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The July 1st international edition of Time magazine has added fuel to the fire with a cover photo of the fundamentalist Burmese monk Wirathu, calling him “The Face of Buddhist Terror.” Protesters took to the streets this weekend, and President Thein Sein officially banned the magazine, citing concern about the “recurrence of religious and racial conflict.” Buddhist Terror? Harsh voices of intolerance have become almost daily news from…

Though Craig is correct that his argument is “simple,” he is wrong to believe that simplicity makes it good. Indeed, the suggestion that terms and concepts are immune to redefinition is simply… false. It demands an unflattering comparison to Rick Santorum, who once stumped around the nation declaring that a “ napkin is a napkin.”

The numbers may be low compared to global-scale disasters of recent years, but there is a wrenching poignancy to what is happening in Uttarakhand right now. Many of the forces that frame daily life in South Asia are suddenly on display like a raw wound: the wages of development and globalization, the power of the natural world, divine agency, altruism, self-interest, and the political nature of both government action and religious ritual.

Walt Whitman counseled each of us to “dismiss whatever insults your soul.” My fervent hope is that the new Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences report—a project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences that was “commissioned” or “requested” by a quartet of DC pols—will be dismissed accordingly.

People who want to stop abortion are quick to publicly ask God’s aid in ending a practice they think is murder. It’s easy to find examples of their public prayers. But people who believe women ought to be in charge of when they bring life into the world are less apt to pray their cause publicly. Many of those people are acting out of religious faith that is every bit as deeply held.

An Amnesty International report and new documentary shed light on religion’s role in anti-gay persecution in Africa.

What if God does not choose to “bless America” these days?

If you can’t beat ’em…

A right-wing legal group holds a conference call. “Satan” is mentioned.

“Antisemitism” is a problematic term. Of course we know what it means—prejudice against or hatred of Jews. But it was first utilized, ironically, by nineteenth century polemicists looking to recast…