Political Feelings: Derangement Syndromes
“Political Feelings” is a bi-monthly column by Patrick Blanchfield about stories, scenes and studies of religion in American culture. This month: Derangement Syndromes. Continue Reading →
a review of religion and media
“Political Feelings” is a bi-monthly column by Patrick Blanchfield about stories, scenes and studies of religion in American culture. This month: Derangement Syndromes. Continue Reading →
A round-up of recent religion and media stories in the news. Continue Reading →
Ashley Baxstrom: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Christmas tree lots sprouting up like weeds, Christmas lights hung on trees in every wannabe-hip-neighborhood in the five boroughs, a whole new set of Christmas displays in the Macy’s windows. And of course, the turtledove on top: pundits and politicians decrying the “War on Christmas.” There may not be snow on the ground (the rolling Texas farmland ground), but there are Kay Jewelers commercials on the air, which means the culture wars – like poinsettias and gingerbread lattes – must be back in season. Today Gov. Perry released a brand new campaign ad, keeping pace with the other GOP candidates and the changing season.
“I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a Christian,” Perry says. “But you don’t need to be in the pews every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” (Really, if you didn’t watch it before, just – just watch it. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear the voice of the Ghost of a Certain Texas President Past.)
Perry promises (drawls) that if he’s elected he’ll stop “Obama’s war on religion” and will fight against “liberal attacks on our religious heritage.” Continue Reading →
12 January 2006 Do you feel more or less persecuted than last year? Georgia Republican state representativesplay to their constituencies, with some after-the-fact Christmas- (and possibly Easter) saving legislation, on Continue Reading →
The ACLU didn’t steal Christmas, but don’t think that’s about to stop Jerry Falwell in his remarkably unoriginal new drive, “Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign,” which will enlist 8,000 members Continue Reading →
Christiany Today‘s Ted Olson provides a fascinating array of responses to Elf, the controversial new film adaptation of the Christmas story critics fear will set off a wave of anti-Elven violence. Oops — wrong Christian Continue Reading →