A video describing some of the religious and secular rationale behind American Sunday blue laws.

Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY

Recorded – Aug 6th, 2008

Author and professor R. Gustav Niebuhr argues that tolerating people of different faiths is not enough; that in order to live in a safe and cohesive society, we must go out and interact with them.

Bio:

Gustav Niebuhr is an associate professor of Religion and the Media, director of the Religion and Society Program, director of the Carnegie Religion and Media Minor, and co-director of the Luce Project in Religion, Media, and International Relations at Syracuse University.Over a twenty-year career in journalism, most recently at the New York Times and, prior to that, at the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the Atlanta Journal/Constitution, Gustav Niebuhr has established a reputation as a leading writer about American religion. He is a frequent guest blogger on the Washington Post’s “On Faith” column, and he also does occasional commentaries on religion for the National Public Radio program “All Things Considered.

His most recent book, Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America, will be published in August.

Recorded in May 2007, Delaware Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden discusses the role of religion in American society, and gives his thoughts on the separation between church and state.

1. Edwards’ Floor Speech on Religious Freedom

Today, Friday, August 22, 2008, the country is waiting to hear who Barack Obama has chosen as his running mate.  One of the names that is surfacing is Rep. Chet Edwards.

Editor

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Rep. Chet Edwards represents President George Bush’s home district (including Crawford, Texas) in the United States House of Representatives. A moderate who considers himself a bridge-builder between left and right, and a Methodist who attends the Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, Rep. Edwards is a staunch supporter of the separation of church and state.

The following is text from a speech Rep. Edwards gave on November 19, 2003.

With all that is going on in the world today, it is easy to forget that there is a war going on overseas.  I wondered whether to post this video because it has some violent scenes and language in it, but maybe it is time to honestly face what is happening in the name of freedom, and in the name of America. 

Musically, I don’t know if anybody has expressed this more clearly than U2 in “Bullet the Blue Sky.”  When it was written in the 1980s, “Bullet the Blue Sky” was a harsh criticism of the United States’ policy of arming rebels in El Salvador. The song has a martial drum beat, thundering bassline, and wailing guitar reminiscent of falling bombs. Bono reportedly told Edge to “put El Salvador through your amplifier.”  Now Edge could have put Iraq or Afghanistan through the amplifier and turned it up a few notches.

Some people dismiss those who call for peace, but which crowd are you going to add your voice to?

Before you watch the video, please note that viewer discretion is advised. 

U2 – Bullet the Blue Sky Lyrics

In the howlin’ wind
Comes a stingin’ rain
See it drivin’ nails
Into the souls on the tree of pain.

From the firefly
A red orange glow
See the face of fear
Runnin’ scared in the valley below.

Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue
Bullet the blue.

In the locust wind
Comes a rattle and hum.
Jacob wrestled the angel
And the angel was overcome.

You plant a demon seed
You raise a flower of fire.
We see them burnin’ crosses
See the flames, higher and higher.

Woh, woh, bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue
Bullet the blue.

Suit and tie comes up to me
His face red like a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colours of a royal flush
And he’s peelin’ off those dollar bills
(Slappin’ ‘em down)
One hundred, two hundred.

And I can see those fighter planes
And I can see those fighter planes
Across the tin huts as children sleep
Through the alleys of a quiet city street.
Up the staircase to the first floor
We turn the key and slowly unlock the door
As a man breathes into his saxophone
And through the walls you hear the city groan.
Outside, is America
Outside, is America
America.

See across the field
See the sky ripped open
See the rain comin’ through the gapin’ wound
Howlin’ the women and children
Who run into the arms
Of America.

Dr. Ravi Zacharias speaks out in support of religious freedom and against attempts to create theocracy.  He also tells a couple of very interesting stories about religious freedom in other countries.  It was recorded at a recent event at the Atlanta Civic Center and you might also recognize the event MC.  Ravi Zacharias answers a tough question about religious freedom- specifically the freedom to disbelieve- in other countries. From the DVD titled “Is America Really Christian.”

Dr. Zacharias was born in India in 1946 and immigrated to Canada with his family twenty years later.  While pursuing a career in business management, his interest in theology grew; subsequently, he pursued this study during his undergraduate education.  He received his Masters of Divinity from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois.  Well-versed in the disciplines of comparative religions, cults, and philosophy, he held the chair of Evangelism and Contemporary Thought at Alliance Theological Seminary for three and a half years.  Mr. Zacharias has been honored by the conferring of a Doctor of Divinity degree both from Houghton College, NY, and from Tyndale College and Seminary, Toronto, and a Doctor of Laws degree from Asbury College in Kentucky.  He is presently Visiting Lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University in Oxford, England.

See more at http://www.rzim.org/USA/Resources/Watch.aspx

The Star Spangled Banner – 1944 Theater Sing-Along
During WWII, this version of the national anthem would play in movie theaters before the feature. For the anthem-challenged in the audience, this version has sing-along lyrics.

A Remix of U2′s “Pride: In the Name of Love” video with footage of Martin Luther King, Jr. The person who made the video says, “I dedicate my video to all the people of all colours who took part in the fight for freedom and those that continue to do so all over the World today.”

America’s Pride – Thomas Kinkade
America’s Pride, the first piece in my new ‘Flags Over America’ collection, features the same dramatic sky and waving flag seen in my previous painting, while below I pay tribute to the most patriotic of all American cities – our nation’s capitol.

Students from Mrs. Prior’s class perform American patriotic songs God Bless America, America the Beautiful, You’re a Grand Ole’ Flag.

Lee Greenwood performs “God Bless the USA” at the Freedom Concert for New York – September 11, 2007

Rich Mullins “Here in America”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xCUfIT5Lm3g (Click to watch)

Apollo 13 – A Story in Music and Pictures

Darryl Worley – “Have You Forgotten”

From http://frontrow.bc.edu/program/newdow/ 

October 18, 2006 – Boston College – Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life

Every day millions of schoolchildren pledge allegiance to the American flag and “the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Michael Newdow is a lawyer, physician, and First Amendment activist whose legal challenge to the inclusion of “under God” in the pledge reached the Supreme Court in 2004, where Newdow personally argued his appeal to the justices (it was later dismissed on a technicality).

In this panel discussion, Newdow presents his case against “under God.” Joining him in discussion are Wendy Kaminer, a lawyer and social critic whose most recent book is Free for All: Defending Liberty in America Today (Beacon, 2002); and Phillip Munoz, an assistant professor of political philosophy and American Constitutional law at Tufts University, who is currently completing a book on religious freedom and the American founders.

The discussion is moderated by Alan Wolfe, professor of political science and director of Boston College’s Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life.

Panel Discussion – 55 minutes

Broadband 

Audio only 
 

Watch at http://frontrow.bc.edu/program/newdow/

Although a majority of Americans say religion is very important to them, nearly three-quarters of them say they believe that many faiths besides their own can lead to salvation, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

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Most Americans also have a non-dogmatic approach when it comes to interpreting the tenets of their own religion. For instance, more than two-thirds of adults affiliated with a religious tradition agree that there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their faith, a pattern that occurs in nearly all traditions. The exceptions are Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, 54% and 77% of whom, respectively, say there is only one true way to interpret the teachings of their religion.

Some Thoughts

This is an interesting statistic.  The question I have is whether or not this kind of thinking leads to a neutralization of religious belief.  Is it an effort to minimize differences in order to get along, and if so, does it lead to abandonment of one’s own distinct beliefs?

This could well be the difference between the pursuit of religious pluralism in the fruit salad metaphor where each faith is distinct and has its own flavor versus a smoothie where it all blends together and the net effect is that each part means less.  This includes the common elements of faith as well as the individual differentiated core elements of religious worship and thought, or those distinct practices that may require accommodation, whether this involves keeping a holy day or wearing religious clothing.

Part of celebrating religious freedom is the recognition that faiths can peacefully coexist even though they have mutually exclusive beliefs.  In other words, you do not have to agree with somebody else’s view of heaven or what it takes to get there in order to honor their religious commitment and their faith.  People should not feel pressured to agree that their beliefs are also correct if they do not share them, nor should they force their faith on others.

It takes a lot of work to maintain a welcoming environment in both law and practice for religious pluralism and diversity, but it is far better than the alternatives of neutralizing faith or favoring some beliefs over others.

This is a set of 2 video clips from a Hindu perspective that discusses the attempts of Christians to evangelize non-Christians in India.  Are Christians engaging in sincere evangelism or opportunistic exploitation as the video producers claim? Is conversion being unfairly used as a price to pay in order to receive missionary aid?

The video also proposed a “Code of Ethics” for religious conversion which includes language that it should be the result of true spiritual change, not manipulation or coercion. This is likely to increasingly become a larger issue in a global economy and information society.  As this issue grows, churches will need re-evaluate their methods of spreading the gospel and seriously consider how they are being perceived in order to avoid sweeping attempts to ban all forms of proselytism.

If you have experience in this issue, please share!

This film certainly looks to be worth a look, according to Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun movie critic

Constantine’s Sword

(First Run Features) A documentary by Oren Jacoby. Featuring James Carroll. Unrated. Time 93 minutes.

CONSTANTINE’S SWORD, by Oscar-nominated documentarian Oren Jacoby, is an astonishing exploration of the dark side of Christianity, following acclaimed author and former priest James Carroll on a journey of remembrance and reckoning. [More]

Constantine’s Sword, according to the credits, is “based on” the book by James Carroll calling for enlightenment and clarity on the history of Christians’ relationships with Jews. But it’s more like an eloquent sidebar to the book, focusing on Carroll himself.

This ex-priest and son of a Cold War Christian soldier was drawn to the Catholic Church for Jesus’ messages of peace. But he has spent his adult lifetime noting the disconnect of those teachings to Christian oppression of the Jews and other Semites (including Arabs during the Crusades) and the hijacking of Christianity to bless sometimes-questionable Western wars.

. . .

The danger of putting state power behind an evangelical force is what concerns Weinstein, and Carroll, too. The author contends that the Roman Emperor Constantine roused the dark side of Christianity when he made it his state religion and changed its dominant symbol from a bread loaf or a fish to the cross – a shape that could be replicated with spears.

Read the full review at http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/today/bal-to.constantine20jun20,0,3790033.story

Official Website: http://constantinessword.com/

He is the uncle of a 15-month-old girl who similarly passed away.  Her parents, Carl and Raylene Worthington, members of the Followers of Christ Church, have been indicted on criminal mistreatment and manslaughter charges.

They are defending themselves on the basis that it was their religious right to follow their faith. 

In the early 1990s, Oregon lawmakers passed new laws that removed protections for faith-healing parents after several children from the Followers of Christ church died.

This is the latest in a string of stories that involve conflicts between religious beliefs of parents and the interest of the state in protecting children.  The Followers of Christ Church, I should mention, is not affiliated with a mainstream denomination.

ABC News has posted the a video on the story at http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5197489&page=1

The Wall Street Journal has published a good overview of the issue of the rights of faith healers versus the state interest in safety on its blog at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121322824482066211.html?mod=2_1566_leftbox

Thanks to Tom Carter of the Becket Fund for this link.

http://www.becketfund.org/index.php/article/782.html?PHPSESSID=15cea7e75e56f135e1c2a46ab0abd2f7

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

A Christian, a Muslim, a Hindu, a Jew, and an Atheist all do a stand-up comedy show together called the Coexist Comedy Tour. DISCLAIMER: This video clip is posted for humor and does describe stereotypes about religion.

Their website describes their act as follows:

Can an atheist, a Hindu, a Christian, a Muslim and a Buddhist go on the road together, share a stage and be an example of how to get along? Probably not, but our failures should be good for some laughs.

(Note: This video also contains a political endorsement at the end. The purpose of this post is not to make a political endorsement and this endorsement is incidental to the larger theme of the video.)

On March 26, 2007, Brian Brown, Executive director of the Family Institute of Connecticut, testified before the judiciary committee of the state legislature in regard to raised House Bill 7395: An Act Concerning Marriage Equality.

In this video, Brown argues that even if churches are not required to perform the ceremonies, legalizing same-sex marriage might lead to the erosion tax exempt status for churches and institutions that fail to recognize gay marriage because it will be viewed as discrimination.

Brown’s arguments could easily translate to California where the State Supreme Court recently overturned a ballot initiative that outlawed gay marriage and where a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage is on target for November.

So what do you think?  Is Brown’s argument realistic or does it simply play on existing fears?

Video by AirMaria.com

Darwin’s Kool-Aid (Canadian Free Press)

By Matt Barber Tuesday, April 8, 2008

There’s a shakeup in the cult of neo-Darwinist pseudo-science, and that endearing, monotone high school teacher of “Ferris Bueller” fame is doing the shaking.
With his new feature documentary, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” (opening in theaters April 18), Ben Stein — actor, economist, presidential speechwriter and all around really smart guy — squares off with some of the world’s most prominent anti-theist elites as he gets to the heart of the question, “Who are we, and how did we get here?”

This is not your father’s documentary. “Expelled” rocks the house both literally and figuratively. It’s gripping, music-packed, comically wry and always entertaining. But its entertainment value is yet surpassed by its educational merit. Throughout the film, Stein boldly shines a light of honest inquiry, revealing time and again that Evolution’s Emperor has no clothes. In his trademark deadpan fashion, Stein skillfully debunks the dogmatic neo-Darwinist programming we’ve all had relentlessly rammed down our throats ever since “Big Science” went bananas over that cute little Scopes Monkey.

Read more at CFP – http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/2562

“Expelled” Trailer: