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Mark Silk, a commentator on religion and politics who keeps above the fray
One of the smartest commentators on American politics and religion is someone you’ve probably never heard of. His wry and careful handling of flammable subjects is always admirable. But a recent blog post, which brought together three culture-wars figureheads — the […]
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After Vatican’s rebuke of nuns, time to hear Mary’s voice
Imagine the fury of the men of Galilee when a young, unmarried girl showed up in their village pregnant. They must have talked about punishments. Stoning — a legitimate penalty, condoned by Deuteronomy — would have been appropriate, although the […]
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Catholic activists pushing politicians to turn tide against the death penalty
Soon, probably next week, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy will sign into a law a bill that abolishes the death penalty in his state. When he does, Connecticut will be the fifth state to enact such legislation in as many years — […]
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Good Friday’s big question: Is doubt good?
During Shabbat services at my temple last weekend, in an effort to get the kids excited for Passover, the prayer leaders asked the children which part of the Exodus story they liked the best. Many said, “The parting of the […]
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Trayvon Martin: Doing justice, having faith in social media
At first, the nationwide ‘‘hoodie’’ protest over Trayvon Martin’s death — in which Americans donned sweatshirts in solidarity with the slain teenager and his family — felt shallow and reflexive, a consumerist reaction. What’s this? I wondered. Is Abercrombie & Fitch now […]
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Rick Santorum, cafeteria Catholic?
He has seven children, attends a Latin Mass and has driven issues of reproductive rights back into the center of American politics. In 2002, he traveled to Rome to express his support for the founder of the ultra-conservative Catholic lay movement […]
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✴︎ Newsweek
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New York Mag Cover Story: Listening to Xanax
How America learned to stop worrying about worrying and pop its pills instead. Last summer, near the end of my mother’s life, I woke up in my childhood bedroom in the middle of the night in a fever of panic. […]