It’s abortion, stupid. For conservative Christians in this election the most important religious issue isn’t gay marriage, stem-cell research or Christmas trees on courthouse lawns. It is abortion (as it has been for at least the past 35 years, since […]
The video clip is from 2005, and Sarah Palin, who is running for governor, stands on the dais of a small church; three pastors surround her in a huddle. They are touching her shoulders, her forehead, her back. The would-be
With a scrap of bagel and a sip of Crystal Light, Beth McDonald gave communion to her husband. Then, after a blessing, he gave communion to her. Music played as the celebrant intoned the ancient words, “Do this in remembrance
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BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, NewsweekWhy do you choose Coke over Pepsi, Corona over Bud, Crest over Colgate? You don’t think much about these choices, you say; your gut decides. Marketing guru Martin Lindstrom says otherwise. Your preference for Macs over PCs is embedded in
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NewsweekIn her new book, “Love Your Life,” Victoria Osteen tells the following story. When she and her husband, Joel, were courting, he came over to her house for dinner. She knew he was the son of a prominent Houston pastor
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BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, NewsweekIn the early summer of 2000, the Houston megachurch pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell got a phone call that would change his life. The George W. Bush campaign was on the line, wanting to know if Caldwell would introduce his friend the
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BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, Newsweek, ReligionThe Evangelist Billy Graham turns 90 next month, and in this final chapter of his life, a number of laudatory books and movies are scheduled for release. One of these, a biopic called “Billy: The Early Years,” arrives in theaters
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BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, NewsweekSometimes I argue in my mind against the new generation of professional atheists, and the arguments go something like this. First, if 90-odd percent of Americans say they believe in God, it’s unhelpful to dismiss them as silly. Second, when
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BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, NewsweekSince 2004, the story goes, evangelicals have softened. Sure, they still care about abortion and gay marriage. But a new, outspoken generation also cares about global warming, Darfur, illiteracy, human trafficking, preventable disease. The era of divisive religious rhetoric, characterized
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BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, NewsweekIf it’s Tuesday, it must be Knoxville. Or maybe it’s Houston or Amarillo. William (Paul) Young has been on the road so long, he can’t be sure. Six months ago Young was working three jobs to pay the rent on
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BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, Newsweek