Outside the Beltway

The intersection of politics, morality, and meaning.

The Pope is indeed Catholic. The rest is up for debate.

A piece in The Atlantic inspires thoughts.

What we know about those arrested for the 6 January insurrection.

Biden’s America is a place and idea in which the trappings of empire or glory are ephemera in comparison with perennial human relationships—families; friendships; communities; schools; neighbors; partners.

Mike Lindell’s behavior is both farcical and dangerous.

Not of governance.

Ignoring religious diversity makes polarization much worse.

Gatherings involve risk at the moment.

Why the ‘moral majority’ is willing to tolerate so much immorality from their leader.

Much like the President they obsequiously defend, Republicans have become useful idiots in Russia’s war on Western liberal democracy.

Continuing the conversation from James Joyner’s post.

Christian doctrine actually has a lot to say that is of relevance to the border.

The Supreme Court ruled that a World War One memorial that had been on public grounds for 70 years can stay where it is.

As the Supreme Court enters the final weeks of its term, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hints at deep divisions and disappointment for people on the left.

The Supreme Court appears to be leaning toward letting a war memorial on public property stay in place.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral argument in a case involving a World War I Memorial in the form of a cross on public land in Suburban Maryland.

In a move that is likely to have political and international consequences, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has officially severed ties with Moscow.

There’s a new church/state separation case on the Supreme Court’s docket.

The dispute over Ukraine between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Patriarch is widening and nearing the point of a complete break.

There was a time when Mike Pence believed that a President’s personality morality and trustworthiness mattered. He clearly doesn’t believe that anymore.

In the age of Trump, morality is optional for conservatives.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a bombastic speech on Iran yesterday that reveals just how empty and dangerous the Trump Administration’s policy toward Iran actually is.

The number of Americans professing no religious affiliation is on the rise. This will have some interesting cultural and political implications.

A writer at National Review is proposing a compromise on the issue of transgender rights. Needless to say, many conservatives aren’t very happy about it.

Rex Tillerson was an awful Secretary of State who simply had to go, It’s quite possible his successor will be an even greater disaster.

Billy Graham was the son of a North Carolina farmer who grew up to become a counselor to Presidents, Prime Ministers, and even a Queen.

Some conservatives appear to believe that this year’s Starbucks coffee cops are “promoting a gay agenda.”

Americans as a whole are becoming less religious and some people are panicking about it.

A sign of hope that Alabama voters could end up rejecting the far-right theocratic politics of Roy Moore? Possibly.

The battle over Confederate statues that was resurrected by the violence in Charlottesville is off the front pages, but that doesn’t mean it’s over quite yet.

Facts are stubborn things.

Republicans sure have changed their mind about Vladimir Putin.

Donald Trump’s admiration and praise for the dictatorial leader of Russia should be sufficient reason to disqualify him from being President of the United States.

Who knew Tim “The Toolman” Taylor was a columinist at NRO? (Will kids these days get that reference?).

The Greatest Of All Time.

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has been removed from office again.

The people who believe there is a ‘War On Christmas” tend to be the same ones who hold to the largely false idea that their religious beliefs are under assault due to a “culture war.”

A Colorado Republican Congressman has introduced a resolution meant to involve our nation’s representatives in the non-existent ‘War On Christmas.’

In the wake of the attacks in Paris, some people have argued that American solidarity with France, in contrast to seeming disregard for tragedy elsewhere, is something we should feel bad about. That argument is ridiculous.

Donald Trump’s latest tirade has led to another round of speculation as to whether or not he’s ‘gone too far’ and reached the beginning of the end of his campaign. Don’t count on it.

Ben Carson displays incoherence and ignorance on foreign policy issues that disqualify him from being considered a serious candidate for President of the United States.

Meet Ted Cruz: Religious Bigot

When did “politics” become a dirty word?

More bigotry in the campaign.

The reaction of many of the GOP candidates to the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges is about what you’d expect, but there are a few interesting surprises.

As Governor Haley pushes the South Carolina legislature to take the Confederate Flag down, the movement moves beyond the Palmetto State.

Marco Rubio seems to be in lockstep with the extreme social conservatives when it comes to same-sex marriage.

Despite a veto from the state’s Governor, today Nebraska became the latest state to repeal the death penalty. Hopefully, others will follow.

Voters in Ireland have overwhelmingly approved a referendum legalizing same-sex marriage.