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Despite the efforts of those eager to see a “War on Christmas” at every turn the origins of this season’s traditions are no more Christian than those of Easter eggs or the Easter bunny. This was a time of goodwill and generosity long before anyone heard of a baby born in a stable.

By bringing young Haredi men into contact with the permanent emergency that is Israeli civil society, volunteer organizations and the Israeli Army have brought these young men into contact with the world of physical violence, aggression, and gun use. Hitherto protected by their insularity and separateness from Israeli society, these ultra-Orthodox males are becoming socialized to Israeli norms. And they and their community are paying a heavy price for that socialization.

Last week’s six-hour PBS documentary, God in America, wasn’t really about God in America. Nor was it about religions in America. Following a fairly conventional narrative in mainstream discourse (albeit not one adopted by the contemporary Christian right), the series…

Before his death, renowned atheist philosopher and co-author of There is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind, Antony Flew did change his views on theism somewhat; though evidence suggests that it bears little resemblance to the pronouncements of those who sought to advance a well-worn, if seldom true, narrative of the deathbed convert.

I cannot claim to humanity greater than anyone else—no matter how different my point of view, my preference, or my sexual orientation might be.

An interview with Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry.

Shopping is an ethical act. Today we live in a culture of cheap. We have an unprecedented access to cheap goods, yet we must recognize that cheap goods are cheaply made. I am not speaking of quality, I am speaking of cheap labor. We must recognize that through the act of shopping—whether it is for an article of clothing, a toy, a pint of strawberries, or even our morning cup of coffee—we participate in a global economy that values profit over people. Disposable goods are made by disposable people, faceless individuals whose backbreaking and unjustly paid labor produce the goods we consume. What we buy and where we buy it is a political act. It is also, I argue, a religious act.

On December 9, residents of Glastonbury, England discovered a gruesome crime scene. Vandals had dismembered the Holy Thorn Tree that sits atop Wearyall Hill. But why would someone do a thing like that?

The roar was visceral. A torrent of sound fed by a vast subconscious reservoir of anger and resentment.

I call this M & M because afterwards it may not be possible to keep up with all the names of places that start with an M: Makkah, Madinah, Muzdalifah, and Mina.