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Religious Freedom Historian John Ragosta on “Religious Freedom”

By Frederick Clarkson

…as author of the Declaration of Independence, “Father of the University of Virginia,” and author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Why, among his many accomplishments did he so want to be remembered for this 18th century law that most Americans have never heard of? Jefferson saw these three things as the great accomplishments of his life: political freedom, religious freedom, and educational freedom and opportunity. Of the three, he t…

The Battle for the Meaning of Religious Freedom Day

By Frederick Clarkson

…itz. That’s why it’s important for everyone else to get the history of the Virginia Statute right. The nugget is this: Thomas Jefferson drafted the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1777—fresh from having authored the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He was on roll. But it took years and the later leadership of James Madison to shepherd it through the legislature in 1786. The following year Madison traveled to Philadelphia and served a…

Historian John Ragosta Discusses the Context and Inspiration for ‘Religious Freedom’ in the U.S.

By Frederick Clarkson

…as author of the Declaration of Independence, “Father of the University of Virginia,” and author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Why, among his many accomplishments did he so want to be remembered for this 18th century law that most Americans have never heard of? Jefferson saw these three things as the great accomplishments of his life: political freedom, religious freedom, and educational freedom and opportunity. Of the three, he t…

Glenn Beck’s Cheap Grace

By Karyn Carlo

…way from the hard work of repentance, who tickle our ears with promises of cheap grace, and offer a vision of the cross of Jesus that has nothing to say to the crosses, and lynching trees, of history. But, if we do, we will be settling for the gospel of Caesar, not the good news of Jesus Christ. Perhaps it is time to put down the chalk, stop drawing pyrotechnical conspiracy theories that play into our worst fears and listen, instead, for the diffi…

ACLU Defense of Religious Freedom Lost on Virginia Students

By Lauri Lebo

…ay and well wishes for sports games do not need approval. In response, the Virginia ACLU sent a letter to the district, defending the students’ right to display the Ten Commandments. Liberty Counsel, a Christian law firm that frequently defends government-sponsored religious displays, also sent a letter defending students’ rights to expression. “Schools have the authority to ban all displays on school property,” said ACLU of Virginia Executive Dir…

A Meditation on Shopping and Desire

By Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado

…We have an unprecedented access to cheap goods, yet we must recognize that cheap goods are cheaply made. I am not speaking of quality, I am speaking of cheap labor. We must recognize that through the act of shopping, whether it is for an article of clothing, a toy, a pint of strawberries, or even our morning cup of coffee, we participate in a global economy that values profit over people. Disposable goods are made by disposable people, faceless in…

Don’t Let Bigoted Campaigns Sour You to the Revolutionary Idea of Religious Freedom

By Frederick Clarkson

…—and we owe it to ourselves and to future generations to never forget. The Virginia Statute was drafted by Thomas Jefferson in the heat of the Revolution in 1777. Evangelical Baptists and Presbyterians, then-persecuted religious minorities in the Virginia colony, saw religious freedom as a reason to throw in with the Revolution and take up arms against the Empire. It may sound almost like a Star Wars tale. But it’s central to our history. It took…

Virginia Mollenkott: Warrior in the Battle for Evangelical Acceptance of Gays (1932-2020)

By Anne Linstatter

…thored or co-authored 13 books and hundreds of articles and book reviews. “Virginia Mollenkott was a courageous and generous soul,” said Pamela R. Lightsey, associate dean and professor at Boston University School of Theology. “Another fighter for justice has joined the ancestors. Amen.” Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? Another Christian View (HarperCollins, 1978, rev. 1994) was co-authored with Letha Dawson Scanzoni. Appearing just seven years afte…

Are Evangelical Films Destined to Leave Secular Audiences Behind?

By Daniel Silliman

…e success either. The opening weekend saw sales of more than $6 million in tickets. That’s the kind of number that will inspire others to try and figure out the formula for the faith-and-family blockbuster. Yet, with the cost of the film reportedly exceeding $30 million, it’s an open question whether or not the Left Behind reboot will get a second installment. The marketing problem of evangelical movies is still, stubbornly, a problem. The general…

The Faith that Faith Produced

By Haroon Moghul

…ou’ll read an excerpt below—has surprised me, too. I wish I could find my airline companion and give him this book, to surprise him, too—in a good way. (I would accept Lakers tickets in lieu of apologies, but I think that particular era is done.) This whole book is a result of a profound evolution, and needs to be seen as such. American Muslims have gone through a lot over the last few decades. We were never the caricature Islamophobes made us ou…