Tag: Government & Politics

Religious freedom is the ability to practice my faith without interference

Republican lawmakers and conservative activists concerned that religious expression in the military is “under attack” are rallying behind a measure to provide greater protection for religious “actions and speech” in the armed forces.

WASHINGTON (RNS) In response to five “We the People” petitions, the White House condemned the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church but said it is powerless to list the Kansas church as a hate group and remove its tax-exempt status.

The White House response on Tuesday (July 1) said the federal government does not maintain a list of hate groups, instead leaving that task to private organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center.

Should the governement be allowed to use big data or should big data be limited to corporations who want sell us things like potato chips that will lead to our early deaths?

I am not going to touch this Viewpoints question with a 10-foot pole, except to quote from the Pilot of Firefly, one of my favorite TV shows of all time:

If the range of possible Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage this month requires a scorecard, the potential confusion arising from those decisions may demand a manual.

It’s not as simple as whether gays and lesbians can marry, and whether they become eligible for federal benefits.

Do Republicans have an evangelical problem in a party that’s been both derided and heralded as God’s Official Party?

The vast majority of evangelicals have voted with the GOP in recent elections. In fact, despite some qualms about his Mormon faith, 79 percent of evangelicals voted for Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, the same percentage that voted for President George W. Bush in 2004.