“Lives Are at Stake”
- May/June 2024
- May 1, 2024
Can religious exemptions be saved from culture-war politics? Illustrations by Jon Krause Religious freedom is important. Not everyone is religious, of course. But for religious people, religious commitments often rank as the most important commitments they have—as commitments that, in a way, define them. Religious people therefore see religious freedom as a natural
READ MOREToday there is a national political leader who is deliberately and strategically draping his political aspirations in religious imagery in ways that are, frankly, sacrilegious. He has implied that his quest for power has the stamp of divine approval. His language, at times, is messianic. As national elections approach, he’s exploiting emotionally powerful tropes about
READ MOREThis year marks the 35-year anniversary of one of the greatest movements for freedom in modern history. In the spring of 1989, millions of students and ordinary citizens flooded the streets of cities around China demanding government reform and individual freedom. For weeks they marched in protest against 30 years of an oppressive, tyrannical government.
READ MOREThe Church State Council has more than a milestone anniversary to celebrate this year. It’s also celebrating a legal sea change for people of faith in America’s workplaces and its role in making that happen. (Photo: Students from Pacific Union College join staff from the Church State Council at the California State Capitol for one
READ MOREIowa has become the latest state to wade into the controversy surrounding state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs). Governor Kim Reynolds signed the Iowa RFRA into law on April 3, saying it would uphold “ideals that are the very foundation of our country.” Twenty-seven U.S. states have passed similar laws, all of which are modeled
READ MORETwo young men convicted of blasphemy. An intrepid band of lawyers prepared to step into danger. International human rights lawyer Kola Alapinni shares a firsthand account of the struggle to appeal a death sentence imposed under the Sharia penal code laws of northern Nigeria. It all began in the pandemic year. The looming threat of
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