Public School Graduation at Church — Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld prayers before town meetings, it is ready to decide whether to take up another establishment of religion case, this one involving a public school graduation ceremony held at a church.
Supreme Court Upholds Prayers at Gov’t Meetings
Supreme Court Upholds Prayers at Gov’t Meetings — The Supreme Court has narrowly upheld the centuries-old tradition of offering prayers to open government meetings, even if the prayers are overwhelmingly Christian and citizens are encouraged to participate.
The Sign of Jonah: Daniel Siedell
The Sign of Jonah — Daniel Siedell, art historian and curator at University of Nebraska–Omaha, turns to the Book of Jonah for insight about the Christian’s engagement with culture, actively finding a place in the world not to conform but to be salt and light. Siedell is the author of God in the Gallery: A […]
Blame (Radiolab program)
Blame — This edition of Radiolab uses emerging and unsettling research in neuroscience to explore themes of blame, culpability, guilt, sin, regret, and forgiveness without explicit reference to religion but in compelling and varied ways. The 50 min. program can be used in part or entirely in courses dealing with law, policy, religion and society, […]
Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Search Engines and Appeals Courts
Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Search Engines and Appeals Courts — The true state of CPC search ads for crisis pregnancy centers is hard to measure. What isn’t is the recent number of court cases favoring how crisis pregnancy centers present themselves.
Switzerland: The Ethical Shift from Human Dignity to the Dignity of Vegetation
Switzerland: The Ethical Shift from Human Dignity to the Dignity of Vegetation — Switzerland’s constitution requires that “account must be taken of the dignity of living beings when handling animals, plants and other living organisms.” No one knew for sure what that meant with regard to vegetation, so the government appointed the Swiss Federal Ethics […]
Death Before the Fall
Death Before the Fall — A review by Tim Stafford of Ron Osborne’s book, Death Before the Fall: Biblical Literalism and the Problem of Animal Suffering. Osborne’s book examines literalistic readings of the texts as not actually true to Scripture, creating as many theological and interpretation problems as they claim to solve. What they impose […]
Clemson Coach and Religious Coercion
Clemson Coach and Religious Coercion — In a letter to Clemson University, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a complaint about “the football program’s connection to the coach’s Christian religion.” According to the foundation, Coach Dabo Swinney has “promoted a culture in the program that promotes Christianity and violates constitutional guidelines against publicly funded […]
Are Christian Colleges Worth the Heavy Cost?
Are Christian Colleges Worth the Heavy Cost? — Christian colleges and universities feel the pressure to prove that the education they offer is worth the staggering debt incurred by students. The article profiles several small Christian campuses and their financial status.
Jarislov Pelikan — The Need for Creeds
Jarislov Pelikan: The Need for Creeds — The idea of reciting an unchanging creed sounds suspicious to modern ears. But church historian Jaroslav Pelikan (1923-2006, translator of Luther’s Works and author of The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, 5 vols.) illuminated ancient tradition in order to enliven faith in the present and […]
