https://politicalresearch.org/ The latest research related to thoughts and prayers en https://religiondispatches.org/2024/07/24/already-beatified-right-surviving-assassination-attempt-must-we-all-pray-donald-trump I had some finessing to do on Sunday. I filled in for a colleague the morning after the attempt on former president Donald Trump’s life, you see. Just about everyone in the congregation had heard about it by that point… Wed, 24 Jul 2024 02:58:28 EDT Daniel Schultz 6252af74-10a2-46f9-a79f-2bdfff0ad701 https://religiondispatches.org/2024/01/22/lost-and-found-despite-hope-morality-and-meaning-inspired-deconversion-why-respect-only It’s a story that can inspire even the most cynical among us. A person endures some difficult trial, such as an illness, injury, or other calamity. At their lowest point, they call to the divine. And through the darkness they… Mon, 22 Jan 2024 04:48:10 EST Robert Repino f738d38d-8baf-4b9e-b339-3bad70ed34e9 https://religiondispatches.org/2022/06/07/christian-nationalists-and-holy-gun-crusade In the wake of every mass shooting in this country, we have a brief moment where we talk about the guns used and the need for gun control. And then rapidly, the gun lobby, conservative politicians, Second Amendment absolutists, and… Tue, 07 Jun 2022 01:12:14 EDT Thomas Lecaque 82e36af2-096a-4be6-a863-ff2371c1f66d https://religiondispatches.org/2022/05/26/what-hell-wrong-us-muslim-response-americas-failure-change More times than I can remember, I’ve had to ascend the minbar and address a Friday congregation reeling. Many Imams will do the same painful work this week. But for many American Muslims, Buffalo and Uvalde strike in other ways… Thu, 26 May 2022 05:38:32 EDT Haroon Moghul b45b46ea-2b23-403e-a826-850f61cf9b65 https://religiondispatches.org/2021/08/26/anti-vaxx-cardinal-burke-just-ventilator-becoming-living-anti-abortion-martyr Earlier this month Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke announced to the world that he had contracted Covid-19 in a strangely triumphant August 10 tweet “Praised be Jesus Christ! I wish to inform you that I have recently tested positive for the… Thu, 26 Aug 2021 03:49:48 EDT Karen E. Park 004350d2-e43a-41a3-b937-69379e012ef4 https://religiondispatches.org/2020/10/12/tyranny-politesse-why-decency-does-not-require-us-wish-trump-full-and-speedy-recovery Let me state for the record. There is no moral obligation to wish Trump a full recovery from Covid-19. I certainly do not. Even the Bidens, Kamala Harris, and Rachel Maddow seem to feel that hoping for Trump’s recovery is… Mon, 12 Oct 2020 03:02:24 EDT Daniel C. Maguire 8117c5e1-8654-49a2-b873-56a18ef7afcb https://religiondispatches.org/2020/03/04/theres-nothing-wrong-prayer-theres-every-reason-be-skeptical-pences-coronavirus-prayer A plague is upon us. And white evangelicals, naturally, are on the scene— theologizing the COVID-19 outbreak, praying, scolding, and generally being counterproductive. Unfortunately, the Trump administration’s response is being led by one of them—Vice President Mike Pence, a fellow… Wed, 04 Mar 2020 10:31:40 EST Chrissy Stroop a6d8092d-b51e-4c9a-938e-eea6eb2907f5 https://religiondispatches.org/2019/08/27/story-god-we-trust-our-christian-nationalist-motto-part-1 This story should sound familiar, especially given the blame thrown at godlessness in the wake of mass shootings and the “thoughts and prayers” offered as a “solution.” Tue, 27 Aug 2019 02:28:20 EDT Andrew L. Seidel 903a3df0-91d6-49bf-a1fc-4ac53a1d1a4c https://religiondispatches.org/2019/08/07/beyond-thoughts-and-prayers-how-christian-rights-politics-providentialism-keeps-america In order for the GOP leadership to continue to do nothing on guns they need loyal foot soldiers to deliver messaging that appeals to their base. What this messaging, familiar to those of us who grew up in the Christian Right, tells us about the “soul” of the Republican Party is not pretty. Wed, 07 Aug 2019 03:39:52 EDT Chrissy Stroop 6adefc20-1de3-48d6-92c7-214c22ced3de https://religiondispatches.org/2019/08/05/after-more-mass-shootings-its-time-call-out-white-supremacy-pews I’m a preacher and I can say with near certainty that 99% of the sermons preached yesterday morning didn’t get close to the level of truth-telling that’s needed. Nor will the compulsory “thoughts and prayers” pronouncements, nor the words spoken at memorial services over the next days and weeks. Mon, 05 Aug 2019 02:59:27 EDT Peter Laarman 728626f5-b0d4-444d-a776-62d9c11094c7 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/02/28/parkland-activists-dont-care-what-you-think-and-theyre-not-interested-faith-wars It’s been interesting to wake up this morning and discover that the #NEVERAGAIN kids have rattled everyone from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to the National Review’s Charles W. Cooke, to Marco Rubio, who whined: As fun as it would be… Wed, 28 Feb 2018 12:02:39 EST Daniel Schultz e63b47e8-251c-4031-bb5a-c861b54091b4 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/02/22/i-dont-think-thoughts-and-prayers-means-what-you-think-it-means-counterargument The sudden birth and development of the #NEVERAGAIN movement, led by students who survived the February 14th school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has been startling, to say the least. There’s something categorically different about… Thu, 22 Feb 2018 07:58:07 EST Daniel Schultz f7d22e98-d128-46e7-abdc-22a855625fc9 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/11/06/can-government-solve-evil-mass-shootings-response-mollie-hemingway Yesterday’s shootings at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas were horrific and especially cruel given the tight-knit nature of a small community. It was more than a little surreal to see Christianity Today report that, what is now… Mon, 06 Nov 2017 01:29:10 EST Daniel Schultz 9050ea24-d8e6-4043-a668-25c41dbcc0c2 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/07/08/blacklivesmatterstill-we-cannot-let-anyone-else-define-our-movement Words are insufficient. Words—like horror, atrocity and domestic terrorism—are inadequate. Words—like sin, evil and blasphemy—are wholly lacking. “Violence is woven into the fabric of our country. Violence has been deployed against black folk from the moment we arrived on this… Fri, 08 Jul 2016 08:14:15 EDT Wil Gafney a7ab597b-9f3e-4b3e-a815-b2c2fe89ce21