This year, the candidates’ religious leaders and their own beliefs are getting a lot of attention. Here is a round-up of some of the videos that have made news in recent months.
Category: Current Events
VEEPSTAKES: Could Tim Pawlenty Bring 30 Million Evangelicals Back to the GOP?
Although McCain has won the GOP nomination, some evangelical leaders such as James Dobson have expressed that they will not vote for him because he is too “liberal.” Can Pawlenty, a dedicated evangelical Christian, bridge this gap?
VIDEO: R. Gustav Niebuhr: “The False Promises of Tolerance” (Chataqua Institution)
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.
BLOG: Democrats Begin Faith-filled Convention
For all practical purposes, it resembled an interfaith worship service. In a move designed to appeal to religious voters, the Democrats opened their convention in Denver last night with prayer, a gospel song, and a Torah recitation by a rabbi. A Catholic nun and Muslim women in headscarves also made appearances. (You may recall that Obama received some criticism when his staff asked two Muslim women wearing headscarves not to stand behind him at an appearance.)
The Hijacking of Religion
By Jonathan Gallagher, Ph.D. – “For a country to move from general tolerance to extreme intolerance in just a few short years speaks of the power of religion, and its ready exploitation by those seeking political authority and control. The fuel is human competition. For where there is enough food, land, water and other resources, the need to fight other communities is much reduced. But as the world becomes increasingly overpopulated, then such scenarios can only increase. Religion is so close to the heart of how any society defines itself that those seeking political power and worldly goals will readily use such a potent weapon. The exploitation of religious belief is not new—witness the jihads and crusades from history—but its greatly increased impact and extent will be the dominant factors for the foreseeable future.”
Why Communities Must Support Public Education
By Danielle Peabody – “If society expects to reap the benefits of educational improvements, society needs to be willing to step in and contribute its time, talent, and support to making education work. It is not something that schools alone can be expected to achieve – parents, neighbors, taxpayers, and future employers have the opportunity to take an active involvement at the local level through their volunteer efforts and supportive work. This is not so much an issue of money as it is a dedication to make sure that society will benefit from education and that education will benefit from society.”
Full Text of Decision: North Coast Women’s Care Medical Group v. Benitez – California Supreme Court (August 8, 2008)
Filed 8/18/08 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CALIFORNIA NORTH COAST WOMEN’S CARE ) MEDICAL GROUP, INC., et al., ) ) Petitioners, ) ) S142892 v. ) ) Ct.App. 4/1 D045438 SAN DIEGO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, ) ) San Diego County Respondent; ) Super. Ct. No. GIC770165 _____________________________________ ) ) GUADALUPE T. BENITEZ, ) ) Real…
ANALYSIS: California Supreme Court unanimously rules that physicians cannot withhold fertility treatments to homosexuals
Do the rights of religious freedom and free speech, as guaranteed in both the federal and the California Constitutions, exempt a medical clinic’s physicians from complying with the California Unruh Civil Rights Act’s prohibition against discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation? The California Supreme Court says “No.”
California Court Reverses Itself and Says Homeschooling Parents Do Not Need Credentials
This overturned the decision the judges made in February requiring homeschooling parents to possess credentials. In their decision, they stated, “It is important to recognize that it is not for us to consider, as a matter of policy, whether homeschooling should be permitted in California . That job is for the Legislature. It is not the duty of the courts to make the law; we endeavor to interpret it.”
America’s Would-be Saviors
This article originally appeared on the Northwest Religious Liberty Association at http://www.nrla.com/article.php?id=75 and is used here by permission of the author. By Gregory W. Hamilton© August 5, 2008 It is not just the Pope who is drawing hundreds of thousands, with throngs pressing all about to get a glimpse of him, and maybe even a…