A Faithful Nation By Michael D. Peabody Liberty Magazine EXCERPT: Just because Christians believe something does not mean that the government needs to make a law to enforce that belief. To put it bluntly, in America it is legal to believe things that could compromise your own eternal salvation. The state will not stand…
Category: Politics
Principled Freedom: Religious Liberty Plays Musical Chairs
By Nicholas P. Miller – It is time to examine a position that provides a principled freedom, both religious and civil, the possibility of a public morality, and a common language with which to discuss and debate the issues. [dc]T[/dc]he recent presidential campaign has broken out into a disorienting game of religious liberty musical chairs; Catholic…
Death of Snake Handling Preacher Shines Light on Lethal Appalachian Tradition (CNN)
EXCERPT: When Mack Wolford, one of the most famous Pentecostal serpent handlers in Appalachia, is laid to rest Saturday at his West Virginia church, a week after succumbing to a snake bite, his friends may very well show up with boxes of copperheads, rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. That’s the Holiness Pentecostal way in tiny mountain towns…
2nd Circuit Rules Town Should Encourage Diverse Groups to Pray at Town Meetings
[dc]O[/dc]n May 17, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Galloway v. Town of Greece, 0-3635-cv) ruled that the town of Greece, New York violated the U.S. Constitution by opening meetings with prayers that favored Christianity over other religions. Linda Galloway and Linda Stephens filed suit in 2008 claiming that the town’s…
We Separate Church and State for a Reason – Romney’s Perspective on Religion and the Presidency
On December 6, 2007, candidate Mitt Romney gave this speech at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas in order to reach evangelicals who were concerned about how Romney’s Mormon religion might affect his presidency. Michael Luo of The New York Times gives some background on the speech. The transcript…
Editor’s Southern Hometown Repeals Blue Law Prohibiting Alcohol Sale on Sunday
EDITOR’S NOTE: [dc]I[/dc] live in this town of Calhoun, GA. For the two years that I have resided here, I have noticed several curious differences between this small southern town and the cities where I lived in California, Washington State, and the United Kingdom. One of which is the illegality of selling alcohol on Sunday. While…
Sikh Group Develops App to Report Airport Profiling (CNN)
EXCERPT: Airline travelers who feel they’ve been harassed at airport check-ins by screeners now have a speedier outlet on which to complain right at their fingertips. The Sikh Coalition, a civil rights advocacy group, on Monday released a mobile application on iPhones and Android phones giving passengers who feel they’ve been racially or religiously profiled…
Why Do Gingrich and Obama Agree on the Supreme Court?
Last week, after three days of tough argument before the Supreme Court, the President created a stir when he said that it would be “unprecedented” for the Supreme Court to overturn his national healthcare plan. Obama further questioned the legitimacy of “unelected” and “activist” judges. Conservatives went crazy! How could the President criticize the authority…
Timeline: Obama Administration Actions Affecting U.S. Religious Freedom | Christianity Today
Excerpt: “The past year has marked a shift in religious liberty debates, one that previously centered on hiring rights but became focused on health care requirements. When President Obama first took office, faith-based groups were especially concerned that organizations that discriminate in hiring based on religious beliefs would become ineligible for federal funding. In 2011,…
Dangerous Redefinition: Candidates Recast Role of Religion in American Life
By Jason Hines – I would like to say that Franklin Graham’s appearance on “Morning Joe” was unique in this political season. On Tuesday, Graham was asked whether he thought President Obama was a Christian. Graham said he has to take President Obama at his word, but that he did not know whether Obama was…