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Today's top news on faith and politics
Friday, October 29, 2010
Anti-health care efforts continue misleading claims
By - Factcheck.org
The CitizenLink/Susan B. Anthony List ad (this one, targeting Rep. Joe Donnelly of Indiana) also makes the unfounded claim that the law is the "biggest expansion of abortion in decades." But that's conjecture....we found the evidence didn't support that claim.
(Read More) People of faith just as fed up as nonbelievers
By Rev. Jennifer Butler - Washington Post, On Faith
Letting Beck and company position themselves as the true voices of faith in the public square would be a grave disservice to religion and democracy. So we're standing up to them.
(Read More) Christian witness amid the partisan fray
By David P. Gushee - Associated Baptist Press, Opinion
[Candidates] want to win; they want to make a name for themselves; they want glory and power. Hopefully somewhere in all of that pride and ambition they care about the nation they fight so hard to lead...
(Read More) Latino fears of anti-immigrant backlash rise
By Elise Foley - Washington Independent
A new poll from Pew Hispanic Center provides some insight into how Latinos -- both U.S.-born and immigrants -- view immigration issues. Perhaps most interesting is the fact that fears over discrimination and deportation have increased since 2009.
(Read More) Arizona immigration law has not lived up to reputation
By Alia Beard Rau - Arizona Republic
The nation's toughest immigration law has been in effect for three months. But after the federal courts prevented key portions from going into effect, it has failed to live up to both opponents' worst fears and supporters' greatest hopes.
(Read More) Despite Saudi Criticism, NYC Mosque Plan Stays
By David B. Caruso - Associated Press
The imam co-leading a drive to build an Islamic community center near the World Trade Center has politely brushed aside a suggestion by one of his past benefactors that the project be moved to a different spot.
(Read More) Muslim and American: Staying True to Faith and Country
By Kari Ansari - Huffington Post, Opinion
Any person of any faith will identify himself as a believer first, and a patriot second. When I wear my modest attire, including a scarf on my head, I am saying "God and Country" -- in that order.
(Read More) Terrorists No More
By Nausheen Husain - Newsweek
For years, critics have accused Hollywood of being too narrow in its depiction of Muslim characters. Yet as the U.S. continues to grapple with the role of Muslims in American life, that's beginning to change.
(Read More) Measure would outlaw Islamic law in Oklahoma -- where it doesn't exist
By Nicholas Riccardi - LA Times
As the country grapples with its worst economic downturn in decades and persistent unemployment, voters in Oklahoma next week will take up another issue -- whether they should pass a constitutional amendment outlawing Sharia, or Islamic law.
(Read More) A beautiful coalition against dirty energy
By Van Jones - Grist
Last week, the No on [California] Prop 23 campaign experienced a surge of support from groups that included a council of inter-faith leaders...
(Read More) Most US troops, families say gays OK
By Anne Flaherty - Associated Press
An internal Pentagon study has found that most U.S. troops and their families don't care whether gays are allowed to serve openly and think the policy of "don't ask, don't tell" could be done away with, according to officials familiar with its findings.
(Read More) Curran: How bishops challenge abortion laws is 'flawed'
By Dennis Coday - National Catholic Reporter
Curran...did not dispute church teaching about abortion in his talk. Instead he argued that various approaches to the law are acceptable under Catholic teaching.
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Government support = Individual failure?!
Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 To the millions of American struggling to care for their families without access to affordable health insurance, health care reform was a tremendous victory. To the millions of Americans of faith who saw the great moral injustice of a broken system that allowed hard-working families to go into debt and bankruptcy because of staggering medical bills, and where profit-obsessed companies could kick people off their insurance policies because of pre-existing conditions, health care reform was a tremendous victory. Some on the right apparently see it otherwise. In an interview with Hoover Institute research fellow Peter Robinson, Daniel Hannan, a conservative politician and writer from Britain, claims: The real problem with the growth of welfare is not that it retires economic growth, although it does...The real malignancy is the way it frays the bonds that used to tie society together. It makes us less virtuous as individual citizens and it...it makes us--it infantilizes us. It makes us less likely to take on our responsibilities. As a person of faith who tithes to my church and actively supports ministries to help care for the "least of these," I'm not at all opposed to the concept of being virtuous as individual citizens and operating in a society where people are bonded together. But I'm missing Hannan's logical jump whereby the strengthening of our safety net via governmental action makes us less likely to be good citizens. He goes on to say that there is a correlation between the growth of welfare programs and the decline of private society, including "the churches." Knowing full well the important role of the faith community's advocacy in the passage of health reform and the critical support and direct assistance churches and faith-based organizations provide to hurting families, there are some serious flaws in this hypothesis. continue reading » |
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