During this hotly contested election year, some church pastors are deliberately promoting candidates, knowing that the Internal Revenue Service could remove their tax-exempt status as the result. In Minnesota, Pastor Gus Booth, of the Warroad Community Church, not only promoted a candidate, but wrote to the Internal Revenue Service, told them what he was doing,…
Category: Current Events
California Supreme Court to Decide A Case Where Medical Rights v. Workplace Religious Freedom
Soon after issuing its opinion that gay marriage cannot be prohibited under the Constitution, the California Supreme Court is about to issue a ruling in a case where a physician declined to provide fertilization services on a lesbian (unmarried) couple, but referred them to another clinic that did provide the service on the basis that…
Religious Freedom Problems Growing in Indonesia (UPI)
Although the Constitution of Indonesia provides for the freedom of religion and belief since 2000, these freedoms have been increasingly restricted. In an article published today, Dr. Philip Setunga, a staff member of the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong, reports on Indonesia’s issues at: http://upiasiaonline.com/Human_Rights/2008/06/10/religious_freedom_not_secure_in_indonesia/8244/
OPINION: Courtship of religion complicates McCain and Obama campaigns
In an opinion piece published June 9 by Robert Novak, Novak describes the difficulty McCain has had winning the votes of religious right icons such as James Dobson and John Hagee and Catholics. Hagee, of course, has alienated Catholics with his description of Catholicism as “Godless theology,” something that McCain couldn’t abide, and Hagee has…
Religion-politics mix proves perilous (Christian Century)
If anything defines this election season, it is religion and politics, but as the Christian Century astutely points out, this can a troublesome mix. Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith. Mike Huckabee and his “Christian leader” ads. John McCain and John Hagee. Hillary Clinton and her “prayer warriors.” Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright. The 2008…
Congressman Trent Franks: It is ‘Critical’ that nations reaffirm religious freedom (ANN)
Congressman Trent Franks (Arizona), who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Religious Freedom Taskforce, spoke at the North American Religious LIberty Association Annual Dinner on June 12, 2008. He called for the enforcement of international agreements on religious freedom. “”It’s critical that other nations join with us in reaffirming this foundational human right and stand…
Barack Obama to Launch “Joshua Generation Project” to Reach out to Evangelicals
By Michael D. Peabody – RELIGION SEEMS to have taken center stage this election cycle. Obama’s program, “Joshua Generation Project” is designed to reach young evangelical voters. It is quite inspiring, actually. In March, Obama spoke at a commemoration of the march to Selma, and linked the Biblical story of Joshua to the Civil Rights…
Thought & Crime (Liberty Magazine – March/April 2008) – An Update
Update on “Thought and Crime” published in the March/April 2008 issue of Liberty magazine. You may recall that Pastor Stephen Boissoin had gotten himself in hot water with the Alberta Human Rights Commission when he wrote a letter to the editor of the Red Deer Advocate that was critical of the “homosexual agenda.” The community…
Balancing Government Secrecy and Accountability – What Should the Next President Do?
In attempting to increase national security, has the Bush administration gone too far in sacrificing accountability for secrecy? What does this mean for the next president? The American Constitution Society (ACS) has recently published a new issue brief by Geoff Stone, entitled, On Secrecy and Transparency: Thoughts for Congress and a New Administration, in which…
America’s Democratic Collapse – A Speech by Chris Hedges
On May 28, Pulitzer Award winning journalist, Chris Hedges, gave a speech at Furman University in South Carolina. Although we do not necessarily agree with all of it, it does raise some interesting points for discussion. Here is the speech -click on the link to read the rest at Alternet.org: I used to live in…