https://politicalresearch.org/ The latest research related to natural law en https://religiondispatches.org/2023/02/13/who-could-possibly-take-issue-human-dignity-beware-trojan-horses Upon the recent death of the conservative British historian Paul Johnson, the right-wing journal Public Discourse praised Johnson as the “historian of human dignity.” Another recent piece in the Washington Post by Justin Dyer—executive director of the conservative Civitas Institute… Mon, 13 Feb 2023 02:48:58 EST Peter Schwartz ad4f02c0-36f0-4a1b-8a47-12c957abe0fc https://religiondispatches.org/2022/05/10/end-roe-comes-courtesy-catholic-church-dorothy-day-abortion-fund-st-vincent-de-paul No matter how Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is decided finally, restrictions unto bans on abortions will be courtesy of the institutional Roman Catholic Church. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, their Pro-Life Activities Committee, and colleagues will… Tue, 10 May 2022 03:41:31 EDT Mary Hunt 1c7ff8e2-da71-42af-a292-a2f7ca74b98a https://religiondispatches.org/2018/07/24/story-behind-catholic-churchs-stunning-contraception-reversal Behind the official explanation for the continued ban on birth control was the need to maintain the link between sex and procreation, which was essential to the maintenance of the traditional, subordinate role of women, a key concern of the Catholic Church. Tue, 24 Jul 2018 01:26:59 EDT Patricia Miller b35f7da8-6a7f-459f-8338-c744f3587a88 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/12/01/what-justice-gorsuchs-record-suggests-about-masterpiece-cakeshop-case When the Supreme Court hears oral arguments December 5 in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, it will be the first time the Court has taken up a major gay-rights case since its historic June 2015 ruling in Obergefell… Fri, 01 Dec 2017 12:20:54 EST Patrick Hornbeck 62c422a2-42bc-485a-b81b-12598b6c3710 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/09/11/14-point-rebuttal-nashville-statement-straight-cis-christian-man In the wake of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood’s “Nashville Statement,” RD published commentaries by Daniel Schultz, who called the manifesto “less of a theological statement than a Facebook post,” and Candace Chellew-Hodge, who argued that “this kind… Mon, 11 Sep 2017 02:00:03 EDT Eric Reitan e532794a-12e1-40b9-ad40-690a70239495 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/06/28/sorrynotsorry-what-us-christian-denominations-teach-about-homosexuality The massacre of 49 individuals in an Orlando gay nightclub on June 12 has ignited a fierce and ongoing public debate about whether anti-LGBT laws and rhetoric lead to violence. Yesterday’s New York Times lists some of the more horrific… Tue, 28 Jun 2016 02:00:22 EDT Stephanie Russell-Kraft 18f49f88-6788-4ed0-b679-567b7914c9b4 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/05/12/whats-behind-common-sense-rhetoric-bathroom-bill North Carolina’s HB2 (also known as the “bathroom bill”) may not explicitly be about religious freedom , but nearly all of its vocal supporters are conservative Christians who seem to have a hard time deciding whether the legislation protects “common… Thu, 12 May 2016 01:38:01 EDT Stephanie Russell-Kraft 6191088b-1018-4987-a955-afbfb928ffe4 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/01/12/religious-liberty-and-origins-evangelical-persecution-complex Last week, Roy S. Moore, chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, ruled that his state’s probate judges must enforce Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage. Moore, who first rose to national fame for his crusade to publicly display a mammoth… Tue, 12 Jan 2016 01:00:13 EST Randall J. Stephens c4c5fa92-3f1d-4d20-ad55-f308a667d2a7 https://religiondispatches.org/2015/10/06/surprising-origins-and-problem-vaticans-view-sex-and-gender Does God really work in such mysterious ways? Or, is it only the theologians who do? Tue, 06 Oct 2015 03:56:30 EDT Ivan Strenski 802deb6f-8056-400b-995e-27b946195b4d https://religiondispatches.org/2015/06/18/when-its-ok-ignore-pope Now that Pope Francis has officially affirmed a “very solid scientific consensus” that the earth is warming as a result of human activity and offered a point-by-point critique of an unsustainable, consumption-based economic system that is creating a planet of… Thu, 18 Jun 2015 04:12:31 EDT Patricia Miller 3c6e4be9-add6-4c79-9e41-8fc16afd7d9b https://religiondispatches.org/2014/11/20/pope-christian-conservatives-team-promote-patriarchy The Vatican held an interfaith conference this week on the promotion of the “traditional”—that is, non-LGBT or single-headed—family organized around the concept of “complementarity.” Complementarity is one of those obscure theological concepts that nevertheless casts a long shadow over modern… Thu, 20 Nov 2014 01:24:27 EST Patricia Miller 30a4d983-05af-4877-8110-9e52d118937a https://religiondispatches.org/2014/10/06/pope-calls-out-bad-shepherds-conservatives-prepare-fight-change Just a day before gay marriage in the U.S. received a significant boost from the Supreme Court, the much-anticipated Extraordinary Synod on the Family opened in Rome yesterday with Pope Francis pointedly criticizing “bad shepherds” who seek money and power… Mon, 06 Oct 2014 05:03:45 EDT Patricia Miller 4ef20a90-2727-4fb8-bb5c-545434874364 https://religiondispatches.org/2014/06/05/story-behind-catholic-churchs-stunning-reversal-contraception Years later, when the remembrance of so many other things had faded, the memory still remained crisp in her mind. She saw herself lying in the hospital bed, bleeding, writhing in agony. She remembered clawing at the curtain surrounding the… Thu, 05 Jun 2014 11:30:04 EDT Patricia Miller 485b5c06-0adb-4d81-b86a-33cd3b70e703 https://religiondispatches.org/2012/04/17/vatican-gay-rights-opponents-are-real-victims According to Vatican representative Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, ending discrimination against gays, lesbians, and transgender persons would make those who oppose such human rights the real victims. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:31:58 EDT Joseph M. Palacios d39bb69b-c4c9-46ef-a7b0-09d80d794aec https://religiondispatches.org/2012/04/08/bishops-double-down-issues-pelvis-over-poverty Following the lead of Robert George. Sun, 08 Apr 2012 11:25:37 EDT Peter Montgomery a14c38c4-05e3-4f76-a4e5-3358863ffb98 https://religiondispatches.org/2012/03/20/santorum-and-new-catholic-evangelical-alliance A political, not theological, co-belligerence. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:03:24 EDT Sarah Posner 2c432120-7f68-4511-849a-b371d257a990 https://religiondispatches.org/2012/03/19/blankets-booties-and-jesus-spiritual-war-uterus-rick-perrys-texas Where Bush would sign something because anti-choice was his base, Perry actively instigates. A report from the frontlines of the kinder, gentler scorched-earth campaign against abortion and birth control in Texas. Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:03:36 EDT Sarah Posner 468d217c-b50f-409a-90cf-2911becc90fa https://religiondispatches.org/2011/11/16/catholics-fire-back-bishops-anti-gay-campaign Bishops’ “religious liberty” campaign a distraction from gap between US Catholics’ relatively tolerant views on LGBT issues and the hierarchy’s anti-gay positions. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:39:25 EST Peter Montgomery f2c5c82c-7c36-4628-acc2-3229fd694320 https://religiondispatches.org/2011/07/10/declaration-dependence-upon-marriage-and-family No, that’s not a typo. Iowa’s “most prominent social conservative” asks GOP hopefuls to sign pledge. Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:09:53 EDT Sarah Morice-Brubaker d367d336-be74-475c-b9fc-10d6e8f6dfdb https://religiondispatches.org/2011/06/16/archbishops-theology-wearing-no-clothes Panic over the possibility of same-sex marriage passing in NY drives Dolan‘s arguments. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 04:10:20 EDT Mary Hunt a3baf875-62cc-421a-8f55-ff73c037dc0b https://religiondispatches.org/2011/06/15/gay-marriage-bill-totalitarian-says-head-bishop As marriage equality moves closer to passage in New York opponents are in a panic. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:57:00 EDT Peter Montgomery 5d9df686-e35e-4b92-88b4-6a263517c1d5 https://religiondispatches.org/2011/05/26/archbishop-dolans-love-letter-rep-ryan-betrays-catholic-teaching When bishops really disagree with someone, they are not tepid. Their language glows hot and they follow it up with strong action. Thu, 26 May 2011 12:49:17 EDT Daniel C. Maguire 756adef8-3881-4fdd-9f31-11b425fdd563 https://religiondispatches.org/2011/05/23/usccbs-dolan-blesses-ryan-budget Catholic Republicans tout letter after Catholic criticism of proposed budget cuts. Mon, 23 May 2011 07:23:31 EDT Sarah Posner 0969231d-7665-452d-a805-3720e322a097 https://religiondispatches.org/2011/02/10/why-conservatives-are-turning-beck A matter of form, not substance. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:00:53 EST Sarah Posner 5dd46866-47e9-4aa5-8180-fc308cdcccf6 https://religiondispatches.org/2010/12/14/not-his-house-archbishop-oversteps-opposes-repeal-dadt On December 1, Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy Broglio contributed an essay to the Washington Post’s “On Faith” opposing the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; the Clinton-era policy that prevents LGBT persons from serving openly in the military. He quotes at length from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, compares homosexuality to alcoholism, and makes the unconvincing, dishonest claim that lifting the ban would infringe upon the religious liberty of Catholic chaplains by forcing them to bless same-gender marriages. But the military is not the Catholic Church. Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:30:21 EST Eugene McMullan 0809d650-5361-4f5c-bf8f-f08ed6f58257