According to court filings, Z Street discovered in late 2009 that its application for tax-exempt status was delayed and under consideration by a special “Israel Task Force.” Apparently, this task force was reviewing Z Street’s activities, rhetoric, and governance. The IRS asked specific questions about Z Street’s political beliefs and educational content including, “Does your... Continue Reading

The country’s parliament voted through the new law on same-sex marriage by a large majority, making it mandatory for all churches to conduct gay marriages…. Under the law, individual priests can refuse to carry out the ceremony, but the local bishop must arrange a replacement for their church.   The country’s parliament voted through the... Continue Reading

Among white mainline Protestants, 58 percent are supportive, a proportion topped by minority Protestants at 62 percent, Catholics at 63 percent and religiously unaffiliated Americans at 68 percent. The drop in white evangelical support comes as Americans’ overall views about immigrants have grown more positive, the poll shows. It also counters the “fairly steady public drumbeat... Continue Reading

“Maybe European Christianity isn’t all that we Europhilic Christians in the U.S. make it out to be. It sure has more history, better architecture, and civilizational presence. But freed from all the baggage of Christendom, perhaps Christianity is better off. That’s not an expression of American Christian exceptionalism. Nor is it an assertion that American... Continue Reading

Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents two of the churches—One Love Ministries and Calvary Chapel Central Oahu—asked the court to dismiss their clients from the case, declaring it had no merit because Kahle and Huber’s information came from public records and not from the plaintiffs personal knowledge. Because the False Claims Act forbids people from filing... Continue Reading

“The Humanist Society and the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers have provided years of outreach and a great chaplain candidate to the military,” said Jason Torpy, president of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. “We hope nonchaplain military leaders swiftly overturn this discriminatory decision.”   (RNS) After the Army recently permitted “humanist” as... Continue Reading

Some of fathers’ contributions are surprising. One might guess, for example, that mothers have more influence than fathers on their children’s language development. Despite the growing number of women in the workforce, mothers still spend more time with children in many families than fathers do. But that turns out not to be the case. Lynne... Continue Reading

Liberty Institute lawyers have been looking at the various ordinance proposals for two weeks, and they’re still “scratching their heads,” Mateer said. For example, the ordinance defines religion as “all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief.” By banning itself from discriminating on the basis of religion when seeking city contractors and... Continue Reading

Summer can still be fun, kids. We’ll go to the pool. Visit friends’ houses. Go camping. I’ll spring for a two-month pass at our local play center if it makes you guys feel better. They’re renovating, you know. I’ll do my best to make pancakes in a special shape. How about a deformed oval? I... Continue Reading

“Pakistan used to have a noticeable Christian presence. Presbyterians had a sizeable school system, and those schools were largely responsible for the country’s relatively high literacy. But in 1973 Islam become the nation’s religion and the government seized those schools and replaced their teachers and curriculum. Now the Koran is required to be read and... Continue Reading