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BSA: Gay Maybe Okay—But Not if You’re Over 18

By Joanna Brooks

…of adult members who participate in homosexual behavior. No formal explanation for the policy has been given, but many sources say it is to prevent homosexual members from being appointed to lay clerical positions in the Church’s youth programs. The new BSA policy appears to mirror this LDS Church policy in differentiating between gay youth and gay adults. Both also carry the implication that gay adults are less trustworthy in positions of respons…

Shotgun Marriage as Social Policy

By Evan Derkacz

…ry. Jessica Grose provides a thorough point-by-point rebuttal of Douthat’s policy claims in Slate, while Michele Goldberg notes that all evidence suggests that limiting abortion is likely to undermine marriage. But the idea that advances in reproductive freedom have erroded the family is becoming so prevelant on the right that it’s important to look at the origins of this argument. Douthat is a self-described “right-leaning Catholic” and the Catho…

LDS Church Praised for “Good Sense and Sanity” on Immigration Policy

By Joanna Brooks

…endorsed Utah Compact on immigration as a model of sane and compassionate policy making. Wrote the Times: “A clearer expression of good sense and sanity than Utah’s would be hard to find.” (Hooray!) Also this week, the LDS Church joined with leaders from the Catholic, Protestant, Sikh, Orthodox Jewish, Anglican, and other faiths in a statement entitled “The Protection of Marriage: A Shared Commitment,” a reiteration of belief that a heterosexual…

More Thoughts on Media Coverage of Liberal Religion

By Sarah Posner

…ool prayer, and “every citizen’s right to apply religious values to public policy.” When the religious right, then, seeks to apply its views to public policy and law, the GOP listens. What Establishment Clause? The same is not true on the Democratic side, and it’s not, as is frequently asserted, because Democrats and liberals revile religion. It’s because (practically speaking) the Democratic base is far more religiously diverse than the Republica…

DeVos Literally Can’t Name a Discriminatory Policy She’d Refuse to Fund

By Sunnivie Brydum

…the question Clark posed was “hypothetical,” even though the school whose policy Clark quoted does in fact exist and receives funding from Indiana’s coffers. The secretary was similarly evasive when Clark asked whether a school that outright barred African-American students from attending, but was approved by its state voucher system to do so, would be ineligible for federal dollars. “There is no situation of discrimination or exclusion that, if…

Facebook’s “No Religion” Policy Hoax

By Gwynne Watkins

…n your feed lately? It states that Facebook is instituting a “No Religion” policy, whereby “anyone spreading religious beliefs” will have their account shut down and be subject to “investigation.” Because what better business model could there be for Facebook than Stalinist Russia? Whenever something like this pops up, I can’t help but think about the person who started it. Somebody made that fake Facebook notice, and put enough energy into it to…

Why God’s Intentions Are Irrelevant

By Sarah Posner

…be questioning why politicians are given a pass when they undergird their policy positions with God’s will. Does God intend climate change, and the global catastrophe that will ensue if it’s left unchecked? Does God intend that some hardworking people will make a lot of money, while the slothful will stay poor, and deserve it? Does God say taxes are wrong? Does God say women should be submissive to their husbands? Does God say slavery is sometime…

What’s So Troubling About Funding a Playground? How Trinity Lutheran Undermines the First Amendment

By Elizabeth Reiner Platt

…from a public benefit solely because of their religious character… such a policy imposes a penalty on the free exercise of religion that triggers the most exacting scrutiny.” The Court further held that Missouri’s stated reason for the policy—to avoid potential Establishment Clause violations—was insufficient. The Court’s opinion stands in stark opposition to earlier religious funding decisions, and especially its 2004 opinion in Locke v. Davey….

Sessions Casts Cruel Immigration Policy as Part of God’s Plan

By Bradley Onishi

…eneral Jeff Sessions used a Bible verse to respond to critics of the DOJ’s policy of separating migrant families: “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes.” This defense is both unsatisfying and infuriating. First, it’s a post-facto plucking of a Bible verse from its context in order to provide support for an alread…

BSA: Gay, OK?!

By Joanna Brooks

…icy against allowing gay and lesbian adults to serve as troop leaders. The policy change would not, according to BSA, prevent local church-backed troops from maintaining their own policies on LGBT leadership. It’s estimated that 34% of the nation’s Scout troops are affiliated with congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church has not responded to the BSA announcement. But some Southern Baptist leaders registered…