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American Supports Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill

By Michael Wilkerson

…people with homosexual lifestyles,” he preached. Still, as he does in the United States, he insisted that homosexuality harms society: “We are trying to restrain an agenda that is going to hurt the nation and hurt families.” In addition to homosexuality, Engle preached against abortion and child sacrifice and repeatedly praised Uganda for its piety. “I think that Uganda is beyond the U.S. in their stand for righteousness,” Engle commented to repo…

From Here to Eternity: Of Mormons and Celestial Marriage

By Holly Welker

…Utah’s marriage rate is 10.6 per 1,000 populations, well above that of the United States, which stands at 8.7 *Median age at first marriage in Utah—Groom: 23 Bride: 21 *Median age at first marriage in United States—Groom: 26.8 Bride: 25.1 Marriages contracted so early face significant challenges, so it is good that the Mormon church does not forbid divorce, although the fact that Mormon couples often begin having children soon after marriage (and…

Shari’ah (Panic) Threatens the Constitution

By Sarah Posner

…f we accept the insinuation and ultimately the adoption of shari’ah in the United States.” That’s right, Frank Gaffney, speaking on the grounds of the United States Capitol with his band of fear-stoking propagandists. Gaffney is right. The Constitution is under attack. The panic that the Constitution is so weak that it would collapse under the weight of a few contracts providing for alternative dispute resolution, or wither from upholding the Free…

Can Islam Save The Economy?

By Nathan Schneider

…mic arm, this may be changing. He claims that more than half of his bank’s customers in the Asian market are non-Muslim Chinese. “They haven’t come to us for Islamic reasons,” he insists, “but because it is a sound financial product. They’ve taken it on for those reasons and those reasons only.” In the process of becoming competitive, though, Islamic banks may have lost some of the values they claim to be founded on. The theorists’ original hopes…

It’s Not Just About Ground Zero

By Mark S. Byrnes

…cans to delude themselves into thinking otherwise.” (By this standard, the United States should have established gulags for political dissidents during the cold war.) Fischer makes it clear that what he really wants is for Muslims to renounce Islam: “If a mosque was willing to publicly renounce the Koran and its 109 verses that call for the death of infidels, renounce Allah and his messenger Mohammed, publicly condemn [terrorism and terrorist grou…

Why ‘Do You Believe in God?’ Is at the Heart of Our Religious Problem

By Michael Jerryson

…question about whether or not we believe in God. Throughout my life in the United States, the first question I’m asked about religion is: “Do you believe in God?” I use the word god in the singular, as this is the default manner in which I’m asked the question. My answer often confuses people: “You are skipping an important question before asking this. I do not care if there are gods or not.” Whether unconsciously or not, we use the term “religion…

Arizona is the Hispanic Alabama

By Anthea Butler

…ve immigration reform.” The NSM now has several active chapters across the United States—including Arizona. When the movement first formed back in the 1980s the situation was different. The political landscape and religious fault lines have changed, but most notable is the unlikely coalition-building taking place both for immigration reform and against it. While some assume that most conservative Christians support tougher immigration laws, figure…

Romania’s “Witch Tax”: Magic Meets Bureaucracy

By Joseph Laycock

…ve Romanians are Orthodox Christians. Unlike self-described witches in the United States and Western Europe, Romanian witches do not see their practice as a religious tradition distinct from Christianity. Instead their rituals appear to be syncretic, combining Christian and pre-Christian symbols. The sign of the cross is ubiquitous in witch rituals and some blessings require candles purchased from a church. However, the summer solstice is consider…

What the Latest ‘God’s Not Dead’ Gets Egregiously Wrong — and Right — About Homeschooling

By R.L. Stollar

…ple when the pastor of the homeschooling families goes on a rant about the United States’ allegedly Christian heritage. Another accurate point the film makes is that secular and other non-Christian homeschoolers are generally supportive of evangelicals’ libertarian approach to homeschool policy. In the movie, a diverse group of homeschoolers (parents of color, parents of disabled children, and even liberal parents!) show up in D.C. to support the…

Religious Freedom Manifesto Calls for Compromise and Civility—What’s So Wrong With That?

By Frederick Clarkson

…ons. These denominations, the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist Church, and United Church of Christ, have been leading members of the 38 member communions of the National Council of Churches. Mainline leaders recognize that Religious Freedom Institute leaders, Executive Director Kent Hill, Chairman Thomas F. Farr, and signatory neoconservative Catholic Robert P. George have all played leadership roles in the neoconserva…