It’s scandal day in the world of politics. First, Sue Lowden, the front-runner in the Nevada Republican primary, looking to replace Harry Reid, seems to have broken campaign finance laws by accepting a luxury campaign bus from a donor. This could be good news for Reid because Lowden has been performing better in polling match-ups … Read more
American faith-based organizations and the politics of belief In February, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded some $50 million in funds for disaster relief and long-term rebuilding efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. Although the grants themselves were uncontroversial, their recipients were less so. Eschewing the private sector, USAID chose to distribute … Read more
Muslims in America remain separated by race. Islam is the fourth-largest religion in the United States, and one of the fastest-growing. It also has a complicated history in this country. Although the number of American Muslims has increased substantially over the past few decades, the faith is divided along racial lines. The tension between African-American … Read more
Compromise, innovation, and tradition define American religion. One might assume that the divide in American Christianity is simply between liberal and conservative theologies. But such a framework would be misleading. As Christians consider social services and sexual purity, universal salvation and individual redemption, they are often forced to straddle theological and political divides. Religious pluralism … Read more
Future looks bright for those “Good Without God.” According to the American Religious Identification Survey, the percentage of Americans affiliating with no religion has climbed from 8% in 1990, to 15% to 2008. In part, this growth is no doubt due to increased organizational efforts among the religiously unaffiliated. Although factions like atheists, agnostics, and … Read more
America has long had a complex, almost schizophrenic attitude towards religion. As the popular narrative goes, the country was founded by those fleeing religious persecution in England, who sought to establish their own society free from the tyranny of state-imposed faith. But the actual history is more complex. For every Pennsylvania, where different faiths flourished … Read more
Seldom as I disagree with George Will, I was surprised by the disappointment he expressed on the weblog of the Washington Post that Solicitor General Elena Kagan, President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, “reflects the culture of the nation’s half-dozen-or-so elite law schools.” Mr. Will and others are apparently concerned that the Supreme Court’s domination by … Read more
I don’t pay enough attention to politics in my home state of New Jersey. I think I fear it would sap all of my youthful idealism. I certainly did not celebrate Chris Christie’s victory last fall. And his governance so far has been exactly what I feared. He’s actually trying to do what he campaigned … Read more
In his essay “What Makes A Life Significant,” William James gives voice to the “manly virtues” that Wagley, in her “Defense of Manliness,” seems to want to defend. I say “seems” because, like Sam, I’m not exactly sure what her article is advocating for. If it’s anything like what James wanted when he called for … Read more
I like to think of David Brooks as The New York Times’ “Chronicler of the Powerful and Rich.” He’s gotten some pretty extravagant (and hilarious) criticism for his work as the Chronicler of the P&R — work which should basically be read as a twice-weekly “What Should I Think?” guide for Upper East Side Manhattanites — but … Read more