Violence in the name of a monotheistic religion once again has captured the world’s attention. This time it was committed by killers acting in Islam’s name. Columnists and politicians who should know better claim something supposedly unique to Islam is responsible. This malign misdiagnosis gets two central points utterly wrong.First, there are over one billion Muslims in the world, and the great majority are not violent. Second, while there has been considerable violence by some Muslims in th … [Read more...]
Why monotheisms are so violent. And why the best monotheists are not.
January 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Considering ‘Privilege,’ White, Wiccan, and otherwise. Part III: Occult and Spiritual Dimensions
April 2, 2014 by 20 Comments
So far I have written as a social scientist, one who has spent much of my life studying human societies, seeking reliable patterns and clear concepts better to understand our world. But I am also a Pagan, and my outlook is decisively shaped not only by what I have learned as a traditional scholar, but also what I learned as a Wiccan, one who also worked for many years in an African Diasporic healing tradition, as well as shamanic work rooted in Indian traditions. What I learned here takes my d … [Read more...]
The “Pro-Life” Movement’s Hidden Subtext
August 12, 2013 by 31 Comments
The most vociferous and sometimes violent opponents of women’s right to choose claim they act in the name of Christianity and of life. The truth seems to me to be very different.Interpreting scriptureI expected anti-choice zealots would be able to easily quote biblical passages clearly condemning abortion. I was surprised that instead, the citations they offered were always open to multiple interpretations, and even more surprised that their anti-choice interpretations historically had b … [Read more...]
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