“Do Aborted Babies Go to Hell?” The Horrifying Questions that Only Fundamentalists Have to Consider

Note: I use the term "babies" in the title of this post rather than the more accurate "fetuses" because this is how conservative Christians who believe that life begins at conception think of it. Readers of this blog should be well aware that I reject their framework and avoid using the term "unborn babies" myself. For … Continue reading “Do Aborted Babies Go to Hell?” The Horrifying Questions that Only Fundamentalists Have to Consider

Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 2: Inside the Mind of a Street Preacher

Before reading this post and its corollary Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 1: Suffer the Little Children (which is recommended reading for context before you proceed here), let me just note that these posts contain very disturbing material. Be prepared to confront misogyny, rape, assault, homophobia, transphobia, racism, Islamophobia, bigotry toward other confessions, … Continue reading Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 2: Inside the Mind of a Street Preacher

Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture

Authority First: The Enclave Strikes Back "I sat in the waiting room wasting my time, and waiting for Judgment Day. I praise liberty, the freedom to obey." - Green Day, "21st Century Breakdown," 21st Century Breakdown (2009) Fundamentalists force an inhumane choice on reflective, empathetic individuals who grow up in their enclave communities: assent that 2 + 2 … Continue reading Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture

#ChristianAltFacts, or, how the Christian Right Broke America

Christopher Douglas's article "The Religious Origins of Fake News and 'Alternative Facts,'" published yesterday on Religion Dispatches, is a must read for anyone who wants to understand why and how America's asymmetric polarization--polarization from the Right--has led to Trumpism. You cannot understand this apart from the theocratic element and the relationship between fundamentalist psychology and … Continue reading #ChristianAltFacts, or, how the Christian Right Broke America

The Council for National Policy Wants Betsy DeVos to Christianize Public Schools – CNP “Education Reform Report”

The Washington Post has, thankfully, drawn attention to some very concerning plans on the part of the powerful, secretive conservative group the Council for National Policy to undermine the separation of church and state in America. Specifically, the CNP seems confident it can convince Betsy DeVos to move not only toward pushing for "school choice"--i.e., using … Continue reading The Council for National Policy Wants Betsy DeVos to Christianize Public Schools – CNP “Education Reform Report”