Catholic Priest: Abandon Crucifix
Sunday August 31, 2003
The cross is the one of the most famous symbols in the world, representing the death of Jesus Christ. For Roman Catholics, the crucifix is what symbolized their faith. Father ... Read More
Battle of Montgomery: Where Should Christians Stand?
Sunday August 31, 2003
Roy Moore's Ten Commandments monument forces a difficult choice on Christians: should they support the rule of law and let the monument be taken away, or should they oppose an ... Read More
Help Smite the Constitution
Sunday August 31, 2003
Supporters of Roy Moore and his massive Ten Commandments monument probably don't realize how ridiculous they sometimes sound when they make their calls for a Christian America. Satire can do ... Read More
This Date in History: Jim Bakker
Sunday August 31, 2003
August 31, 1989: During his trial for fraud and conspiracy, Jim Bakker suffered a breakdown in his attorney's office.
More:
Religious Right
Republicans Battling Republicans Over Ten Commandments
Sunday August 31, 2003
Social and political conservatives are generally supportive of Judge Roy Moore's efforts to use the power and authority of government to promote the Ten Commandments. Others, however, are less happy ... Read More
Rastafarians Allowed to Visit British Virgin Islands
Saturday August 30, 2003
A 23-year-old "Rasta Law" in the British Virgin island forced immigration authorities to prevent Rastafarians and "hippies," most commonly identified by their dreadlocks, from entering the territory. Finally, that law ... Read More
Woman Tortured, Murdered Over Blasphemy
Saturday August 30, 2003
Blasphemy is a crime punishable by death under Islam. Some Muslims, though, don't actually wait for a conviction under such a crime before they decide to make sure that "justice" ... Read More
Polygamist Clan Sued
Saturday August 30, 2003
There are thousands, probably tens of thousands, of polygamists in the United States who live secret lives because they don't want to be subject to arrest and prosecution. One of ... Read More
Who's Behind the Ten Commandments?
Saturday August 30, 2003
Not all Christians want their government to promote the Ten Commandments, not even all evangelical Christians. So who are, then, the Christians who are most vociferous, most adamant, and most ... Read More
Evangelicals Split On Legitimacy of American Government
Saturday August 30, 2003
The controversy over the Ten Commandments is causing evangelical Christians to split over whether the American government is a legitimate sovereign power which should be obeyed or whether it is ... Read More
This Date in History: Charles Darwin
Saturday August 30, 2003
August 30, 1831: Charles Darwin was asked to travel on the HMS Beagle.
More:
Recent Books on Evolution
What is Evolution?
Paul Hill's World of Extremism
Saturday August 30, 2003
Convicted of murdering an abortion doctor and his guard in 1994, Paul Hill's theology and worldview have always been extreme, painted in stark colors of black and white with no ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses Change Tactics
Saturday August 30, 2003
The sight of Jehovah's Witnesses going door to door has long been a familiar part of community life in America. That, however, is beginning to change - both the increase ... Read More
Panther Statue Promoting Paganism?
Saturday August 30, 2003
Evangelical Christians may think that it is OK for the government to promote their religion via the Ten Commandments, but it's obviously not OK for the government to promote any ... Read More
What Good Are The Ten Commandments?
Friday August 29, 2003
Many of those who insist that the government is justified in publicly posting, supporting, and endorsing the Ten Commandments argue that in doing so, the government will also be supporting ... Read More
Jewish-Christian Ties Strained by "Passion"
Friday August 29, 2003
The difficulties between evangelical Christians and Jews arising over Mel Gibson's film The Passion is receiving more media attention. Evangelical Christians, but especially Christian Zionists, have been big supporters of ... Read More
Campaign of Hypocrisy in Alabama
Friday August 29, 2003
With all of the efforts being put into defending the government endorsement of the Ten Commandments in Alabama, one might reasonably assume that these ten rules are very important in ... Read More
Bob Schieffer on Atheists in Foxholes
Friday August 29, 2003
There is a very old prejudice that there are "no atheists in foxholes," a statement that is supposed to express the idea that atheists aren't really sincere. After all, as ... Read More
Boulder Schools Reverse on Pledge
Friday August 29, 2003
Schools in the Boulder Valley School District will no longer be required to force students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance - although they may choose to do so if ... Read More
Alternate Universe: Monument to Cthulhu
Friday August 29, 2003
Fundamentalists and other conservative Christians have gone to a great deal of effort to defend the idea that the government should promote and endorse their religious beliefs. What would happen, ... Read More
Anglican-Catholic Ties Strained by Gay Bishop
Friday August 29, 2003
When the Episcopal Church elected an openly gay man to the office of bishop, it didn't just cause deep strains within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. It has ... Read More
Ten Commandments as a Republican Wedge Issue
Friday August 29, 2003
Is it possible that the flap over the Ten Commandments in Alabama could help the Republican Party? Some thing so - it may be that the Republicans will be able ... Read More
This Date in History: Sayyid Qutb
Friday August 29, 2003
August 29, 1966: Sayyid Qutb was executed by hanging. Qutb is the Islamic philosopher who could be regarded as the ideological grandfather of Osama bin Laden and all of the ... Read More
Iranian Government Rejects Death Findings
Friday August 29, 2003
A judicial inquiry into the suspicious death of Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi has been categorically rejected by the Iranian government. According to the judge, two officials from the intelligence ministry ... Read More
Egotism and Faith
Friday August 29, 2003
A great many Christians are firmly and absolutely convinced that they are right - not simply right when it comes to being Christian, but right when it comes to how ... Read More
Roy Moore vs. Martin Luther King
Friday August 29, 2003
In his defiance of higher court rulings, Judge Roy Moore has compared himself and his cause to Martin Luther King and the efforts of other civil rights protestors, rejecting the ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses Can Go Door-To-Door in Canada
Thursday August 28, 2003
Evangelists traveling from house to house have been an annoyance to many people in society; is that, however, a reason to ban such activities? Should Jehovah's Witnesses be prevented from ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses' Books Burned
Thursday August 28, 2003
Over the past few years the Georgian government has been criticized by many for its weak protection of religious freedom and its refusal to stand up to religious bigotry. That ... Read More
The Problem with Derrida
Thursday August 28, 2003
Have you ever tried to read any philosophy by Derrida? No? Then you are probably fortunate - if you tried, you'd still be at it, trying to make sense out ... Read More
Mars to Blame for Mumbai Blasts
Thursday August 28, 2003
Most people probably imagine that Islamic militants caused the Mumbai bomb blasts that killed 52 people - but at least some astrologers are sure that is wrong. According to them, ... Read More
Jesus Ejected from Town Council Prayers
Thursday August 28, 2003
Council meetings in Great Falls, South Carolina, will have to be ecumenical and non-denominational, according to a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Cameron McGowan. From now on, it will ... Read More
Unholy Outrage Over Alabama's Tax Plans
Thursday August 28, 2003
Christians are sharply divided over a plan in Alabama to eliminate income taxes for the poorest state residents and increase taxes on the wealthiest. Many, including the governor, regard it ... Read More
This Date in History: Saint Augustine
Thursday August 28, 2003
August 28, 430: Augustine of Hippo died.
More:
Roman Catholicism
Popes
Renovating the Baltimore Basilica
Thursday August 28, 2003
Should government money be used to help fund the renovation of churches? Normally you would think not - it would seem as though spending public money on religious buildings would ... Read More
Evangelical Christians Taking On Fashion
Thursday August 28, 2003
Lest anyone be concerned that evangelical Christians in America are overly worried about matters like homosexuality, rest assured that they also have their eyes firmly set on things that really ... Read More
Navy Retains Mandatory Lunch Prayer
Thursday August 28, 2003
Religion will continue to play a prominent role at the Naval Academy, according to a Navy spokesman. Although courts have struck down even optional prayers before meals at other military ... Read More
Paul Hill's World of Extremism
Thursday August 28, 2003
Convicted of murdering an abortion doctor and his guard in 1994, Paul Hill's theology and worldview have always been extreme, painted in stark colors of black and white with no ... Read More
Canada Looks At Blood Transfusions
Wednesday August 27, 2003
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it would be a sin for them to receive blood transfusions - but at what age should children be allowed to make that decision for themselves? ... Read More
What is Science?
Wednesday August 27, 2003
Scientific Theories: Science is effectively defined by the method which actual scientists use in order to make discoveries and generally produce knowledge about the universe around us. It is this ... Read More
Evangelicals Taking Over Church of England
Wednesday August 27, 2003
Conservative, evangelical members of the Church of England may be uncomfortable with the direction that their church is taking, but evidence suggests that they may not need to break away. ... Read More
Christian Churches Should Stop Using Cross
Wednesday August 27, 2003
The cross is a very visible and very important symbol of Christianity. In fact, it's probably one of the most well-known symbols around the world. But maybe it's time for ... Read More
Vicar Compares Homosexuality with Pedophilia
Wednesday August 27, 2003
Because homosexuality is viewed in many Christian circles as something which violates sexual purity and/or morality, it is quite common to see it lumped together with other sexual transgressions. This ... Read More
This Date in History: Salvation Army Discrimination
Wednesday August 27, 2003
August 27, 1987: Jamie Dodge of Mississippi was fired from her job at the Salvation Army because she was Pagan. She later filed suit against the Salvation Army for religious ... Read More
NEWS: Ten Commandments Monument Moved
Wednesday August 27, 2003
According to Alabama state officials, Roy Moore's Ten Commandments monument has been moved to a new location in the Alabama Judicial Building. For now it will remain out of public ... Read More
False Memories at Seances
Wednesday August 27, 2003
Those who attend seances sometimes report all sorts of strange things happening; this, in turn, can be used as evidence to validate belief in the paranormal and an afterlife. New ... Read More
Religious Right Reinvigorated by Ten Commandments
Wednesday August 27, 2003
The Ten Commandments have become a rallying cry for people on the Religious Right - it is perceived as a sure-to-win issue in large part because so many religious people ... Read More
Atheist Sues Over School Uniforms
Tuesday August 26, 2003
Why is an atheist in Pennsylvania suing a school district over school uniforms? It's an equal protection argument: students from religious families can opt out of the uniforms if they ... Read More
Missouri Ten Commandments
Tuesday August 26, 2003
Although the debate over the status of a Ten Commandments monument in Alabama has taken much of the media's attention, there is another in Missouri that will create a legal ... Read More
Houston's Bible Battle
Tuesday August 26, 2003
A conflict that has been brewing in Houston for years may become a bit more open and rancorous in the near future. Since 1956 there has been a monument in ... Read More
Female Imams in China
Tuesday August 26, 2003
Can Islam have female Imams, female religious leaders? That doesn't seem possible, but it does occur in China. There recently one of the first female imams began to preach in ... Read More
What is Science?
Tuesday August 26, 2003
Hypothesis, Theories and Facts: The confusion over the use of the terms hypothesis and theory can be difficult to sort out. We have popular usage, popular impression of how scientists ... Read More
Wives Defend Polygamy
Tuesday August 26, 2003
When it comes to polygamy, women are usually portrayed as victims who are subject to a social system not of their choosing. But how often are the women asked what ... Read More
Congress Undermining the Constitution
Tuesday August 26, 2003
What happens when the courts issue an order that isn't very popular? For some in Congress, the answer seems to be to try and deny the courts the funds to ... Read More
Conservatives Uneasy With Roy Moore
Tuesday August 26, 2003
The popular image in the media is that Judge Roy Moore receives a great deal of support from the Religious Right and from religious conservatives. For the most part that ... Read More
This Date in History: Pope John Paul I
Tuesday August 26, 2003
August 26, 1978: John Paul I took office as pope. John Paul died under mysterious circumstances; this has given rise to many conspiracy theories as to what really occurred.
More: ... Read More
Islamic Extremists Burn Girls' School in Afghanistan
Tuesday August 26, 2003
Under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, girls were prohibited from receiving an education. After the Taliban was defeated and driven out of power, a number of schools for girls were ... Read More
Discovery [sic] Institute, R.I.P.
Tuesday August 26, 2003
Neither creationism nor Intelligent Design have any support from mainstream science in the United States - they are fringe groups pushing a theological rather than a scientific agenda. Curiously, a ... Read More
Mandala Huggers Arrested
Tuesday August 26, 2003
With the media broadcasting images of evangelical Christians being arrested over their attempts to make sure that the government continues expressing support and preference for their religious beliefs, we might ... Read More
Baby Dies Because of Religion
Monday August 25, 2003
When religion interferes with good sense and basic reasoning, it is often the weakest and most innocent who suffer most and most quickly - including children.
WISH TV reports on a ... Read More
Death Threats for Moore's Opponent
Monday August 25, 2003
Although there has been a great deal of media attention on the trials and travails of Roy Moore in his effort to retain a massive Ten Commandments monument in the ... Read More
Churches Lose Land Use Case
Monday August 25, 2003
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) was passed in 2000 to protect churches from discrimination in the buying or selling of land; in practice, churches use it ... Read More
What is Science?
Monday August 25, 2003
Scientific Laws: If science does not claim to arrive at absolute, definitive truth, then what are scientific laws? Doesn't the existence of a law imply the existence of a truth, ... Read More
Temple Found on Ayodhya Site?
Monday August 25, 2003
The Ayodhya site is a flashpoint for religious tensions in India. Hindu nationalists believe that a Muslim mosque was built upon a destroyed Hindu temple, so in 1992 they destroyed ... Read More
Autistic Boy Dies During Prayer Service
Monday August 25, 2003
Although Jesus is portrayed as healing apparent mental problems by casting out demons, most people today have dispensed with the notion that demons are responsible for any sort of mental ... Read More
Mormon Church Pressuring Salt Lake City
Monday August 25, 2003
Everyone who lives in Utah realizes that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints exercises a great deal of control over politics and society in that states. Sometimes, though, ... Read More
This Date in History: Johann Gottfried von Herder
Monday August 25, 2003
August 25, 1744: German philosopher Johann Gottfried von Herder was born in Modrungen, Germany (now in Poland). Herder was an important influence on the German literary movement known as Sturm ... Read More
Judge Roy Moore's Anti-Catholicism
Monday August 25, 2003
Recently a number of conservative Republicans complained that Democratic Senators had been using religious tests which effectively prohibited devout Catholics from being appointed as federal judges. It was suggested that ... Read More
Evangelizing to Muslims
Monday August 25, 2003
Is there some particular way that Christians should evangelize to Muslims? There are Christians who try all sorts of ways to convert Muslims to Christianity. For the most part, they ... Read More
Bush: Anti-Abortion Murderer Distorts Christianity
Monday August 25, 2003
Because Governor Jeb Bush is a Roman Catholic, most of the Christian extremists who support murder Paul Hill probably don't consider him a "real" Christian already - but if they ... Read More
Paul Hill Unrepentant
Monday August 25, 2003
On July 29, 1994, Paul Hill murdered two people: Dr. John Britton, a doctor who provided abortions, and his safety escort James Barrett. Is he remorseful? Does he regret his ... Read More
Chaplains' Lawsuit Expanded
Monday August 25, 2003
A federal judge has expanded the scope of a lawsuit that alleges the Navy discriminated against evangelical Christian chaplains and in favor of mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic chaplains. As ... Read More
Christians, Homophobia, and Love
Sunday August 24, 2003
Why are evangelical, conservative, and fundamentalist Christians so worried about homosexuality? Gays play almost no role whatsoever in the Bible, whether the Old or the New Testament. There are themes, ... Read More
How Do You Define Compassion?
Sunday August 24, 2003
What does compassion mean to you? It's basic definition is simply an awareness of the suffering of others and a wish to relieve that suffering - but that is a ... Read More
Headscarves OK in Germany
Sunday August 24, 2003
The debate over the appropriateness of Muslim women wearing headscarves in public and on the job has apparently been settled in Germany. The constitutional court here has ruled in favor ... Read More
Temple Mount Reopened to Non-Muslim Visitors
Sunday August 24, 2003
The on-again, off-again status of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is on again... sort of. Israeli police and the Waqf reached an informal agreement allowing non-Muslims to visit the Temple ... Read More
Devout Christian Led Move to Remove Monument
Sunday August 24, 2003
The conflict over the Ten Commandments monument in Alabama has often been portrayed as one pitting Christians against non-Christians, secularists, and/or atheists - but that isn't entirely accurate. Many devout ... Read More
Evolution & Religion
Sunday August 24, 2003
Does evolution contradict religion? There is so much debate in America over evolution and the nature of life that it is worth considering whether or not the theory of ... Read More
Treason as an Exercise in Deception
Sunday August 24, 2003
They say that everyone is good for something, even if it is to serve as a bad example. If that observation is true, then surely it applies to Ann "We ... Read More
Profile of Roy Moore: No Compromise
Sunday August 24, 2003
Roy Moore, Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, is playing a pivotal role in the modern culture war that has been slowing latching on to American culture. Moore is ... Read More
Am I My Brother's Keeper? Part 2
Sunday August 24, 2003
Christianity is supposed to be a religion of love - and it is certainly true that much of the teaching attributed to Jesus consists of very loving ideals. Unfortunately, you ... Read More
This Date in History: St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
Sunday August 24, 2003
August 24, 1572: St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Thousands of men, women and children died in Paris on the orders of Charles IX who was urged on by his mother, Catherine ... Read More
Pastor Seeks End to Evolution in Arkansas
Sunday August 24, 2003
Evolutionary theory just isn't very popular in many religious circles. It doesn't matter that it is the only scientific description of how life has developed. It doesn't matter that it ... Read More
Religious Tolerance Declining in Indonesia
Sunday August 24, 2003
Traditionally, Indonesia has been a nation of relative religious calm, peace, and tolerance. That was one of the goals of the country's original founders and for the most part they ... Read More
Repent! The End is Near!
Sunday August 24, 2003
Fundamentalist Christians are once again calling for the End of the World. This isn't news, really - various Christian groups have been predicting Armageddon every few years since the very ... Read More
Gay Leaders Not Welcome
Sunday August 24, 2003
Reactions by various evangelical churches to the election of a gay bishop in the Episcopal Church are predictably negative. Of course, you never hear about such reactions to the election ... Read More
Hospital Bans Atkins Diet
Saturday August 23, 2003
The Atkins diet has been hugely popular in recent years and many people swear that it is effective. Some scientific studies suggest that it may be helpful in losing weight ... Read More
Sanctioning Buddhism in a Police Department
Saturday August 23, 2003
Is it at all legitimate for a police department to sanction a religious retreat where officers can learn how to cope with stress? Usually, this question would be asked in ... Read More
Scientology Wanted Millions in Lawsuit
Saturday August 23, 2003
For the past six years, Tampa lawyer Ken Dandar has waged a battle to get a wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology in front of a jury. He ... Read More
What is Science?
Saturday August 23, 2003
Scientific Method: Science is effectively defined by the method which actual scientists use in order to make discoveries and generally produce knowledge about the universe around us. It is this ... Read More
Bush's Church/State Record Criticized
Saturday August 23, 2003
Every year, the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island celebrates America's religious liberties with a program about a letter that George Washington wrote to them: "To the Hebrew Congregation in ... Read More
Roy Moore: National Hero
Saturday August 23, 2003
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is regarded by many as a religious fanatic because of his insistence that as an elected public official, he has both the right and the ... Read More
This Date in History: Arnold Toynbee
Saturday August 23, 2003
August 23, 1852: Arnold Toynbee was born. Toynbee was a British historian whose writings and ideas have had considerable influence on modern attitudes towards not only history, but also religion ... Read More
State-Approved Prayers at Senior Center
Saturday August 23, 2003
At the government-funded Silver Foxes Den Senior Center in Colorado, there are official organized prayers before lunch every day. Some people like this tradition, but a number have gotten tired ... Read More
Understanding Islam
Saturday August 23, 2003
Recently Received: Oxford Dictionary of Islam, by John L. Esposito.
John L. Esposito is a frequent writer on Islam and the Islamic world; here he presents a new dictionary of Islamic ... Read More
Fox, Franken, and the First Amendment
Saturday August 23, 2003
The recent lawsuit of Fox News against Al Franken over his new book raises some very interesting First Amendment issues. Just how far can a person go when it comes ... Read More
God Bless Roy Moore?
Saturday August 23, 2003
There are many Christian Nationalists who believe that American law was founded upon and is defined by the Ten Commandments. Theirs is no mere argument about influence or connection - ... Read More
Religion Behind Jerusalem Bombing
Saturday August 23, 2003
In the recent bombing of a bus in Jerusalem, 20 people were murdered - including several children. Who was responsible for this act? Part of the responsibility lies with the ... Read More
Fiji: A Christian Nation?
Friday August 22, 2003
Evangelical Christians have long tried to argue that America is really a "Christian Nation" - they have even, at times, tried to have that idea enshrined in the Constitution. It ... Read More
Death Threats in Florida over Paul Hill
Friday August 22, 2003
On September 3, Paul Hill is scheduled to be executed in Florida for the murders of Dr. John B. Britton, 79, of Fernandina Beach, and retired Air Force Lt. Col. ... Read More
Canada's Largest Church Endorses Same-Sex Marriage
Friday August 22, 2003
Most media attention tend to focus upon Christian opposition to same-sex marriage, but a number of Christian organization actually approve of such a move. Recently, Canada's largest Protestant Church issues ... Read More
Florida Diocese Withholding Funds From Episcopal Church
Friday August 22, 2003
Evangelical opposition to the decision of the Episcopal Church to approve the election of an openly gay bishop is leading to serious divisions among the Episcopal dioceses in the United ... Read More
NEWSFLASH! Roy Moore Suspended
Friday August 22, 2003
Because of his refusal to remove a gigantic monument of the Ten Commandments that was placed in the Alabama state court house, the Judicial Inquiry Commission has suspended him pending ... Read More
Manatee County Drops Lord's Prayer
Friday August 22, 2003
When their practice of using the Lord's Prayer to open their meetings was first questioned, the members of the Manatee County school board couldn't understand what everyone was so upset ... Read More
Chief Mufti Joins Raids on Churches
Friday August 22, 2003
In Turkmenistan, once a region of the Soviet Union, only Sunni Muslims and the Orthodox Church have approval as official religions - this means that adherents of these faiths can ... Read More
Summer of Sodomy
Friday August 22, 2003
The more a person attacks something, the more they seem to become obsessed by it - especially if the target is sex. That certainly seems to be the case with ... Read More
What is Science?
Friday August 22, 2003
Defining Science: The definition of science poses some problems for people. Everyone seems to have an idea of what science is, but actually articulating it proves to be difficult. Doing ... Read More
Saudis Gearing Up for Jihad
Friday August 22, 2003
Afghanistan became a magnet for Islamists after the Soviet Union invaded, creating for them a place where they could fight the materialistic, imperial, godless West on the field of battle. ... Read More
This Date in History: Council of Blood
Friday August 22, 2003
August 22, 1567: The "Council of Blood" was established by the Duke of Alba. Thousands of Dutch Protestants were convicted of treason and many were had to flee the Netherlands ... Read More
Christians Keep Attacking Islam
Friday August 22, 2003
Christian assaults on Islamic beliefs continue across America, effectively preventing much progress in interfaith dialogue and understanding. Recently in Kansas a small church held a sermon on the "dangers" of ... Read More
Catholic Priest Censured Over Same-Sex Marriage
Friday August 22, 2003
Many critics have charged the Roman Catholic Church with hypocrisy in the way it has come down against civil marriages for homosexuals even though its priests must remain celibate and ... Read More
Saudi Cleric Denounces Radicalism
Friday August 22, 2003
As popular as radical Islam is, not even all clerics in Saudi Arabia support it - at least not the clerics who are under the control of the government. Grand ... Read More
Persecuting Witches in Australia
Thursday August 21, 2003
The United States isn't the only country where evangelical Christians are so enamored of their traditional domination of society that they are willing to lash out at minority faiths perceived ... Read More
Mel Gibson's Film Already Sparking Antisemitism
Thursday August 21, 2003
A number of individuals and organizations have expressed concern that Mel Gibson's upcoming film Passion, which relates the last hours of Jesus Christ, will ignite antisemitism just as Passion Plays ... Read More
La Crosse To Fight for Ten Commandments
Thursday August 21, 2003
The mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin wanted to obey a federal court order to move a Ten Commandments monument from public land to private land. Community leaders voted to give ... Read More
Alabama Judges Order Ten Commandments Monument Removed
Thursday August 21, 2003
In a move that has outraged Christian Nationalists across Alabama, the eight Associate Justices of the Alabama Supreme Court have given the order to the Ten Commandments monument to be ... Read More
Austrialian Schools Should Teach More Religion
Thursday August 21, 2003
Australia's Governor-General Michael Jeffery wants to see an increase in the teaching of religion in schools as part of an effort to increase the nation's ethics and values. According to ... Read More
Muslim Court Orders 15-year-old Flogged
Thursday August 21, 2003
Should a teen girl be punished for having sex with an adult? That appears to be the case under Islamic law - in the United Arab Emirates a supreme federal ... Read More
Transcendental Meditation: Too Expensive?
Thursday August 21, 2003
The lure of a quick buck is sometimes too powerful to resist - but giving in can have unintended consequences. That may be the lesson that the leaders of Transcendental ... Read More
Wisconsin Priests Argue for Optional Celibacy
Thursday August 21, 2003
For the first time in many years, a large group of priests has spoken out against the requirement of mandatory celibacy for clergy in the Roman Catholic Church. Celibacy has ... Read More
Understanding the Ten Commandments
Thursday August 21, 2003
Catholics, Protestants and Jews: Contrary to what some might claim, there is no "standard version" of the Ten Commandments. Catholics, Protestants and Jews all have different versions - different wordings, ... Read More
Serial Killer a National Hero in Iran
Thursday August 21, 2003
In most places, a person who admits to happily being a serial killer of prostitutes would be reviled - but in Iran, such a person becomes a national hero. Granted, ... Read More
Salvation Army Apologizes for Abuse
Thursday August 21, 2003
Accusations of abuse are all too often focused upon the Catholic Church - but the Salvation Army also has a dark past that it probably wishes it could have kept ... Read More
America: Founded on a Covenant with God
Thursday August 21, 2003
Some people may be under the impression that America was founded for the purpose of freedom and liberty, but perhaps they are mistaken. Quite a few Christians sincerely believe that ... Read More
This Date in History: Suicide Bombing
Thursday August 21, 2003
August 21, 1995: A suicide bomber killed himself and five others when he set off an explosion that affected two Israeli commuter buses.
More:
Palestine and Israel
Recent Books on Palestine ... Read More
Kenyans Advised to Ignore Desmond Tutu
Thursday August 21, 2003
Kenyan Christian leaders don't like the fact that Desmond Tutu isn't bothered by homosexuality or gay priests, so they have asked Kenyans to just ignore his comments. The former bishop ... Read More
Shunning Theology?
Thursday August 21, 2003
Should governments fund theological and ministerial training or would avoiding that place impermissible burdens upon religion? That's a question which the Supreme Court will had to address soon in a ... Read More
Christianity: Not About Tolerance
Thursday August 21, 2003
Tolerance is an important principle in modern, multicultural societies. But is Christianity a religion that is prepared to be tolerant? Some argue that it isn't - and I'm not talking ... Read More
Clerical Greed and Corruption in Iran
Thursday August 21, 2003
Scenes and reports of protesting students in Iran have gripped the imagination of many in the West - but it is important to note that they are not simply protesting ... Read More
Religious War Over Bail Bracelet
Thursday August 21, 2003
Are electronic monitoring bracelets a violation of some people's religious liberty? That's what an Orthodox Jewish man is arguing. According to him, such devices connect remotely to telephone lines and ... Read More
Support for Vouchers Drops
Thursday August 21, 2003
An important cause for many on the Religious Right has long been the creation of school voucher programs. This would allow parents to use tax dollars to pay for schooling ... Read More
Understanding the Ten Commandments
Wednesday August 20, 2003
Original Verses: The "original" Ten Commandments were supposedly given to Moses twice, with the second time occurring after he had smashed the original tablets. For some reason, the two versions ... Read More
Hank Hanegraaff & Financial Irregularities
Wednesday August 20, 2003
Hank Hanegraaff's Christian Research Institute is heavily involved in monitoring other Christian groups for biblical irregularities - but who is watching them for financial irregularities? The Evangelical Council for Financial ... Read More
Black Supremacist Religion Given Green Light
Wednesday August 20, 2003
Members of "Five Percent," a militant offshoot of the Nation of Islam that teaches black supremacy, may start getting the freedom to practice and learn about their religion while in ... Read More
This Date in History: Good Friday Holidays
Wednesday August 20, 2003
August 20, 1999: Decided: Koenick v. Felton The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that there was no impermissible establishment of religion in creating a public holiday at the ... Read More
Colorado Pledge of Allegiance Law Blocked
Wednesday August 20, 2003
Should students and teachers be forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance Among the efforts to promote or even enforce patriotism are laws which require both students and teachers in ... Read More
Life in Prison for Blasphemy
Wednesday August 20, 2003
Once again, Pakistan is showing itself to be a paragon of Islamic moderation and values. Two Christians have been sentenced to life in prison for blasphemy. What did they do? ... Read More
Call For Prayer Warriors
Wednesday August 20, 2003
As reported here earlier, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide made Voodoo one of Haiti's officially recognized religions. This means that Voodoo priests can legally perform religious ceremonies like marriages and baptisms. Unfortunately, ... Read More
Swami Defends Uniform Civil Code
Tuesday August 19, 2003
India is considering the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code that would replace a multitude of religious laws which apply only to the adherents of particular religions. Many Muslims oppose ... Read More
Healing Water or Health Hazard?
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Dodgy treatments for difficult medical conditions have long been a staple of religious groups - when modern medicine fails to work or to work quickly enough, people turn to whatever ... Read More
Evolution & Religion
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Does evolution contradict creationism? Debates about evolution in America typically take the form of a contest or conflict between two competing ideas, evolutionary theory and creationism. Because of this, it ... Read More
Colson Continues to Push Deception
Tuesday August 19, 2003
As was reported here earlier, a recent report that was supposed to show the value and success of prison reform through intensive religious indoctrination was actually full of methodological holes. ... Read More
Atheism at a Catholic University
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Can an atheist teach at a religious university, even an explicitly Catholic university? Well, that's exactly what Dale McGowan is doing at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul ... Read More
Secularism in Salt Lake City
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Sometimes the issue isn't really the issue. There have been a number of recent and heated court battles involves the separation of church and state in Salt Lake City; but ... Read More
This Date in History: Blaise Pascal
Tuesday August 19, 2003
August 19, 1662: Blaise Pascal died. Pascal was a French mathematician and theologian who became well known for his work on hydrodynamics and probability.
More:
Biographies of Famous Philosophers
Pascal's Wager
Religious Mysticism in America
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Intellectual religiosity and mystical religiosity might share in the same religious tradition, but at the same time they can exist worlds apart and have little understanding for one another. This ... Read More
Strict Indonesian Islamic Society Is Unpopular
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Indonesia is one of the most populous Muslim countries in the world - but unlike many of their Arab brethren, Indonesians for the most part have no desire to establish ... Read More
Scientology Seeking Hubbard Papers
Tuesday August 19, 2003
While living in Wichita, Kansas, L. Ron Hubbard produced some of his earliest writing on Dianetics and Scientology. There were several books on the topic, a "Dianetics Foundation," and he ... Read More
Does God Exist?
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Recently Received: God?: A Debate between a Christian and an Atheist, by William Lane Craig & Walter Sinnott-Armstron.
The existence of God is a subject of frequent debate and discussion - but rarely do ... Read More
Understanding the Ten Commandments
Monday August 18, 2003
Judge Roy Moore: Roy Moore is a genuine celebrity for the Religious Right in America - his perpetual court cases over his various displays of the Ten Commandment have become ... Read More
Discovery Institute Caught in Quote-Mining
Monday August 18, 2003
One of the more frequent criticisms leveled against creationists involves a basic lack of honesty. All too often, they will take quotations from evolutionary biologists out of context and make ... Read More
Muslim Convert Butchered
Monday August 18, 2003
Islam does not permit believers to convert to another religion - in many ways, conversion is the greatest sin that any Muslim can commit. When such conversions are discovered, the ... Read More
Blind Priest Exorcises Demons - With Sex
Monday August 18, 2003
Evidently, demons really don't like sex - that must be the case because a priest in South Africa reportedly tried to exorcise demons from young girls by meeting with them ... Read More
This Date in History: Constantine the Great
Monday August 18, 2003
August 18, 330: St. Helena died. Mother of Constantine the Great, Helena was an early convert to Christianity and devoted much of her life to religious patronage.
More:
Christian History
Lord's Resistance Army Targeting Christian Leaders
Monday August 18, 2003
The Lord's Resistance Army is a brutal rebel group in Uganda that has been reported about here before. They have been known to do all sorts of heinous things, including ... Read More
Philosopher: Enemy of the State in Iran
Monday August 18, 2003
Abdolkarim Soroush is on of Iran's best-known intellectuals - and he is also considered an enemy of the state in Iran because of his ideas regarding the relationship between religion, ... Read More
No Equal Rights for Clones?
Monday August 18, 2003
Should human clones have the same legal and civil rights as other homo sapiens? That is a proposal being considered by the American Bar Association, but some people are working ... Read More
Religious Sect Admits to Nine Murders
Sunday August 17, 2003
Members of a religious group known as the Yeong Saeng, or "eternal life," have admitted to murdering and secretly burying nine other members all around South Korean between 1984 and ... Read More
Pastors' Pitiful Pay
Sunday August 17, 2003
If you are looking to get rich, becoming a pastor probably isn't a wise career choice. Many congregations are so poor that they can't even afford to hire a full-time ... Read More
Raising Mel: More on Antisemitism & Passion
Sunday August 17, 2003
Criticism of Mel Gibson's upcoming film The Passion just keeps rolling in - more and more people are recognizing that the charges of antisemitism are very likely true. Everything Gibson ... Read More
Priests Denounce Nonbelieving Colleague
Sunday August 17, 2003
The debate over the status of the Danish Lutheran priest who doubts or disbelieves in the existence of God isn't quite over yet. In June, Thorkild Grosboel, pastor of Taarbaek, ... Read More
Republicans To Outsource Fundraising
Sunday August 17, 2003
To save money, many American companies have been outsourcing their call centers - thus those who make calls or receive calls (like customer service) are actually located abroad rather than ... Read More
Flaws in Reasoning & Arguments
Sunday August 17, 2003
Subjective Validation: Subjective Validation is also sometimes called the "personal validation effect" because it refers to a process by which people accept some claim or phenomenon as valid based solely ... Read More
Battlefield Iraq: Islam vs. the West
Sunday August 17, 2003
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a pivotal event in the radicalization of Muslims across the Middle East. With this invasion, young, unemployed people seeking a cause and an identity ... Read More
Court Affirms: VMI Prayers are Unconstitutional
Sunday August 17, 2003
In January, 2002, a three-judge panel of the Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the tradition at the Virginia Military Academy of holding group prayers at supper were unconstitutional. A ... Read More
Bait & Switch: Censorware Privileges Conservative Sites
Sunday August 17, 2003
Software designed to block certain types of sites usually include in their "black list" sites that promote "hate speech," and that typically includes derogatory statements based on sexual orientation. At ... Read More
This Date in History: Monothelite Controversy
Sunday August 17, 2003
August 17, 682: Leo II was consecrated pope. Leo condemned Pope Honorius I for his position in the Monothelite controversy.
More:
Monothelites
Roman Catholicism
Popes
Davidson County Trusts God
Sunday August 17, 2003
The commissioners of Davidson County, North Carolina, have voted to continue the fight to retain the U.S. motto "In God We Trust" on the front of the county court building ... Read More
The Movie Scientology Doesn't Want You to See
Sunday August 17, 2003
Written and directed by Peter Alexander, a 20 year veteran of Scientology, The Profit about the rise to power of a cult leader and his eventual isolation and descent into ... Read More
Overdue Recognition for Humanist Veterans
Sunday August 17, 2003
Veterans are permitted to put an "emblem of belief" on their military tombstones - but for too long, those emblems recognized as legitimate were limited to traditional religions. Now, after ... Read More
Stealing the Internet
Sunday August 17, 2003
At one time the internet consisted primarily of sites started and run by individual people; today, however, larger corporations control much of the content available online and they are seeking ... Read More
Gillette Spying On Customers
Saturday August 16, 2003
So, how do you feel about a company spying on you? First they put radio tracking devices into their products, not unlike attaching a tracking collar to a wild animal. ... Read More
Religious Leaders Support Removal of Ten Commandments
Saturday August 16, 2003
When it comes to governmen