive by either downplaying mentions of Christmas or including reference to other faith/cultural traditions. This AP article reminds us that there is nothing scriptural or even that long standing about Christmas and how it is celebrated. Christmas, as a tradition, has been in flux for quite some time.

An obligatory story about holidays, religious themes and public schools

An interesting, if perhaps a little long, article in the Seattle Times about how public schools deal with the tensions associated with traditional religious themes and the holidays. The approaches seem to vary from embracing a diversity of traditions to simply downplaying any observance.

Bill Moyers’ Journal – James H. Cone

This was an interesting discussion with the theologian, Dr. Cone, regarding  the relationships between the powerful symbols of the cross and the lynching tree.

The Politics of God

NY Times Magazine article – The Politics of God By MARK LILLA, Published: August 19, 2007

After centuries of strife, the West has learned to separate religion and politics — to establish the legitimacy of its leaders without referring to divine command. There is little reason to expect that the rest of the world — the Islamic world in particular — will follow.

For the bible tells me so

Living and working in the “bible belt,” I am often distressed to hear Christianity employed as a rationale for hatred and discrimination.   It seems to me that Jesus Christ would have been the last person to shun and marginalize anyone on the basis of their sexual orientation. 

So, when I came across this Seattle Times review for the movie “For the Bible Tells Me So“, I was intrigued.  It turns out that I missed the local showing in town, so now I have to wait until it’s available on DVD.