Tag Archives: religion

Israeli protest continues, along with challenges to democracy

The massive extended protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued, even as protesters claimed credit for a victory. Netanyahu postponed consideration a plan to severely limit the independence of the judiciary, frustrating hard right allies within his coalition and, for … Continue reading

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Protest resumes in Iran

The death of Mahsa Amini–in custody–became a focal point for opposition to Iran’s theocracy. A twenty-two year old Kurdish woman, Amini was arrested for the offense of not wearing her hijab properly. It’s still not quite clear what happened to … Continue reading

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Dilemmas and Dynamics of Escalation (2)

Wynn Bruce set himself on fire in front of the Supreme Court toward the end of Earth Day. He was evacuated by helicopter and died in a hospital the next day. Concerned with government inaction on climate change, and deeply … Continue reading

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Martin Luther King Day, January 17, 2022

Posterity has rescued an image of Martin Luther King, at the expense of the man’s own broader political vision. Continue reading

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Martin Luther King Day, 2021

January 18, Martin Luther King Day, falls three days after what would have been King’s 92nd birthday, a reminder of how young he was during his ministry. Here I repost a slightly edited version of last year’s post on the … Continue reading

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Comfort, Congregation, Contagion,Contention, COVID-19 (3/x)

Public worship, especially when prohibited, is often political. The litany of martyrs who practiced their faith against the dictates of their governments stretches at least a couple of thousand years. Stories of individuals or groups standing up against authoritarian states … Continue reading

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Martin Luther King Day, 2020

January 20, Martin Luther King Day, falls five days after what would have been King’s 90th birthday, a reminder of how young he was during his ministry. Here I repost a slightly edited version of last year’s post on the … Continue reading

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Notes on how protest works, the travel ban

Protest matters, but not by itself, and usually not quickly. The massive Women’s March and the miraculous airport protests haven’t yet triumphed: the president remains committed to restricting Muslim access to the United States and rolling back reproductive rights…among other … Continue reading

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Persistence, part III: William Barber is ready

As the demonstration and discussions about the killing of Keith Scott continued, The New York Times found an activist voice to explain what was going on. On the Op-Ed page, Rev. Dr. William Barber published “Why are we protesting in Charlotte,”  … Continue reading

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God and democracy

The Occupation at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge continues at this writing, and whatever local authorities and the FBI are doing to end the moment isn’t obvious or clear to those of us watching from afar. If there’s a plan, I … Continue reading

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