Rachel Ford is a programmer, and since 8:00 to 5:00 doesn't provide enough opportunity to bask in screen glare, she writes in her spare time. She was raised a very fundamentalist Christian, but eventually "saw the light." Rachel's personal blog is Rachel's Hobbit Hole, where she discusses everything from Tolkien to state politics.
As we all know, the Religious Right does what the Bible says. At least, as long as it fits their political agenda, anyway. That’s why a few lines in Leviticus about homosexuality translates to gay people not having equal rights or protection from discrimination. And God explaining how he intended Jeremiah to be a prophet before he was even born justifies denying women reproductive choice. And, of course, Jesus’ words to his disciples about buying swords even if they had to sell their cloaks to do so settles the debate on gun control forever. But not every verse can be stretched and distorted to mean whatever the Right wants it to mean. As it happens, there are a couple of passages that are so at odds with that worldview that it seems like they got edited out of conservative Christianity’s Bible. If you follow politics in the U.S., you may have noticed that there are some familiar entries on that list. Starting with the verses about being kind to strangers who dwell in your lands. Read more
It’s all fun and games until someone gets eaten, beaten, or sacrificed. Christmas is a time that should inspire togetherness and, if we consult the traditional Christmas myths… well, absolute terror. Depending on which stories you credit, the holiday is less a joyous celebration and more the reign of cannibals, monsters, and blood sacrifice (oh my!). A lot of the horrific aspects were likely designed to elicit good behavior. There are rewards — Santa will bring toys to all the good kids! — but the punishments go so much further than the familiar coal in the stockings. For instance, there’s the holiday goat-demon Krampus. Read more
If you haven’t seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens yet — and, really, what are you waiting for?! — be warned: Spoilers ahead. Nothing too major, but there you go. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who caught the movie over the weekend, found a few parts that stood out, as he explained in a series of both humorous and serious tweets. Some were less problematic plot-wise: Read more
Anti-abortion legislators in Ohio are pushing a bill to force burial or cremation for miscarried or aborted fetuses. Ostensibly, it’s all about providing a “respectful way” to dispose of fetal remains; but the move is part of a series of moves against Planned Parenthood by Ohio Republicans. Read more
It’s pretty obvious when we examine the language of Christian “pro-life” advocates that much of their opposition to reproductive rights is fueled by a profound contempt for sexually active women. Thus we hear conservatives dismiss concerns about birth control with comments about how “the gals” should put “aspirin between their knees”; we hear that efforts to make contraception available somehow implies that women “cannot control their libido”; etc. And if a woman wants to end a pregnancy, the pro-life community contemptuously demands that she “take responsibility” — by which they mean, of course, forced birth and no other responsible solution to pregnancy (because they see no other options). But it doesn’t end there. Even birth control has become a target. Granted, the “pro-life” movement has largely buried this opposition from public view, overshadowed by their attacks on abortion access and framed in the language of “religious freedom.” Read more
