Love in the Time of Catholicism
The Pope spoiled his trip to America by meeting with a Kentucky clerk. But his unheard praise of a different radical provides a silver lining.
religion
A collection of 57 issues
The Girl on the Lawn
Forget anxiety, overcaution, or just plain unhappiness. The real problem with parenting is philosophy.
In the Wilderness
A young girl in South Dakota—the last school-age child remaining in her community—epitomizes the challenges of rural American Judaism.
Gods and Kings and Middle Managers
Recent astronomical discoveries have expanded our understanding of the universe—and messed up godhead performance reviews.
Work Is Pretty Scarce Around Here
Just before and right after President Obama’s State of the Union address, an editor telephones complete strangers around the country, to find out what’s really going on.
Um for the Holidays
It's the most wonderful time of year, but for atheists and agnostics, it means something altogether different. We asked a group of non-believers to tell us how they’re spending their secular holiday seasons.
This God’s for You
A man and a supreme being walk into a bar. It’s a hokey joke until one day it’s true and the big man starts offering tax advice.
Let Football Live
Cracks are appearing in football’s helmet—injuries to athletes, injuries to the game. For one former high school and college player, the damage has gone too far.
Cool Colors
This summer in Manhattan, it was important to wait in line for an hour to see light designed by James Turrell. Many bought the hype. Many were angry afterward.
Pope Fabulous
Pope Francis's recent remark that he would not judge gay priests was a revolutionary moment for the church—a moment, in fact, worth twerking into verse.
Pope Francis of Carhartt
The media has labored to stress the humility of the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church. But somehow they missed his taste for Burt Reynolds movies, and other signs of holy humbleness.
Papal Haze
Even as the Roman Catholic world prepares to welcome its 267th leader, the papacy remains mysterious and misunderstood. It's time to explore the world of popes!
Everyone Popes
Former Pope Benedict XVI has left the Vatican, returning to his former life. But even with the church's retirement package, how can private citizenship compare? A poem for Mr. Ratzinger.
Heaven Can Wait
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, advice for a lovelorn atheist who wants to know if a Christian could love him back.
Getting by on Allenby Street
For the middle-class residents of Tel Aviv, housing is either too expensive or difficult to find. On one city street, apartments are plentiful but—for more than one reason—not the kind you’d like to see.
Burn All the Liars
An unfinished autobiography and a 1980s biopic turned Frances Farmer, one of the great golden-era stars, into a lobotomized zombie. The main trouble: Frances Farmer wasn’t lobotomized. An investigation to set one of Hollywood’s most convoluted stories straight.
Address Unknown
In New York’s St. John the Divine Cathedral, a letter to a dead man, tucked under a plaque near his ashes, offers the first and only clue in a mystery about faith.
Marriage, Israeli Style
For Israelis of a certain age, marriage beckons. But in this cradle of so many religions, a tangle of ancient rules and modern laws makes things surprisingly complicated.
Inferno
As Texas burns, prayers are answered in the form of a feathered-haired governor. It’s a good thing he already knows how to beat down the devil.
Beirut, Texas
Political candidates who want to burn down Washington, DC, perhaps should see what a country looks like with no effective government.
Everyone Must Go
You've seen the billboards and the banner ads: Judgment Day is coming on May 21. But just because you're saved doesn't mean you're home-free. Brimstone Barney's Apocalypse Surplus has just the deal for you.
Aleph-Mem-Tet
Having fulfilled his duty once again and with the most imminent dangers receding into the distance, it’s time to depart. The Golem posts his final entry.
The Two Shmuels
The day-to-day returns, but the sense of danger is still palpable to the Golem and Ruth. Reluctantly, he returns to his blog, this time with a prompt.
Interlude by the Bay
With his old life again behind him, The Golem returns to looking ahead to what’s next—or at least trying—and finally gets around to answering some reader email.
True Story
A pause in the action, as the Golem recounts important moments in the brothels and strip clubs from his past, both recent and not-so-recent.
Torpedo
On the run from the kidnappers, the Golem remembers the child he first met when he too was new.
What Mad Pursuit
After his odd job draws to a close, the Golem, still on protection duty, realizes a new task lies ahead.
On Surrender
The day after being roped into his latest protection duties, The Golem faces new threats—and a history of unstoppable devotion.
On Protection
“From the day Samuel Halevi pointed at the little boy lecturing to a passel of scholars and said, ‘He carries a bright flame. No one must put it out,’ I was a protector.” The Golem falls into an old role.
I’m Your Man
Ruth catches up on the blog, and a reader entreats The Golem to explain the intricacies of his relationship.
No Blog Is an Island
After a friend comments on the antisocial nature of this blog, The Golem ruminates on the true purpose of blogging, and whether “first” is more meaningful than previously thought.
Serving Someone
Even a being formed out of clay a thousand years ago has to make a living in today’s world. The Golem returns, and reveals an array of especially odd jobs.
Moving Ground
When there are heavy tolls on human life, there are questions of faith. Some turn to it; others blame it. The Golem has seen this happen before.
Marked Man
The tricky part about blogging is knowing where to draw the line about what’s revealed. After his last post raised some eyebrows, the Golem addresses the whole eating thing.
I Meme Mine
One post in, and it’s time to assess what went right and what went wrong; or it would be, if a questionnaire didn’t take precedence. The Golem gets tagged by the internet.
Jewish Like Me
To be Jewish in America can be a gefilte fish served with wasabi and a dollop of paranoia. And things get even more complicated when you don't look the part.
Pilgrimage
Many people hope to be authors, even some in the publishing business. Going back to a monastery to see both sides of the story.
Plan B
Determining that precise instant when life starts is a big subject in American politics, but it’s rarely discussed with much nuance.
Takin’ Care of Jesus
There's a movement afoot to rewrite rock’s best songs with Christian lyrics, and you haven’t heard about it. Enter the world of “parodeities,” and learn some Deuteronomy.
Meir Comes Clean
Sixty years after the founding of Israel, the pomp-and-circumstance of the anniversary--celebrated last week on the Jewish calendar and today on the secular one--prompts a different sort of recollection.
Sins of Admission
Growing up with strict Muslim rules can be tough in mainstream America. Throw in prank calls to sexually excitable old men and the going suddenly gets harder.
The Confession of an American Jew
Everybody wants to know, but nobody wants to ask: Why are Jews funny? A journey far from the roads of good intentions.
You Sexy Atheist, You
Who says non-believers can’t get frisky like the faithful? Secular countries may be suffering declining populations, but atheists still have all the fun.
The Kennel at the End of the World
Sure, you’re going to heaven, but what about your dog—and yes, even your cat? A helpful guide to caring for your pets after the rapture.
Mel Gibson's Project Redlight
Given his recent legal troubles, Mel Gibson may want to put some of the upcoming projects from Icon Pictures, his film production company, on hold. Some of the movies we'll have to wait a bit longer to see.
God or No God
Is that a benevolent deity inside your briefcase or is Loki just happy to see you? Introducing the game show that's got Americans clutching their prayer books: It's God or No God with Howie Mandel! Atheists, watch out!
Centers of Unlearning
If relics like tractors and antique toilets deserve museums, why not creationism? And why stop there? A guide to upcoming halls of wisdom.
Virginity Pledge 2.0
With more and more kids reneging on their signed virginity vows, it’s time for swift action. An updated pledge from LifeTime Ministry that explains all you really need to know to keep your ticket to salvation intact.
Purim vs. St. Patrick's Day
Being drunk may be fun, but being drunk and knowing the big Guy approves is even better. Matching historical fact and too much beer to decide which holiday offers the bigger hangover.
Bra Mitzvah: Becoming a Man Through Lingerie
Those afraid of flying get on a plane to somewhere, while acrophobes take elevators to the tops of skyscrapers. Confronting your deepest fear with a journey through a Parisian lingerie shop.
Ramadan and Firecrackers
What happens when a normally mad city decides to stop eating during daylight hours, stop smoking and drinking and sexing while it’s light out? A report from Cairo, a vibrant city alternately united and crazed by hunger.
Cloaks and Daggers
When half of the world's Hasidim live within a subway ride of each other, the disappearance of two teenage girls is big news, especially when they've run away to escape.
The Passion of the Christ: Blooper Reel
No film set exists without its share of gags and accidents, even the filming of Mel Gibson's crucifixion epic. A transcript of scenes that may never make it onto the DVD edition.
Crowning the Action
Mel Gibson's forthcoming movie, The Passion, has come under a great deal of fire, especially for something that nobody's even seen yet.
A Brief Catechism of Rock Shows, Part I
When it comes to rock shows, there are many guidelines to be followed, and some fans do so with a religious fervor. Hear the word of the rock gods and know the truth.
The Mormons: Our Secret Weapon in the War on Terror
Is war the only option? Surely, there’s something else we can do? Something, perhaps, involving ghosts and baptism? A proposition you might not slam your door on.
Catch a Falling Catholic
Will the recent rash of pedophilia charges against the Catholic Church cause a drop in membership? If so, might those disenchanted Catholics be interested in joining the competition?