A Christian and a Soldier — A brief essay to introduce the discussion on the Christian and military service. See also Luther’s essay, “Can Soldiers, Too, be Saved?”
Items included on this page come from a variety of sources. The perspectives conveyed may or may not express a Lutheran ethos. They can serve our instruction as discussion-starters, examples (positive and negative), and illustrations of intersections between God’s two kingdoms, intersections sometimes characterized by tension, sometimes by congruence. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Justice Bosson and the Prostitution of Religious Belief
Justice Bosson and the Prostitution of Religious Belief — Can merchants with religious convictions be required to conduct business transactions that the merchant believes are contrary to his or her faith? This article-plus-reader-comments can help students explore the extent of the left-hand kingdom’s concern for justice and the extent and ways in which the Christian […]
Churches, Preaching, and the Obamacare Coverage Gap
Churches, Preaching, and the Obamacare Coverage Gap — An article with broad coverage of issues on the church’s words and deeds on whether and to what extent the church, the government, or both should address the needs of “the least of these” (Mt. 25) in society. The Obamacare ‘Scandal’ You Haven’t Heard About may serve […]
Churches Attract New Members with Beer
Churches Attract New Members with Beer — With mainline religious congregations dwindling across America, a scattering of churches is trying to attract new members by creating a different sort of Christian community. They are gathering around craft beer.
Preaching Politics From the Pulpit
Preaching Politics From the Pulpit — A growing number of religious leaders are taking aim at the rule banning political speech in churches in a growing movement to challenge a 1954 Internal Revenue Service regulation prohibiting clergy from participating in the political process—risking their churches losing tax-exempt status.
The Religious Alternative to Obamacare
The Religious Alternative to Obamacare — For people who fall into a few select categories, the Affordable Care Act mandate doesn’t apply. Members of “health care sharing ministries,” is a way for individuals with a “common set of ethical or religious beliefs” to share medical bills.
Abortion Viewed in Moral Terms in America
Abortion Viewed in Moral Terms — Regardless of their views about the legality of abortion, most Americans think having an abortion is a moral issue. By contrast, the public is much less likely to see other issues involving human embryos – such as stem cell research or in vitro fertilization – as a matter of […]
Schools of Thought: Homeschooling and Asylum
Schools of thought: Homeschooling — A German homeschooling family’s fight for asylum in the United States will say a lot about the U.S. government’s official attitude toward the home school movement. Christian parents who want to homeschool their children in a country that requires children to attend state-approved schools find that homeschools don’t qualify.
Applying God’s Law: Religious Courts and Mediation in the U.S. — an analysis
Applying God’s Law: Religious Courts and Mediation in the U.S. — This report by the Pew Research Center focuses on religious courts and mediation, examining how some of the country’s major Christian denominations and other religious groups – 15 groups in total – routinely decide internal matters and apply their religious laws.
Sherry Turkle: Connected but Alone — a TED Talk
Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone? A TED Talk–As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication — and asks us to think deeply about the new kinds of connection we want to have. 18 minutes on […]
