Daily Links: Conspiracy Edition
Nathan Schradle’s Daily Links. Conspiracy, man. Can you dig it? Continue Reading →
Tag: sarah posner
The Conscience Clause: It's Not Just About 750,000 Hospital Employees
There’s much more at stake in the discussion about conscience clauses than who gets the bill for the pill.
By Ann Neumann
On January 20th Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that contraception would be covered free-of-charge in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the Obama administration’s stifled, delayed-release attempt at reforming health care. The announcement included an exemption “for churches and houses of worship, but not for other religious institutions such as hospitals, universities and charities.” Women’s rights groups cheered the decision, having feared the worst after the record of “compromise” this administration has established.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) did not cheer; they immediately orchestrated a campaign that included letters read at mass and heavy lobbying of conservative lawmakers and activists, peculiarly claiming that the decision was an affront to religious freedom. It was yet another sparkling demonstration of the access that bishops have over health care legislation. The Pope himself took the opportunity of a visit with U.S. bishops and military leaders on January 19th to lament the erosion of religious freedom, saying:
When a culture attempts to suppress the dimension of ultimate mystery, and to close the doors to transcendent truth, it inevitably becomes impoverished and falls prey… to reductionist and totalitarian readings of the human person and the nature of society.
Prohibit families from deciding when to have children, he threatened, or risk the specter of totalitarianism! Or rather, Comply with Catholic teaching and be free! Continue Reading →
The Conscience Clause: It’s Not Just About 750,000 Hospital Employees
There’s much more at stake in the discussion about conscience clauses than who gets the bill for the pill.
By Ann Neumann
On January 20th Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that contraception would be covered free-of-charge in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the Obama administration’s stifled, delayed-release attempt at reforming health care. The announcement included an exemption “for churches and houses of worship, but not for other religious institutions such as hospitals, universities and charities.” Women’s rights groups cheered the decision, having feared the worst after the record of “compromise” this administration has established.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) did not cheer; they immediately orchestrated a campaign that included letters read at mass and heavy lobbying of conservative lawmakers and activists, peculiarly claiming that the decision was an affront to religious freedom. It was yet another sparkling demonstration of the access that bishops have over health care legislation. The Pope himself took the opportunity of a visit with U.S. bishops and military leaders on January 19th to lament the erosion of religious freedom, saying:
When a culture attempts to suppress the dimension of ultimate mystery, and to close the doors to transcendent truth, it inevitably becomes impoverished and falls prey… to reductionist and totalitarian readings of the human person and the nature of society.
Prohibit families from deciding when to have children, he threatened, or risk the specter of totalitarianism! Or rather, Comply with Catholic teaching and be free! Continue Reading →
The Thing About Dominionism…
At The Wild Hunt Jason Pitzl-Waters gives us a wrap-up of all the Dominionism hoopla of the past few weeks. It’s a good summary and a great source if you’re just now trying to figure it out. Pitzl-Waters also goes directly to the most important aspect of this conversation: how would the individual beliefs of the presidential candidates affect each of us? He writes:
The trouble is that it only takes a few well-placed individuals to make things difficult for those who don’t toe some arbitrary theological/cultural line. I guess what I’m trying to say is that just because some of this sounds paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not after us.
Dominionism: One More Response Response
Abby Ohlheiser: If the Book of Mormon and Romney’s early campaign were a Mormon Moment, the past few weeks have been something of a “Dominionism” moment. Dominionism, a generalized term for a collection of Charismatic Christian movements that treat the structure and power of civil government, media, and other significant institutions as mission field, is a key part of reporting that understands the Religious Right (which, of course, is not synonymous with Evangelical Christians). Sarah Posner’s most recent piece on it is at Salon today. It’s part of Ryan Lizza’s profile of Michelle Bachmann, and of a substantial portion of the coverage of Rick Perry’s The Response, which I attended earlier this month. Continue Reading →
Dominionism Isn't Just an Evangelical Thing
There’s an awful lot of commentary about the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Dominionism lately, thanks to Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann’s prayerful entry into the GOP presidential race. Most of it is not contextualized nor historically accurate, or like this odd retort–by A. Larry Ross, Billy Graham’s long-time media representative, to a Michelle Goldberg column on Dominionism, both at The Daily Beast–misleading. (The Tea Party isn’t religious? Where you been?) Really the best piece I’ve seen yet is by Sarah Posner at Salon. Continue Reading →
Dominionism Isn’t Just an Evangelical Thing
There’s an awful lot of commentary about the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Dominionism lately, thanks to Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann’s prayerful entry into the GOP presidential race. Most of it is not contextualized nor historically accurate, or like this odd retort–by A. Larry Ross, Billy Graham’s long-time media representative, to a Michelle Goldberg column on Dominionism, both at The Daily Beast–misleading. (The Tea Party isn’t religious? Where you been?) Really the best piece I’ve seen yet is by Sarah Posner at Salon. Continue Reading →
Dominionism Isn’t Just an Evangelical Thing
There’s an awful lot of commentary about the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Dominionism lately, thanks to Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann’s prayerful entry into the GOP presidential race. Most of it is not contextualized nor historically accurate, or like this odd retort–by A. Larry Ross, Billy Graham’s long-time media representative, to a Michelle Goldberg column on Dominionism, both at The Daily Beast–misleading. (The Tea Party isn’t religious? Where you been?) Really the best piece I’ve seen yet is by Sarah Posner at Salon. Continue Reading →
Give Us This Day Our Daily Links
“I believe the Founding Fathers were moved around like men on a chessboard put in place at that time so the world could have America.”
Nathan Schneider grills Judith Butler, at The Immanent Frame.
A new regulation outlawing the veil in France gets the entire “religious tolerance” thing wrong.
Sarah Posner at Religion Dispatches brings us up to date on developments surrounding Jim Wallis’ (Sojourners) call to prayer and fast against proposed Republican budget cuts.
The American Cancer Society is under attack again from a number of religious organizations; a boycott of Relay for Life has been called by those who depict stem cell research as, um, Dachau-like.
Josh Harkinson at Mother Jones writes about Family Research Council’s funding of anti-union ads in Wisconsin, one of which asks voters to do the impossible: keep politics out of the Supreme Court. Of course, political prospects for Republicans are much better in 2012 if fiscal and social conservatives can be pals again. (Throw in the neocons and the GOP’s smokin’!) Here’s a clip:
Of course, exegetical disputes with liberal Christians aren’t the only reasons why FRC opposes labor unions. Not only do unions’ economic principles put them at odds with evangelicals, so do their social values. A recent press release from Dobson’s Focus On The Family, which was once conjoined with the FRC, complains that most political donations from labor unions go to Democrats and liberal social causes. “Over the past several election cycles, unions and their members contributed millions to fight against core American values—especially on issues of life, religious freedom and marriage.”