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O God, Deliver Us from the Pat Robertsons of This World

O God, Deliver Us from the Pat Robertsons of This World

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Much has already been said about the sheer stupidity of Pat Robertson’s “pastoral” response to the tragedy of the Haiti earthquake and I will not bother to repeat.

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Reflecting on Dr. King 2010

Reflecting on Dr. King 2010

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I grew up a white Christian girl in the segregated South. I remember the beginning of integration of our schools in junior high and of my local United Methodist Church.

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It Looks Like a Duck, Walks Like a Duck...

It Looks Like a Duck, Walks Like a Duck...

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It seems that we have a really difficult time in our culture calling rape “rape.” Plus we are inclined to give celebrities a free pass when it comes to sexual assault.

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Not Done Yet -- The US Violence Against Women Act Since 1994

Not Done Yet -- The US Violence Against Women Act Since 1994

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This month is the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the U.S.

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Health Care Reform and Violence Against Women?

Health Care Reform and Violence Against Women?

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Health care reform is an urgent issue in the U.S. today. As the political “process” attempts to resolve legitimate issues in the debate, the crazies and the insurance companies are trying desperately to derail any efforts to fix a dysfunctional system. Okay. But what does this have to do with violence against women? Lots.

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The Elders Name Religious Tradition and Practice as Sources of Harm to Women and Girls

The Elders Name Religious Tradition and Practice as Sources of Harm to Women and Girls

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“. . . we believe that the justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a higher authority, is unacceptable.”

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Jimmy Carter Challenges His Church

Jimmy Carter Challenges His Church

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“The turning point in every social justice movement occurs when the authentic leadership of survivors is met with the genuine commitments of our most power social institutions.” So said my colleague, Judith Beals, in 2002 in the midst of the disclosure of extensive sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests.

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"Bad News for 'Bad Men' . . ."

"Bad News for 'Bad Men' . . ."

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Good news for women. Lavetta Elk, 26, is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from Wounded Knee, SD. Sgt. Joseph Kopf, an Army recruiter, raped Elk after she inquired about joining the Army. In April, Elk was awarded $600K in damages for the “pain and suffering” she endured. The basis of this verdict was the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.

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"What About Torture?"

"What About Torture?"

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“Punching, flogging, assault and bodily attacks, hitting with the hand, kicking, ear pulling, hair pulling, head shaving, beating on the soles of the feet, burning, scalding, stabbing, severe beatings with or without clothes, being made to kneel and stand in fixed positions for lengthy periods, made to sleep outside overnight . . .”

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"Pray for the Dead . . ."

"Pray for the Dead . . ."

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Twenty years ago, 14 people were shot and killed in a classroom at a University in Montreal, Quebec, where they were studying engineering. Last week 14 people were shot and killed in an immigrant social service center in Binghamton, New York, where they were studying English.

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"It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"

"It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"

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In baseball, there is an old saying about the game: "It ain't over 'til it's over." It's the reminder that you can't leave after the seventh inning and assume you know the outcome. As we have seen cases of sexual abuse by clergy emerge in recent years, it might be easy to assume that we have seen the worst of it. Yet the news continues to inform us of cases still waiting to be heard and justice still waiting to be experienced. It's definitely not over yet.

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The Guy Who Took Down the Signs

The Guy Who Took Down the Signs

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Like millions of other Americans on January 20, I was flooded with memories and emotions as I watched Barack Obama be sworn in as our President.

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Rick Warren’s Teaching

Rick Warren’s Teaching

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Since Rick Warren was invited to give the Invocation at the Presidential Inauguration next week, he has been attracting some attention and scrutiny. Warren is the Senior Pastor at Saddleback Church in California.

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Santa Targets His Own Family

Santa Targets His Own Family

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An ex-husband took advantage of the annual family gathering at his in-laws’ house to inflict his violence on his ex-wife and her family. He appeared at the door dressed as Santa, and one of the children let him in. He opened fire on the 25 people there and then set fire to the house.

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Is the Gospel of “More Sex” Really Good News for All?

Is the Gospel of “More Sex” Really Good News for All?

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So Pastor Ed Young of the Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, got the attention of the media. And his church members. He called for a week of “congregational copulation” to take people’s minds off the economy. Pastor Young has added his blessing to our already highly sexualized culture.

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"Déjà vu All Over Again"

"Déjà vu All Over Again"

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Another murder in a church; another domestic terror homicide. On Nov. 23, Joseph Pallipurath entered the St. Thomas Syarian Orthodox Kananaya Church in Clifton, NJ and killed his wife.

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Muslim/Arab/Terrorist?

Muslim/Arab/Terrorist?

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I promised myself I wouldn’t discuss the election in my blog. This is not the place for partisan anything. But in this last week before the election, I do have to comment on the overt racism that continues to persist even unto the very end.

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“Another Hate Crime . . . with a Backstory”

“Another Hate Crime . . . with a Backstory”

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On a Sunday in late July, Jim David Adkisson entered the Tennesse Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville and opened fire. He said he hated gays and liberals and “all liberals should be killed.” He murdered two people and seriously injured 6 others before being subdued by other church members.

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Confusion Reigns for Southern Baptist Professor

Confusion Reigns for Southern Baptist Professor

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Bruce Ware, professor of Christian theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., actually does know why husbands abuse their wives.

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The Pope Has Come and Gone

The Pope Has Come and Gone

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I think it is safe to say that everyone was surprised that Pope Benedict XVI talked about the pedophile priest crisis everyday he was in the US on his recent trip. In fact, he began the conversation with reporters on his plane enroute.

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