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Keith Ellison

I think it’s cool that he’s Muslim. I think the bigger a deal we make of it, the more he gets marginalized, and the more we get marginalized. He’s an American. He’s an elected representative. For some good background pieces on what I“m babbling about see these three pieces (1, 2, 3) Technorati Tags: Islam in America, Keith Ellison

Support democracy, not dictators – 02/05/2011 | MiamiHerald.com

Support democracy, not dictators – 02/05/2011 | MiamiHerald.com. For decades we have allied ourselves with autocrats in the Middle East and looked the other way as they crack down on political expression, free speech and human rights out of fear of the unknown and the desire for stability in the region. We support these regimes because of the uncertainty of who may come into power if we press for democracy. But, we need to question whether this is good long-term policy.  If the objective has been regional stability, we have not succeeded. Recent events across the region show that the…

Quote: Religion in the American Public Sphere

What would happen if religious ideas were subjected to such a debate? I want to conclude with some speculations. A robust, critical discussion of religious ideas might encourage popular faiths more consistent with modern standards of plausibility, more conscious of the historicity of all faiths, and more resistant to the manipulation of politicians belonging to any party.  The long moratorium on sustained, public scrutiny of religious ideas has created a vacuum in which easy god-talk flourishes. Religion has no monopoly on foolishness and ignorance, but our convention of giving religious ideas a “pass” has made religion a privileged domain for wackiness…