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“Reform” in the interest of cost cutting does what 30 years of activism has not yet been able to do.

The week in religion.

Recently, on The Huffington Post, Rev. Chellew-Hodge suggested that gays and lesbians should never argue Scripture—in particular, the half dozen “clobber verses” that some people interpret against gays. Why? Because nobody wins, everyone’s opinion hardens, and we talk past each other, because gays and lesbians are usually not biblical literalists, while our opponents usually are. Chellew-Hodge’s suggestion sounds wise, but I want to respectfully disagree with it.

Recent studies of yoga reveal the formative influence of (wait for it) Buddhism, Jainism, Sufism, television, military calisthenics, Swedish gymnastics and the YMCA, as well as of radical Hindu nationalism, upon today’s postural yoga practice. There is no doubt that the Vedas, Upanishads, and folk traditions of India have been formative toward yoga: yoga is almost inseparable from them. Nevertheless to assert that yoga is essentially and primarily a Hindu practice means to ignore millennia of generative influence from other quarters. Worse still, it means to step blindly into a political fight for the heart of India that has simmered for over two hundred years.

And with more and more evangelical chaplains a backslide isn’t impossible.

You may find that it’s helpful to know something about a subject before you start talking about it.

Jewish social justice group delivers 10,000 letters to Rupert Murdoch calling for Beck’s ouster.

“Blood libel” was not an effort to “align” herself with Jews.

It’s always about Palin.

In the end the billboard did what is was designed to do: get attention, and get people talking.