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Get up. Stand up. Stand up for your rights.

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As someone who spent four years in Eugene, Oregon, a.k.a. Berkeley North, I had a fair amount of exposure to Rastafarianism. I think most people’s only contact with the religion — if they’ve had any at all — comes from college kids and/or big weed-smokers who invoke Bob Marley, the religion’s most famous ambassador. The upper-middle-class white kids at school were constantly sparking up the one-hitter between classes were derisively known as “Trustifarians,” as in trust fund Rastafarians.


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Cowardice, bravery and blasphemy

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I highlighted Ross Douthat’s excellent New York Times op-ed last time we talked about the censorship of the South Park cartoon. He had written a bit about what the incident meant in larger context:


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Papal politics or piety?

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Earlier this week, the New York Times ran a story about how the Vatican handled abuse claims against the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the founder of the worldwide order Legionnaires of Christ. The story, which focuses on Vatican politics, hasn’t gotten as much play as the previous Times story attempting to link Pope Benedict XVI to an abuse case in Wisconsin. But this story also focuses on then-Cardinal Ratzinger’s role in handling the many claims against Father Maciel.


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Why? 'Zeal' for living as a Muslim?

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Anyone who knows anything about Islam knows that devout Muslim believers who practice their faith do not drink alcohol. It is not very hard to find this out, as this Google search shows (Muslim beliefs on drinking alcohol).


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You don't look a day over 50

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The birth control pill turned 50 this year. Time magazine celebrated the anniversary with a 5,000-word look at the sociological history of its development and use. And I have to say that while the piece reads a bit like a love letter to 1960s feminism, author Nancy Gibbs discussed religion and values throughout the piece. This seems like the obvious thing to do when talking about something related to sex and procreation — but we all know how many reporters would avoid including religion in the discussion.


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Anglicans and/or Episcopalians?

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Church splits, as anyone who’s ever been unlucky enough to endure one can tell you, are difficult. Writing about them is difficult, too. The point of disagreement leading to a break might not be the same for everyone. Different causes get lumped together. Personalities are wounded. It can be a mess.


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