• Christianity,  Politics

    Gay marriage and the eclipse of religious liberty

    Ever since the court handed down its DOMA decision yesterday, it has become increasingly clear that we are one lawsuit away from gay marriage being ensconced as a Constitutional right. My hunch is that such a lawsuit will come sooner rather than later, and that the matter could end up before the Supreme Court in relatively short order. President Obama is already saying that gay marriages performed legally in one state should be recognized by every other state in the union. This matter will be litigated, and—as Scalia noted in his dissent—that other shoe is going to drop.

  • Christianity,  News,  Politics

    Michael Gerson nails it on the abortion mandate

    I gave my analysis last week of President Obama’s proposed revision of Obamacare’s abortion mandate. I said then that the revision is not a compromise, despite the favorable media coverage that would suggest otherwise. It’s just more of the same, and it still implicates Christian business owner’s in the killing of unborn children. The clearest analysis of the new rules that I have read, however, comes from Michael Gerson in today’s Washington Post. Here’s the bottom line:

  • Christianity,  Politics

    The abortion mandate still stands

    The Obama administration announced “updates” this morning to Obamacare’s abortion mandate. The original mandate was a shell-game, and this latest “change” is only more of the same. The original rule required religious employers to pay money to an insurance company that would then provide abortion-inducing drugs for employees that wanted them. That is still true today despite the overhyped announcement. There’s no substantive difference. The changes are cosmetic at best. The underlying religious objection has not been addressed, and employers would still be morally implicated in paying for abortion-inducing drugs for their employees.

  • Christianity,  Politics

    Who Is Hobby Lobby?

    We all heard the news earlier this week about the death of religious freedom at Hobby Lobby. Even though the public is becoming aware that the owners David and Barbara Green are Christians, Americans still need to know more about these good people and what they stand for. To this end, Ben Domenech writes:

  • Christianity,  Theology/Bible

    What is a Christian?

    Franklin Graham, Jr. scandalized the talking heads on “Morning Joe” earlier this week when he appeared on the program and suggested that President Obama might not be a “Christian” (see video below). I appreciate Rev. Graham and his bold commitment to Christ, but I think there was much in what he said that was muddled and inconsistent and that probably did very little to win folks over to his position. I for one wish that the conversation had gone differently. Having said that, one item that needed to be clarified was exactly what is meant by the term “Christian.” It was very clear that Graham and his interlocutors were operating…

  • Christianity,  Politics

    Scholars and Leaders Line-up to Protest Mandate

    The statement below was put out by the Beckett Fund, and it says that President Obama did not “accommodate” religious liberty concerns in his recent “compromise.” The healthcare law still requires religious groups to pay for chemical abortions and contraception. I want you to notice the names on this list. It is signed by 160 scholars and leaders, and signatories include D. A. Carson, Albert Mohler, Robbie George, Russell Moore, Danny Akin, David Dockery, and many others.

  • Christianity,  Politics

    It’s not just a Catholic thing

    Even though the media are trying to sell the new healthcare law as a Catholic issue, it is not. The new law requires all employers to pay for birth control methods that include surgical sterilization and abortion inducing drugs. The only groups who get an exemption are churches. Every other employer must provide this coverage. So this is more than a Catholic issue, it is a Protestant issue, a Jewish issue, an Orthodox issue, and an issue for every other religious group you can think of. But there is one facet of this dispute that has been largely overlooked. This is not just a religious liberty issue for groups, but…

  • Politics

    Healthcare Legislation to Fund Abortions

    The Associated Press reports that Americans may be getting more than they bargained for from healthcare legislation that is now making its way through Congress. “Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue. . . “Advocates on both sides are preparing for a renewed battle over abortion, which could jeopardize political support for President Barack Obama’s health care initiative aimed at covering nearly 50 million uninsured and restraining medical costs. The dispute could come to a head with House and Senate floor votes on abortion this fall,…

  • Politics,  Theology/Bible

    Huckabee on Homosexuality on ‘Meet the Press’

    Governor Mike Huckabee appeared on “Meet the Press” this morning (Barack Obama was on as well), and Tim Russert threw a string of “faith” questions at him. You can read the transcript here, or you can listen to the entire interview below. The faith questions occur near the end (at 20:57-29:16). [audio:http://msnbcpod.rd.llnwd.net/e1/audio/podcast/pd_mtp-12-30-2007-094559.mp3] This is a fascinating interview in which Huckabee comments on abortion, homosexuality, the first amendment, separation of church and state, and more. I will comment on one item that I thought was very interesting. Russert asked Huckabee, “Do you believe you’re born gay or you choose to be gay?”