The Free Exercise Flip
Can religious exemptions be saved from culture-war politics? Illustrations by Jon Krause Religious freedom is important. Not everyone is religious, of course. But for religious people, religious commitments often rank as the most important commitments they have—as commitments that, in a way, define them. Religious people therefore see religious freedom as a natural…
Read MoreRed Church, Blue Church, Purple Church
One body in Christ? For America’s pastors, ministering across the political divide brings exhaustion—and opportunities. Pressure is building for pastors in America to be overtly political. In today’s polarized environment, a diminishing number of church members are content for religious leaders to keep their politics private. For many Christians the 2020 presidential election was not…
Read More“Lives Are at Stake”
A Rabbi, a Reverend, and the Power of Bipartisanship An interview with the chair and vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (Photo: USCIRF commissioners meet with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Commission is charged with advising Congress, the U.S. Secretary of State, and the President on religious freedom concerns abroad.)…
Read MoreA Messiah Problem
Today there is a national political leader who is deliberately and strategically draping his political aspirations in religious imagery in ways that are, frankly, sacrilegious. He has implied that his quest for power has the stamp of divine approval. His language, at times, is messianic. As national elections approach, he’s exploiting emotionally powerful tropes about…
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