On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with Mollie about religion and the Republican National Convention. Why has Romney decided to open up about his Mormon faith? For the first time, the GOP ticket doesn’t have a Protestant on it, and Sarah and Mollie discuss why. Do Paul Ryan’s economic proposals reflect Catholic teaching, and does it matter? They debate the importance of Todd Akin, and Mollie argues that President Obama is the real abortion extremist. Does America have an “abortion culture“? Plus: Is the election still about the economy?

On The Posner Show, E.J. and Maggie debate gay marriage. Maggie argues that sex can’t be separated from reproduction. E.J. believes gay marriage is the result of changing attitudes toward marriage in general, not a cause of that change. What is the purpose of civil marriage, and is it compatible with gay marriage? Maggie explains why she thinks gay marriage could negatively affect marriage as an institution. Finally, they discuss whether children need a mother and a father.

Guest-hosting on The Posner Show, Gabriel talks with Sarah Senk, a professor who studies trauma, about the shooting in Colorado and the immediate calls to not “politicize” the massacre. Gabriel and Sarah compare the shooting’s aftermath with the reaction to another “national collective trauma,” 9/11. They next discuss technology in the classroom: Has it improved pedagogy and the learning experience, or is it all hype? Gabriel gets sentimental for a pre-technologized education, but concedes that technology has its educational uses as well.

Guest-hosting on The Posner Show, Emily and Alyssa discuss women and sexism in pop culture. Alyssa describes the economic incentives for the continued production of sexist entertainment. They talk about Louis C.K.’s response to Daniel Tosh’s rape joke, and whether such jokes are ever appropriate. Can pop culture really be separated from politics? Emily discusses talking with her kids about what they read and watch. Alyssa argues that homogeneity of thought represents a danger to dedicated fan communities. Turning to The Avengers, Emily posits that even Joss Whedon isn’t perfect—and that’s okay! Finally, Alyssa explains why it’s so important to have diversity in entertainment.

Guest-hosting on The Posner Show, Gabriel talks to Ann about Tomorrow Magazine, which is being produced by laid-off staffers from GOOD and funded via Kickstarter. Ann describes the editorial freedom that comes from not being beholden to advertisers or large donors. How can journalists make dry topics like campaign finance interesting? Are charts and graphs the answer? They next discuss Magic Mike, the strangely fascinating male stripper movie. Does the film objectify men in the way that Hollywood usually objectifies women?

On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with E.J. about the reaction to Anne-Marie Slaughter’s Atlantic cover story, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.” Did the way the article was framed do its argument justice? E.J. says Slaughter’s piece did a service to everyone bogged down by the more-than-40-hour-a-week expectations of modern work life. Do we imagine an iconic childhood summer vacation that no longer exists? Did Slaughter’s piece actually sound the death knell for the “can women have it all” frame? Plus: The byline gender gap.

On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with Jamelle about his piece on how the Democrats shouldn’t count on demographics turning the GOP into an electoral minority. Jamelle suggests we might see a Marco Rubio-George P. Bush GOP ticket at some point in the future. They discuss Romney’s reaction to Obama’s decision to stop deporting children of undocumented immigrants. Is the “browning” of the evangelical movement a real thing? Is the “Catholic vote” a real thing? Plus: Is the evangelical movement losing younger members?

On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with Anna about whether the financial troubles faced by The American Prospect, and the recent editorial firings at GOOD magazine, signal a troubling trend for progressive media. Anna and Sarah debate whether journalism should be tied to political activism. Turning to presidential campaign coverage, are political reporters starved for material and obsessed with overanalyzing gaffes? Sarah thinks that campaign coverage has become like TV episode recapping. Sarah criticizes media coverage of Obama and Romney’s religious beliefs. Plus: When will we ever be done talking about the byline gender gap?

On The Posner Show, Sarah chats with Marie about the interwoven history of religious freedom and women’s rights in America. Marie argues that that the 1638 trial of religious dissident Anne Hutchinson reveals a great deal about our ideas of religion and women’s rights, demonstrating a prurient strain that that is still evident in the US today. Moving to more recent history, Sarah and Marie discuss conservative pushback to the line of Supreme Court cases culminating in Roe v. Wade. While Roe and church-state separation have been eroded, the government has become more protective of religious freedom for organizations and individuals claiming conscience objections. Finally: Do corporations have a religious conscience that ought to be protected by the law?

On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with Emily about why she left Israel, a country she chose as her home, after the second intifada. They discuss recent mob violence against African immigrants in Tel Aviv, and how American Jewish groups have reacted to it. Emily talks about her column about the lies of Jerusalem Day, and why the modern construct of Jerusalem is not the same as the holy city revered by Jews. Sarah questions whether American Jews really understand the increasingly right-wing trajectory of the Israeli government. Emily says the government is “wholly dedicated to protecting the occupation,” and doubts she will live in Israel again. Plus: Is the discussion generated by the blog Open Zion having an impact?