A 16-year-old Clackamas, Oregon boy, Neal Beagley, died Tuesday, June 17, following complications from an infected urethra. As he was older than 14 years of age, he could determine which medical treatment he received or did not receive, and he chose the path of faith healing. Physicians felt that a catheter would have saved his life had he…
Category: Civil Rights
OPINION: Gay Rights and Religious Liberty (Los Angeles Times)
The Los Angeles Times today published an article by Marc D. Stern of the American Jewish Congress describing the impact that gay marriage might have on religious organizations. A link follows these excerpts: In its controversial decision, the [California Supreme Court] insisted that these same-sex marriages would not “diminish any other person’s constitutional rights” or…
WANTED: Freedom Champions
Think about the words “land of the free home of the brave.” It takes integrity, sacrifice, awareness, and courage to maintain our freedoms. A nation where freedom reigns needs courageous men and women to speak out when they see injustice. Martin Niemöller is famous for his lament about not speaking out when individuals were unjustly…
VIDEO: John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. on Religious Liberty
It seems like issues of a Presidential candidate’s religion have always been an issue in elections going back to the 1960s. In this video clip, John F. Kennedy discusses how he believes church and state should relate to each other. It also features a brief clip of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech….
VIDEO: Could Gay Marriage Erode Non-Profit Tax-Exempt Status?
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…
Learning from the Past
THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTATIVE PEST CONTROL FOR YOUR HOME OR RENTAL PROPERTY So much goes into renting or owning a home in today’s society. Utilities, structural maintenance, appliance upkeep, landscaping.. the list goes on! An important aspect of maintaining and caring for a home is often dismissed or forgotten. And that is preventative pest control. Pest control…
Belarus: ‘We are reclaiming our history as a land of religious freedom’ (ChristianToday.com)
Read the full version, which includes a fascinating review of the history of religious liberty in Belarus, online at http://www.christiantoday.com/articledir/print.htm?id=19015 by By Antoni Bokun, Pastor of John the Baptist Pentecostal Church in Minsk Posted: Saturday, May 24, 2008, 10:54 (BST) Belarus has been renowned [for its] freedom of conscience for centuries. This is why religious…
Does Constitution apply to enemy combatant on U.S. soil? (AP)
In the War Against Terror, it may be difficult to determine who the enemy is. Does the Constitution apply to a U.S. resident held on U.S. soil? WASHINGTON (AP) — If his cell were at Guantanamo Bay, the prisoner would be just one of hundreds of suspected terrorists detained offshore, where the U.S. says the…
Barack Obama’s judicial nominees (Baltimore Sun)
James Oliphant of the Baltimore Sun blogged about Barack Obama’s judicial nominees. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/05/printer-obama_on_judges.html Here is some of what Obama has said on the topic: What you’re looking for is somebody who is going to apply the law where it’s clear. Now there’s gonna be those five percent of cases or one percent of cases where…
Polygamy: Where religious liberty ends (Salt Lake Tribune)
Trying to walk the line between religious freedom and societal concerns has never been easy. Some scholars say the line is drawn at polygamy. This article explores that option, but is the line even better drawn at child abuse? What about “legitimate” serial marriages and divorces? This issue may gain some traction in the next…