Religious Liberty
Items on free exercise of religion, freedom of conscience, and religious persecution
Okaying the Bible
Tue 17 Apr 2007 by David Aikman
A cultural milestone of sorts has been passed recently. The cover story in the April 2, 2007 edition of Time Magazine is titled “Why We Should Teach the Bible in Public School.”
There are several reasons why this is significant. First, a national publication of centrist-to-liberal politics has endorsed a project hitherto associated with the agenda of conservative Christians, albeit for a different set of reasons from theirs. Second, this is the first evidence that the center of American public opinion is looking beyond Left-Right culture wars towards a possible consensus on issues often at the center of those wars. Third, there is a recognition that American cultural literacy, held to be in a state of decline for years, can’t really be recovered in any meaningful way while ignoring the core documents of Western civilization that posit a belief in the transcendent.
Worries About Europe
Wed 13 Dec 2006 by Al McDonald
A response from the founding chairman of the Trinity Forum.
Dear Trinity Forum Friends:
This is to commend the fine essay by David Aikman on “Civilization and Crisis and Europe’s Choices.” It is a superbly reasoned piece that I fully endorse. My only reservation is that the threat of Islamic extremism is certainly as grave as David suggests and he may have even understated the danger.
My worries about Europe are even greater than David’s expressed concerns. I suspect Europe’s only chance to counter the infiltration and ultimate force of the Islamic youth movement and immigration is with a solid Christian revival as David mentioned has happened before historically. Yet, at the moment I see little acceptance in Europe by the general public or governmental officials of Christianity or even its basic tenets, ignoring almost completely the deep Christian roots that have shaped Europe’s enormous success near the pinnacle of civilization for many generations.
Atheism and Moral Clarity
Thu 30 Nov 2006 • Responses: 1 • by David Aikman
A recent book by a militant anti-theist helps to clarify the true sources of attack on our civilization.
A 2004 New York Times best-seller by Sam Harris, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason placed its author, a graduate in philosophy from Stanford, in the forefront of the forefront of anti-theists in America. In his latest book, Letter to a Christian Nation, published in September 2006, Harris brings his heavy artillery as close as he can to the walls of the church. His intention, he writes, is “to destroy the intellectual and moral pretensions of Christianity in its most committed forms.” Welcome to the tradition of Voltaire, Engels, and an eccentric Soviet magazine founded under Lenin called The Godless.
The Christian faith has survived more learned and eloquent assaults than those of Sam Harris, and will doubtless continue to do so.
Aikman on European Anti-Semitism
Fri 09 Jun 2006 by TTF Staff
Senior Fellow David Aikman has an important article on anti-Semitism in Europe in the current Christianity Today.
The article is titled “An Ugly Phoenix Reborn: European anti-Semitism is more widespread than has been let on.”
Faith Ensures a Future
Fri 05 May 2006 by Peter Edman
In an excellent piece from April, Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, assesses Islam and the West. This is precisely the tone—nuanced, respectful, confident, cheerful—I wish I heard more from Christians when considering their cultural context.
In ”Islam and Western Democracies,” Cardinal Pell makes a useful survey of the history of the relationship of Islam and Christianity and considers the resources that each side brings to bear. He offers both an optimistic assessment and a pessimistic assessment of the chances for reform within Islam—and what is important, adds in a realistic and vibrant sense of Christian hope for the future. He also touches on the often vexed question of whether Islam and Christianity and Judaism worship the same God and the question of the respective influences of culture, religion, and politics.
Does Democracy Need Religion?
Mon 13 Mar 2006 by Joseph Loconte
Current suspicions about religion are unrealistic—and unreasonable
Senior Fellow Joseph Loconte discusses the recent outcry against religion from European and American opinion shapers and reminds us of some founding American principles that should not be lost—and lessons from history that should not be forgotten.
Loconte on Human Rights
Thu 15 Dec 2005 by TTF Staff
Senior Fellow Joe Loconte had a commentary on NPR on 12 December. “The Importance of Human Rights to U.S. Foreign Policy” ran on All Things Considered. Click the title link to see the NPR page with an audio link.
The transcript is below. Note that the title chosen by NPR is somewhat misleading. Loconte is talking about conscience and strange alliances, not so much U.S. foreign policy.
Loconte on Robertson and Katrina
Tue 27 Sep 2005 by Peter Edman
I was away when this came out, so just posting now.
Moderator Joseph Loconte has an op-ed (September 16, 2005) on the Tribune News Service (link here at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) discussing “Christianity’s Religion Problem.” He’s justifiably harsh on Pat Robertson, who has been serially irresponsible and demonstrably uncharitable if not unorthodox in his public views for decades. Loconte’s criticism is among the strongest I’ve seen, though I’ve not been following this debate as closely as I should. I hope he’ll get a wide hearing.
Religious leaders rightly worry about airing their dirty laundry. But Robertson has made himself a public figure—and a massive public relations problem for the church. Until more evangelicals make a visible break with him, they’ll be vulnerable to the crass caricatures that dominate media coverage of conservative religion in America.
In an intensely partisan era, with so much at stake politically, it’s tempting to simply ignore the failings of one’s allies in the culture wars. Yet without integrity, cultural influence is impossible. As the apostle Peter once warned, not so delicately, judgment begins with the family of God.
It certainly would do Mercy Ships and other positive CBN ministries good to be dissociated with their founder. Board members, please take note. The means we choose define the way we reach our ends. They shape our ends. They matter as much as any ideal future.
The Bible and Its Influence—A New Public School Text
Tue 27 Sep 2005 by Peter Edman
The Bible Literacy Project, led by TF alumnus Chuck Stetson, has released its student textbook, The Bible and Its Influence.
A teacher edition will follow. The project continues in the tradition of the Williamsburg Charter and its contributors include Charles Haynes and others familiar to us at the Trinity Forum. As someone who worked with Os Guinness on an older project, Living With Our Deepest Differences, now out of print but with similar ambitions, I’m very pleased to see something of this caliber out there.
This curriculum differs from earlier attempts in that it recognizes not just the literary and cultural influence of the Bible, but its importance as a religious text as well, and it does so while respecting but not endorsing various faith traditions and denominations. I hope it will be more influential than the Wall Street Journal is fearing. (Knight Ridder article)
Cromartie to Chair USCIRF
Mon 11 Jul 2005 by TTF Staff
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has elected TF Senior Fellow Michael Cromartie to serve as Chair for 2005-2006.
News release is here. Congratulations, Mike!
