The "CharlieCharlieChallenge," like Ouija boards, is pretty dumb. But neither of those is as bad as the overwrought condemnation of such things by Christians who fear them because they believe they're actually supernatural. See, Robert Johnson folklore is not actually orthodox Christian theology. And even if you play "CharlieCharlie" at midnight at a Delta crossroads and sign a contract in blood, you can't actually sell your soul to the devil. That's not an actual thing. Read more
Fear of a doctrine of "works righteousness" -- salvation through good works -- has led to a fear of good works themselves. This is not unique to LaHaye and Jenkins, although they do exhibit a particularly virulent strain of the disease. They believe the road to Hell is paved not with good intentions, but with good works. Read more
Here's a round-up of some insightful commentary and reflection in response to the Josh Duggar scandal. This is not the first time that prominent religious right figures have been exposed as sexual predators and hypocrites after making a career out of demonizing LGBT people while celebrating their own sexual "purity." Nor will it be the last. Read more
Any skeptical questions about the reality of these alleged horrors was reinterpreted -- and fiercely condemned -- as a defense of those same horrors. Questions such as "How did they have time to fly the children to Mexico?" or "Why are there no records of such a flight?" wouldn't be answered directly because answering them would threaten the fantasy. Instead, anyone asking such questions would be recast as a defender of Satanic ritual abuse by Mexican soldiers. Read more
The D&D backlash of the 1980s wasn't sustainable because the unreality of the imagined threat eventually became impossible to deny. But while this particular form of symptom spiked and dissipated, the disease remains -- with the moral entrepreneurs continuing their role-playing fantasy by concocting and warring against ever-new sets of imaginary monsters. Read more
To put this all another way, for social conservatives, marriage is necessary and sufficient for ethical sexual activity. When they hear folks like Libby Anne (or me) emphasizing the essential importance of consent, they therefore assume that we are, in turn, arguing that consent is necessary and sufficient for ethical sexual activity. But that's not what we're saying. We're saying consent is necessary. Period. Read more
In praise of "tough nuts." Plus: the Pledge of Allegiance is idolatrous (and really creepy); "blood moon" lunacy isn't just a fringe thing; a data point in support of Randall Balmer; and a new reason for (some) politicians and TV preachers to be anxious. Read more
"I would hate for people to vote no for bad reasons, for sort of bigoted reasons, for nasty reasons, for bullying reasons," Donal McKeown, the bishop of Derry, said before the Irish referendum. A culture-warrior could never say that. For a culture-warrior, a vote for your side is simply a vote for your side -- no matter what the motive. If the bigots and nasty bullies can help your side win, then you need their votes. Read more
"Then Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines.' He strained with all his might; and the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his life." Read more
So here's my plan: Invite all two dozen of the 2016 Republican presidential candidates to Nationals Park for a post-anthem stand-off. The last four still standing -- still on the field, caps held over their hearts -- qualify for the televised debates on Fox and CNN. It would be silly and stupid, but it might still be an improvement over the current process -- which is, itself, a goofy parody of macho posturing and performative patriotism. Read more
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