Recently in politics Category

Yesterday, Mike Jones posted the YouTube video below, upping the ante on the breaking news about Ted Haggard: there were other young men involved with Ted, he says, and their parents knew about it. He does not, and probably will not, explain specifically what he means by "others," and much of the video is dedicated to his visible distress over his own pain and suffering. It sounds like he's had a rough two years--he says he's lost family and friends, and has seen only material loss. (Apparently there was not an audience for his tell-all book and his stage play based on Haggard.) He also says New Life Church has hurt him. 

Steven Waldman and David Gibson list a bunch of data from a group called Third Way that attempts to prove that lifting the so-called gag rule, which would allow U.S. dollars to go to clinics in developing countries that perform abortions (among a range of health care services), would actually reduce the number of abortions. The data makes a fascinating and complex argument. 

It's the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and it doesn't seem right to just say nothing. So consider  this pro-life ad that has been making the rounds: 

Given the massive flap over Obama's selection of Rick Warren to offer the inaugural prayer, there will no doubt be a new flap over Warren's decision to pray his prayer "in Jesus' name." Lots of people on the left were concerned that he would, and on the right were concerned that he wouldn't. He did, but the way he did probably managed to anger both sides all over again. 

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life--Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus...

In so saying, Warren did two things at once: He threw down the gauntlet for sectarian prayers in the public square, and he attempted a little ecumenism by saying Jesus' name in the language of the world's three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. (And also in Spanish, which is a dominant language of our land, and certainly of Warren's Southern California.) 

"...a man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served in a local restaurant, now stands before you to take a sacred oath."Consider that. Today, my 5 year old daughter came home from kindergarten and told...

This thing is stunning. It's the same Bible Abraham Lincoln used in his first inauguration, and the symbolism couldn't be sweeter. I can't find a good photo online that isn't in Flash and can be pasted here, but the best...

Steve Waldman has created an archive of inaugural prayers throughout history. In my first read through these prayers, which go back to the 1937 prayer at Franklin D. Roosevelt's inauguration, I was struck by how rarely we see a confessional...

During Steve Waldman's interview with Rick Warren last week, Waldman mentioned Beliefnet's survey of voters after the election. Among other findings, says Waldman, we learned that when asked to rank issues of concern, evangelicals who voted John McCain listed "reducing poverty"...

Pun intended. Starting today, two of our bloggers--Tony Jones and Rod Dreher--will begin a debate discussion Beliefnet Blogalogue on same sex marriage. They'll post on their respective blogs and link back to one another. Here's what's unique about this discussion, and why...

Based on remarks President-elect Obama made to Cathleen Falsani four years ago (and recently reprinted on Beliefnet), there's been a dustup over whether he can legitimately be said to be a Christian: Joe Carter at Culture11 says no.Rod Dreher echoes him.Tony...

From status updates on my Facebook profile, a bird's eye view of Christian responses last night. All names have been replaced with "Sally." Sally is no longer proud to be an American.Sally loves America.Sally is sad that America is incredibly naive.Sally loves saying...

John Piper's engaged asceticism is timely advice for American Christians who are worshipping at the altar of patriotism and the electoral process. I wish he'd emphasize that "Godward purposes" are, in fact, a call to deal with the world in...

I watched Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama with rapt attention yesterday. In terms of rationale, he essentially echoed the Christopher Hitchens approach, emphasizing Obama's strengths of character, temperament, and personality and trusting that those strengths would be with...

Brandon Fibbs, a longtime Colorado Springs resident, political junkie, movie reviewer for Christianity Today, and current DC resident, reads Timothy Egan's recent blog post on cultural and political shifts in Colorado Springs and adds some observations of his own:I recently...

  The latest YouTube video from the always delightful, always informative Reel Geezers offers a brief history of Hollywood's political films, focusing mostly on movies about the electoral process. They cover some of my own favorites--Born Yesterday, The Candidate--and also...