Patriotism, Piety And The Perfect Storm
- November/December 2007
- November 1, 2007
". . . to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical.. . . "—Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom James Madison's famous tract opposing the appropriation of tax dollars for teachers of religion, known simply as the "Memorial and Remonstrance," criticized the idea
READ MOREAs we all learned—or should have learned—in school, the Constitution of the United States created a new, national government of limited, divided powers. Of course, the Constitution was and is not perfect. Still, it is worth remembering and celebrating the Founders' insight and creativity. Theirs was a bold, innovative experiment. Those who designed and ratified
READ MOREIn a lot of ways, Terrence McGarr is your average teenager transitioning into young adulthood. He loves music and sports and is working two jobs as he prepares to start college this fall. But growing up in a home where the religious belief forbids certain kinds of work between sunset on Friday to sunset on
READ MOREThe much-bandied about phrase "separation of church and state" means different things to different people. To those from the secular humanist persuasion, it means that the state can make no public acknowledgment of religion, have no religious displays, recognize no tax exemptions for churches, and goes so far as to regulate even religious expressions of
READ MOREThe 2008 presidential season is not only starting earlier than any in U.S. history; it is also setting a new record for the raising of issues that are largely, if not purely, theological. Recently on NBC's Meet the Press, former North Carolina senator John Edwards was asked, "Do you believe homosexuality is a sin?" On
READ MORETwelve not very impressive drawings in Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, brought more trouble religiously, politically, and financially than any other event in Denmark's modern history. Some of the pictures depicted Muhammad in a derisive manner. The reaction of zealous Muslims did not take place until three months after their publications. A ban based on a
READ MORE