On AlterNet: church

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "church"

Why Young People Are Fleeing Conservative Evangelicalism

Eleanor J. Bader, RH Reality Check. February 9, 2012.

Some leave because they oppose the church's doctrinal stance. Others are turned off by its hostility to science. Others reject the limitations placed on sex.

Is Alcoholics Anonymous Too White?

Jeff Deeney, The Fix. January 20, 2012.

Dismissing AA as a white-person's movement, many black addicts take a pass on the 12-steps and seek salvation from their church.

New Look at Mitt Romney's Time as Mormon Leader Shows He's Always Been Bad for Women

Jodi L. Jacobson, RH Reality Check. January 16, 2012.

While Romney is widely derided for his constantly changing political positions, it seems he is clear on one thing: Patriarchal order.

5 Founding Fathers Whose Skepticism About Christianity Would Make Them Unelectable Today

Rob Boston, AlterNet. January 10, 2012.

Thomas Jefferson believed that a coolly rational form of religion would take root in America. Was he ever wrong.

10 Ways Right-Wing Christian Groups Will Likely Shove Religion Down Your Throat This Year

Simon Brown, Church & State Magazine. January 4, 2012.

A surging religious right means daunting challenges for keeping Church and State separate.

The Giving Season: Why the 99% Are Actually More Philanthropic Than the 1%

David Morris, On the Commons. December 23, 2011.

The 99% is more generous, and gives primarily to the church, while the 1% is more connected to cultural institutions that offer some payoff in social status.

"I Cannot Eat Your Prayers": How Student Debt Changed One Woman's Mind on "Christian Charity"

Kristin Rawls, Killing the Buddha. December 19, 2011.

From an evangelical home to over $100,000 in student loans and healthcare debt, one writer faces the ways in which even progressive Christianity comes up short.

How We All Pay For the Huge Tax Privileges Granted to Religion -- It's Time to Tax the Church

Adam Lee, AlterNet. December 14, 2011.

By some estimates, the property tax exemption alone removes $100 billion in property from U.S. tax rolls, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

At Religious Right Forum, GOP Candidates Weep and Proselytize

Adele M. Stan, AlterNet. November 20, 2011.

In an Iowa megachurch, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Ron Paul put Christianity front and center.

Guns in Church? A Wisconsin Pastor Begs Congregants Not to Pack Heat on Sunday Morning After Concealed Carry Law Passes

Daniel Schultz, Comment Is Free. November 6, 2011.

Unlike other states, where concealed carry is specifically prohibited in places of worship, Wisconsin's new law allows it anywhere except for specific locations.

Inside the Christian Right Dominionist Movement That's Undermining Democracy

Chip Berlet, Public Eye. September 1, 2011.

Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin have all flirted with Christian Right Dominionism, but there's lots of misinformation about just what that means.

Why I Broke Up With God

Sarah Sentilles, Religion Dispatches. June 7, 2011.

Sarah Sentilles discusses how she went from almost becoming an Episcopal priest, to jettisoning her Christian identity.

The Religious Right and GOP Escalate Battle to Destroy Public Schools

Joseph L. Conn, Church & State Magazine. June 5, 2011.

The push for vouchers is not about “education reform," but part of a national drive to radically privatize education.

"True Love Waits … Until Nighttime": How I Devirginized a Conservative Christian

Rachel Rabbit White, The Frisky. February 17, 2011.

I grew up in a small, conservative town. Needless to say, people did not have the healthiest attitudes about sex.

Conservative Iowa Church Tries to Oust Judges Who Voted to Legalize Gay Marriage

Andy Kopsa, AlterNet. October 30, 2010.

Church leaders are not allowed to endorse or oppose candidates from the pulpit. Yet that is exactly what one Church is doing in Iowa.

Will the Eddie Long Sex Scandal Force Black Churches to Confront Their Homophobia?

Devona Walker, AlterNet. October 4, 2010.

The sordid tale of megachurch Bishop Eddie Long may provide an opportunity for black churches to deal with their regressive attitudes toward gay men and lesbians.

Religious Right Pushes Churches to Openly Defy the Law and Campaign for Tea Party and Other Conservative Candidates

Rob Boston, Church & State Magazine. August 8, 2010.

As organizations that claim tax-exempt status, churches cannot directly intervene in elections. A religious right group is trying to change that.

White "Savior-Afflicted" Christians, Black Haitian Babies: This Won't End Well

Devona Walker, AlterNet. February 5, 2010.

Would the Baptists accused of taking Haitian kids out of the country illegally have tried to pull this off in a predominantly white country? Doubtful.

10 U.S. Baptists Charged With Child Abduction in Haiti

Tana Ganeva, AlterNet. February 4, 2010.

The Americans accused of smuggling Haitian children out of the country illegally have been charged and face up to 15 years in prison

Jesus Hated War -- Why Do Christians Love It So Much?

Gary G. Kohls, Consortium News. December 28, 2009.

There are no "blessed wars". Yet virtually all evangelical, conservative and many mainstream church leaders were active supporters of the Bush wars.

God's Divine Sperm? Lib Church Shakes Up Story of Jesus' Birth

Tana Ganeva, AlterNet AlterNet: PEEK. December 17, 2009.

"Poor Joseph. God is a tough act to follow."

Cowardice Among 'Christian' Leaders: Why the Churches Are Largely Mum on Torture

Ray McGovern, Consortium News. August 1, 2009.

Who but the cowardly crew leading the "Christian" churches can be held responsible for the fact that many of their flock believe in torture?

Jimmy Carter Severs Ties With Southern Baptist Convention: "Many Male Religious Leaders Help Subjugate Women"

Jimmy Carter, Comment Is Free. July 21, 2009.

Carter: Sexism exhibited by male leaders conflicts "with my belief -- confirmed in the holy scriptures -- that we are all equal in the eyes of God."

Torture Has Not Ended Under Obama; What Are We Going to Do About It?

Diana Gibson, Ray McGovern, San Jose Mercury News. June 24, 2009.

Meanwhile, a recent Pew survey shows that a majority of Americans who go to church regularly believe torture can be justified.

Grim Tales of Abuse Emerge from the Irish Catholic Church

PZ Myers, Pharyngula AlterNet: PEEK. May 21, 2009.

Can we stop equating religion and morality now? They never seem to have much to do with one another.