Yesterday, the news broke that Attorney General Jeff Sessions' (alternative) Justice Department was rescinding Obama era transgender employment non-discrimination protections. And today, in a move that is almost certainly illegal and will be challenged in court, Health and Human Services moved to essentially eliminate the ACA's contraception mandate, allowing educational institutions and even publicly traded … Continue reading Transgender Employment Non-Discrimination and Contraception Access Rolled Back. The Trump Administration Keeps Giving us Reasons to #EmptyThePews
Who’s Afraid of the Rapture? Some Thoughts on Conservative Christian Apocalypticism and its Consequences
Happy Rapture Day? It's that time again. That time of year when the fall semester gets into full swing, the leaves in the Midwest and New England begin to change color (or maybe not this year, thanks Obama climate change), and certain conservative Christians go into a frenzy about the rapture. You know, that glorious event … Continue reading Who’s Afraid of the Rapture? Some Thoughts on Conservative Christian Apocalypticism and its Consequences
Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Satanic Panic Abuse Survivor Nancy Hightower
Dr. Nancy Hightower is a writer and literary scholar with a remarkable story of surviving the worst of Evangelicalism. She offers a valuable perspective on the challenges we currently face at a time in which white Evangelical Christians are the single demographic most supportive of #IllegitimatePresident Trump and most responsible for rising American authoritarianism. The … Continue reading Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Satanic Panic Abuse Survivor Nancy Hightower
Some Comments on Critical Thinking and Expertise, Part 2: An Interview with Andrea Chalupa
As promised in yesterday's post, "Some Comments on Critical Thinking and Expertise, Part 1: How Not to Approach RussiaGate on Social Media," I am printing my May 16, 2017 interview with writer and leading Resistance activist Andrea Chalupa below. Like myself, Chalupa has been hit with spurious accusations of being a Kremlin agent. The upcoming … Continue reading Some Comments on Critical Thinking and Expertise, Part 2: An Interview with Andrea Chalupa
Not Your Mission Field: A New Title for the Blog
When I started this blog, I had yet to think of a proper title. I put "Christopher Stroop" in as a placeholder, and I've been mulling it over ever since. As of today, "Christopher Stroop" has been replaced with "Not Your Mission Field." I also registered http://www.NotYourMissionField.com, which directs to the homepage here. So, why … Continue reading Not Your Mission Field: A New Title for the Blog
About those Trump Voters for God? Stop Calling them “Fake Christians”
In an era of "fake news," "fake science," and even "fake law," I suppose it was inevitable the term "fake Christians" would pop up. On Twitter, it's most commonly used as a means of criticizing Trump voters. As such, it's of a piece with commentary from the 2016 election cycle asserting, for example, that Evangelicals are "political" … Continue reading About those Trump Voters for God? Stop Calling them “Fake Christians”
White Evangelicals Still Overwhelmingly Approve of Trump – Pew
According to the Pew Research Center's presidential approval tables for April 2017, white Evangelicals apparently remain determined to go down in history as some of the most notorious villains of our time, if history is not forestalled by nuclear destruction thanks to them placing a dangerously demagogic and incompetent man in the office of the … Continue reading White Evangelicals Still Overwhelmingly Approve of Trump – Pew
Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture
Authority First: The Enclave Strikes Back "I sat in the waiting room wasting my time, and waiting for Judgment Day. I praise liberty, the freedom to obey." - Green Day, "21st Century Breakdown," 21st Century Breakdown (2009) Fundamentalists force an inhumane choice on reflective, empathetic individuals who grow up in their enclave communities: assent that 2 + 2 … Continue reading Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture
The Council for National Policy Wants Betsy DeVos to Christianize Public Schools – CNP “Education Reform Report”
The Washington Post has, thankfully, drawn attention to some very concerning plans on the part of the powerful, secretive conservative group the Council for National Policy to undermine the separation of church and state in America. Specifically, the CNP seems confident it can convince Betsy DeVos to move not only toward pushing for "school choice"--i.e., using … Continue reading The Council for National Policy Wants Betsy DeVos to Christianize Public Schools – CNP “Education Reform Report”
Not Your Mission Field 