Some people believe that their religion obligates them to not only control themselves, but to control others as well. I believe that it is possible to make religious freedom as expansive as possible, and truly allow people to follow the dictates of their hearts as God (or whatever they believe in) leads them. Not only do I think that this is the solution that works best for our democracy, but I also happen to think that this is the solution that gets us closer to what God wants as well.
Tag: religious liberty
Black Friday and Blue Laws: Renewed Calls for Uniform Rest Days
In a world of religious diversity coupled with a common system of of commerce, the institution of a common day of rest and its enforcement would necessarily require coercive methods to prevent individuals from carrying out interpersonal business activities, and place greater pressure on observers of other days of rest to violate their conscience by working on their rest days.
Florida Amendment 8: A Trojan Horse That Could Regulate Churches’ Free Speech
Florida’s Amendment 8 is being promoted under a guise of “religious freedom,” but accepting state funds will subject religious institutions to increased regulation that would actually restrict free speech.
God is Not a Torturer: Debunking the Doctrine of Eternal Torment
From the perspective of Edwards and Spurgeon, the depths of hell are inversely proportionate to the heights of Heaven, as an all-powerful God gives eternal life to both the saved and the damned.
Adventist Pastor in Togo Imprisoned on Dubious Charges (ANN)
Antonio dos Anjos Monteiro is currently in a Togo prison on what Adventist legal and human rights experts say are unsupported charges. Sep. 27, 2012 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States Elizabeth Lechleitner/ANN [dc]S[/dc]eventh-day Adventist lawyers and human rights advocates are calling for the immediate release of an Adventist pastor imprisoned in Togo on what…
Selfish Freedom: The Overreach of the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act
By Jason Hines – [dc]A[/dc]n Illinois appellate court rendered an interesting decision last week.[1] The court upheld a lower court ruling that Illinois pharmacists do not have to sell “Plan B” pills to customers if they have religious objections to the use of the product. “Plan B” is the brand name of a drug that…
Kmiec: Is Paul Ryan Romney’s New Religion Problem? (Huffington Post)
Constitutional law scholar Douglas Kmiec shares his views on how the Paul Ryan pick will affect the Catholic vote in an article published today in the Huffington Post. Read the full article at the Huffington Post.
Two American Pastors Jailed in July
Last week two Christian pastors were jailed in the United States for violation of court orders involving two different types of property disputes.
American Values: The Individual Mandate vs. Social Darwinism
Many conservatives have eviscerated Obamacare, arguing that it would “raise premiums, unconstitutionally force people to buy health care, cause the deficit to skyrocket, slash Medicare spending to create a new entitlement, cause rationing, cause a significant number of doctors to leave the practice, and destroy the quality of American healthcare. Although I am a lifelong Republican, I must respectfully disagree with my conservative brethren on many of these points.
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…