Fred Phelps' "God Hates Fags" Message: Is It Free Speech?

John W. Whitehead March 15th, 2010

"You can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God."–Pastor Fred Phelps

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear Snyder v. Phelps, a case dealing with anti-gay protests at the funerals of American soldiers, is stirring up debate over whether the privacy rights of grieving families trumps the free speech rights of demonstrators.

The case arose after members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church picketed the Maryland funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Sn … (Read More)

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GetReligion.org - Terry Mattingly on SBE

Erik Guzman January 22nd, 2010

Scripps Howard religion writer Terry Mattingly joins us on this edition of Steve Brown Etc. for his yearly look at how the press just doesn't get religion.

We also read the hate-mail we received because of last week's comments on Pat Robertson and The Merry Monk of Love talks about his "Help Haiti Fast."

(If you're on the front page of the site, click read more to see player options.)

Terry Mattingly writes the nationally syndicated On Religion column for the Scripps H … (Read More)

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From cheerleading to coaching

Terry Mattingly November 6th, 2009

Second verse, same as the first.

As I continue to read the New York Times coverage of the Maine vote, my mind drifted back to these lines from Daniel Okrent, the newspaper's former ombudsman, in his infamous 2004 column entitled "Is The New York Times a Liberal Newspaper?" News junkies will recall that his lede said bluntly, "Of course it is."

But on the subject of news "templates" or "maps," here is a thought for the second day of coverage, drawn fro … (Read More)

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Blue Parakeets & Homosexuals in the Church - Scot McKnight on SBE

Erik Guzman April 3rd, 2009

If you're not careful, reading the Bible can make you weird.

Have you ever struggled with being a Bible-believing Christian without becoming an out-of-touch fundamentalist or wacky liberal? If so, don't miss Scot McKnight on this week's SBE. If not, listen anyway.

(If you're on the front page of the site, click "Read More" to see audio player options.)

Scot McKnight is a biblical scholar, beliefnet blogger and author of The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read … (Read More)

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Where's Your Jesus Now? - Karen Spears Zacharias on SBE

Erik Guzman February 13th, 2009

Turn on the news and it's plain to see, scary bad news abounds. According to Karen Spears Zacharias, in American culture, fear is not only stealing headlines, it's destroying lives. Join Karen on this edition of SBE as we discuss fear and faith.

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Karen is the author of Where's Your Jesus Now?: Examining How Fear Erodes Our Faith and she says our anxiety makes us rigid and pro … (Read More)

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The Christian Response to Recession - Tony Campolo on SBE

Erik Guzman February 6th, 2009

Unemployment is way up, stocks are way down, and the economy will probably get worse before it gets better. Pretty grim, huh? But wait, what if this recession is actually a gift from God?

Tony Campolo joins us this week on Steve Brown Etc. to talk about responsible Christian action in the midst of economic turmoil and the cleansing effects of crisis.

(If you're on the front page of the site, click "Read More" to see audio player options.)

Tony Campolo is a sociologist, socia … (Read More)

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