What Would Rush Do? Richard Schiffman on Limbaugh as Representative of Jesus

Yesterday, I wrote that I'm inclined to agree with theologians who suggest that, given the demonic face of "God" some of us encounter in the utterances and behavior of some people of "faith," we may have a moral obligation to reject "God."  And in light of that observation, I'm interested to read Richard Schiffman's analysis of Rush Limbaugh and how Rush represents Jesus in what Rush has to say on his popular radio show.

Times Excoriates Alabama for Immigration Law: Foolish Gesture of Defiance

The New York Times today rightly takes Alabama to task for its sordid immigration law.  The law is proving, to say the least, an embarrassment to the state.  What some groups within the state of Alabama imagine they've gained by way of ginning up social animosity towards immigrants is clearly offset by the damage the state is doing to itself with the new law in terms of its image, economy, and, as becomes increasingly apparent, its legal system.  

Reflections on the Death of Christopher Hitchens: Cheap Grace and American Exceptionalism

I haven't commented on Christopher Hitchens's death because, to be honest, I didn't much follow the debates in which he was involved.  I am interested in atheism, perhaps primarily as a defensible response to the misrepresentation of authentic religious values by adherents of many religious traditions.  I have long thought that Catholic theologian Karl Rahner is exactly right when he argues that, given the demonic face of "God" some people encounter through organized religion, they have a moral obligation, in fact, to reject "God."

Newt Signs NOM Marriage Pledge, Maggie Gloats, Blogsphere Goes Ballistic

As Andrew Sullivan says, one can definitely find hope in the comments responding to Maggie Gallagher's gleeful report that the Newt has signed her NOM "marriage pledge."  The NOM home page states that the mission of the National Organization for Marriage is "to protect marriage."  As this NOM press release attacking civil marriage for same-sex couples in Rhode Island notes (and as numerous statements by NOM for some years now stress), NOM exists to defend the "traditional" definition of marriage as between one man and one woman for life.  NOM advertised its August 2010 rally in Charleston, West Virginia, as a "One Man, One Woman" rally.

Commonweal Offers Revised Translation of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Advent Humor

And for a bit of fun as the seasonal madness (shop, shop, drop, drop) reaches its peak: whoever crafted the "Christmas Cookies Recipe: Revised Translation" for Commonweal is one highly clever individual.  A highly clever person who has gotten the vastly inflated and entirely misplaced (and totally empty) pomposity of the "new" Catholic liturgical translation down to a perfect T . . . .

Religious Right + Corporate Right = GOP: A Fault Lines Video Discussion

USCCB, Political Lobbyists or Advocates?: Minnesota Board Rules Anti-Gay Marriage Video as Advocacy

Here's why the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is all a-dither right now about that recent Pew Forum study that shows the USCCB occupying second place among faith-based political lobbying groups in D.C., in the amount of money it spends for political lobbying: