Category Archives: Government and Religion

Governor Jindal on War Against Religious Liberty

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal — a Catholic and potential presidential candidate — delivered the commencement at Liberty University on May 10th. Like Chancellor Jerry Falwell, much of what he said focused on the attacks on religious liberty in the United States today:

Today the American people, whether they know it or not, are mired in a silent war…

It is a war — a silent war — against religious liberty…

In this misbegotten and un-American conception of religious liberty, your rights begin and end in the pew. This is ridiculous. We have the right to practice our faith and protect our conscience no matter where we happen to be…

Read more here, or watch the entire Liberty graduation here.

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USCIRF Appointee: Religious Freedom is Fundamental Right

Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest, was recently appointed by President Obama to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The USCIRF makes policy recommendations to the US government regarding “freedom of religion or belief abroad.”

In a recent column, Reese expounded on the 2014 USCIRF report (published before his appointment) and highlighted the USCIRF’s assertion that religious freedom is a “fundamental human right,” one that even the US doesn’t always get exactly right:  Read more

Navy SEALs Marcus Luttrell, Bill Wagasy Talk Faith, Service

Former US Navy SEALs Marcus Luttrell — best known for the book and movie Lone Survivor — and Bill Wagasy recently spoke to a group of Texas high school students on leadership, character, and faith in God.

“Billy and I are kind of cut from the same cloth, if you will,” Luttrell said, mentioning the students should pay attention to Wagasy’s advice. “We started up together, came up together, deployed into combat together…”

Between Wagasy’s talks on honor, developing character, brotherhood, fearing God and developing intellect, the students Read more

US Air Force Academy Hosts Wiccan Priestess

While the US Air Force Academy is regularly accused of being dominated by Christianity, its support for other faith systems routinely goes unnoticed or unpublicized (even by its own Public Affairs, apparently):

Selena Fox, who calls herself a Wiccan priestess, was recently hosted by the USAFA chaplains. (She’s holding a chapel coin.) They took a hike with some local pagans up to Falcon Circle, formerly known as the LZ, an “outdoor chapel” area created with some intent to host earth-centered religious adherents a few years ago.

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Commentators Cite Military Chaplains after SCOTUS Prayer Case

John Ragosta, Paul Finkelman and Steven K. Green, “legal scholars and historians who participated as amicus” in the recent Greece prayer case at the Supreme Court, struggled to understand what the Supreme Court intended to mean by its ruling:

The court fails, though, to explain what this means, an issue that the dissent takes up. Should prayers occur before the public is invited into the room? Should prayers be directed only at the board? Should the members themselves take turns invoking prayers, making it clear that they are personal and not “official” prayers?

These scholars missed the obvious issue that Read more

Can You be Both Gay and Christian?

Update: Dr. Mohler’s column was actually part of a Southern Baptist Theological Seminary e-book published the same day as, and as a response to, Vines’ book.  The 100-page SBTS e-book is available for free here (PDF).

The other contributors are: James M. Hamilton Jr., professor of biblical theology; Denny Burk, professor of biblical studies; Owen Strachan, assistant professor of Christian theology and church history; and Heath Lambert, assistant professor of biblical counseling.

Mohler’s chapter provides an overview critique of Vines’ argument, while Hamilton primarily addresses Old Testament claims, Burk deals with New Testament claims, Strachan looks at the church history assertions and Lambert answers the question whether there is such a thing as a “gay Christian.”


As human sexuality has become a more commonplace topic in the recent few years, a substantial part of the conversation has covered the nexus between Christianity and homosexuality.

At its root, Can one be a homosexual and a Christian?

Jars of Clay lead singer Dan Haseltine caused a firestorm when he tweeted statements that were interpreted as either ambivalent about or supportive of homosexual marriage. The topic gained more steam with the recent publication of a book by self-described homosexual Christian Matthew Vines.

Dr. Al Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary responded, noting foremost that there are many who describe themselves as Christians who are yearning for a way to rationalize their faith and an endorsement of homosexuality:  Read more

General Welsh on the Passing of a Man of Honor

General Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, eulogized Col Jim Kasler, a World War II B-29 tail gunner, Korean war ace jet pilot, and POW during Vietnam who passed away on April 24th:

In addition to being the only man awarded the Air Force Cross three times, Kasler was decorated twice with the Silver Star, a Legion of Merit, nine awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts and 11 Air Medal awards.

But what was most important to him was Read more

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