In July of 2017, then-President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson, and bragged about one of his recent accomplishments: “I’ve gotten rid of the Johnson Amendment. […] I signed an executive order so that now, […] ministers and preachers and rabbis and whoever it may be, they …
From the Intern Desk: Let’s Future-Proof the Johnson Amendment Read More »
Recently, as an economics student interning with a secular advocacy group, I found myself typing “economics of religion” into the search bar of Google Scholar. I expected that it would return articles on the Johnson Amendment, which concerns the political activities of churches and other tax exempt organizations, or perhaps a study or two on …
From the Intern Desk: An Economics Lesson for Christian Nationalists Read More »
“The idea that religion and politics don’t mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country.” — Jerry Falwell If Roe v. Wade were decided today, it’s safe to assume that religious conservatives would be apoplectic. There would undoubtedly be protests at the Supreme Court, at abortion clinics, at the …
From the Intern Desk: Where is the “Secular Left”? Read More »
The coming months are full of iconic celebrations of both life and death. We’ll see signs of harvest, hear talk of superstitions surrounding black cats and the number 13 (even though the next Friday the 13th isn’t until January 2023), and get swept up in the fantastical as pop culture embraces witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, …
If it’s August in Washington two things are true: Congress is on a one month recess, and it’s hot. How hot is it? The other day it was so hot, when I went by the Lincoln Memorial the chair was empty. That’s hot! When members of Congress are on a recess you, often find them …
In my Massachusetts hometown, both the city council and school board open their meetings with what could broadly be described as “invocations.” The city council, for their part, opens their meetings with a rather secular invocation, calling on the councilors to do good while they have the opportunity. The invocation includes no references to any …
Same-sex marriage shouldn’t be a church-state issue, but the church side is definitely making it one. It should simply be an administrative process where same-sex and opposite-sex marriages are treated the same in every state and devoid of religious influence. However, the reasoning behind the majority’s decision when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade …
Heretic on the Hill: “I Do” Support Marriage Equality Read More »
The website said, “Sharity Ministries is built on the centuries-old Christian tradition of caring for one another, including health care needs. Our members hold a common set of religious beliefs, such as ‘bear one another’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2) and ‘share with the Lord’s people who are in need’ (Romans 12:13a).” So tens of thousands of …
I won’t belabor the Supreme Court cases I’ve been highlighting recently, but I will mention them; they show a new line of thinking about individual religious freedom that will have an ongoing impact in the courts for years to come. There’s the case of the high school coach who led prayers at the 50 yard …
Heretic on the Hill: In the Court of Public Opinion Read More »
In the wake of tragic and preventable mass violence in Tulsa, Uvalde, Laguna Woods, Buffalo, and countless other American towns and cities, the religious right has offered their “thoughts and prayers” and cried for their opponents not to politicize these tragedies with talk of gun control. This call for decorum was seemingly lost on …
From the Intern Desk: It’s Not Just a Gun Problem Read More »
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