Sex & Religion

Texas Requires Ten Commandments in “Public” Schools

The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

In 1789, this was revolutionary. It repudiated the fundamental relationship of religion and politics that had existed for thousands of years: you had better worship the king’s god(s)—to do otherwise was treason, punishable by death.

Four states have taken a giant step backwards by requiring that school post the Ten Commandments in every schoolroom.

We already know where this leads: restrictions on our sexual decision-making.

Continue Reading
0 Comments

Pope Francis for the Supreme Court? [updated]

Pope Francis’s death today reminds us of how American courts are increasingly supporting damaging, explicitly political behavior under the hypocritical guise of religious expression.

Our beloved Constitution stated that the government could not establish an official religion, criminalizing others (or atheism). It did NOT say the government should SUPPORT religious observance–which is what the Right, and now Project 2025, aggressively seeks.

Continue Reading
0 Comments

Salman Rushdie and America’s “Words Are Violence” Movement

If you are outraged about the attempted assassination of Salman Rushdie, consider these two facts:

~ Across the world, many Muslims consider Rushdie’s words to be violence. Therefore they say actual violence against him is justified.

~ These days, many Americans also say that words are violence. They therefore want some voices silenced or denied a public forum.

Continue Reading
0 Comments

Mental Health, Masturbation, & the Church

The Southern Baptist Convention has finally released a report detailing the decades-long child sexual abuse by its clergy.

Of course, this hands-on abuse is horrific. But for more children have been damaged by the church’s explicit teaching that masturbation and children’s sexuality is sinful. This form of child abuse goes on every day in every orthodox religious institution–in plain sight.

Why don’t medical & psychological professionals speak out about this? Why don’t the rest of us?

Continue Reading
0 Comments