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  • The Terrorist, the Herdsman, the Emir, and the Bishop0

    With the desert sands of the Sahara to their north, the duke and duchess of Gloucester watched as the parade of 3,000 turbaned cavalrymen cantered past in an ancient display of military strength. A brigade of 7,000 chain mail-clad warriors accompanied the riders, as did musketeers, lancers, and archers. A troupe of dancers, musicians, acrobats,

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  • Speaking as a Brother0

    It was, on the face of it, remarkable. Arguably one of the most influential leaders in the world, unarguably the most influential religious leader in the world, Pope Francis appeared in a short video as a humble suppliant, a simple brother speaking obsequiously, even apologetically, to Protestants in the United States. From his opening words,

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  • Constitutional Implications0

    Religion is a complicated and controversial part of American society.1 A majority of Americans state that religion is very important to them.2 At the same time, a majority of Americans believe that religion should have less of a role in the public square.3 The public square consists of people with varying religions and religious beliefs.

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  • A New Ambassador for International Religious Freedom0

    When the Obama administration announced in July that Rabbi David Nathan Saperstein had been nominated as the State Department’s religious freedom ambassador, American religious leaders hailed the selection, given the rabbi’s sterling résumé and past accomplishments. Among other highlights, Saperstein has served as director and counsel of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, a

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  • Beginning of the End0

    Back around the age of television programs like Laugh-In I remember watching a skit premised on how a weather report from Egypt at the time of the pharaohs and the Exodus might have sounded. The announcer hammed it up plenty as he announced darkness sweeping over the land from the north; then huge hailstones from

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  • A Freedom Priority0

    Freedom of religion is at the core of who we are as Americans. It's been at the center of our very identity since the Pilgrims fled religious persecution and landed in my home state of Massachusetts. And many settled in the city of Salem, which takes its name from the words “salam,” “shalom,” meaning peace. But

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