50 Years After Abington v. Schempp, A Dissenter Looks Back On School Prayer
posted on June 17, 2013
At The Atlantic, Linda K. Wertheimer commemorates the 50th anniversary of Supreme Court case Abington v. Schempp, which banned Bible reading in public schools, by interviewing Ellery Schempp, who as a 16-year-old helped bring the landmark case to the courts. She writes, “Today, Ellery Schempp is a 72-year-old retired physicist from suburban Boston. … he is a Unitarian who also refers to himself as an atheist and secular humanist.”
Social Conservatives Still Control The GOP
posted on June 17, 2013
Molly Ball of The Atlantic writes, “Ever since Republicans got clobbered in the last election, some have suggested they dial back some of their hard stances in the culture war … And yet Republican politicians do not seem to have gotten the message.” Ball cites a recent proposed abortion ban in the House as well as this past week’s Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference, which “attracted a star-studded line-up of GOP pols.” She concludes, “Social conservatives will continue to wield major power in the Republican Party by their sheer numbers and their dogged activism.”
Ken Hackett To Be Nominated As Ambassador To Vatican
posted on June 17, 2013
The Huffington Post’s Jaweed Kaleem reports that “President Barack Obama will nominate Ken Hackett, the former president of Catholic Relief Services to be the United States’ ambassador to the Vatican.” In addition to his work at CRS, Hackett has also served on the board of directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation and volunteered in the Peace Corps in Ghana.
Wisconsin Republicans Pass Anti-Abortion Ultrasound Bill
posted on June 17, 2013
Brendan O’Brien of Reuters reports Wisconsin’s state assembly passed a bill that “mandates an ultrasound be performed on a pregnant woman at least 24 hours before an abortion.” O’Brien writes, “The bill, which also requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, now heads for the desk of Republican Governor Scott Walker, who is expected to sign it into law.”
In Surprise Result, Iran Elects Moderate Presidential Candidate Hassan Rowhani
posted on June 16, 2013
Karl Vick of TIME reports, “The landslide election of the only moderate candidate in the Iranian presidential contest stunned the Islamic Republic’s hard-line establishment, which had taken great pains to tilt the field of candidates toward conservatives sycophantic to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.” Winner Hassan Rowhani has called for “rationality and moderation”as well as lessening the hostility between the U.S. and Iran.
Marco Rubio Still A Favorite Among Social Conservatives
posted on June 14, 2013
BuzzFeed’s Kate Nocera reports from the start of the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference, where she says Marco Rubio “emerged … as the clear star of the show.” She writes, “In his speech, which cited the fifth chapter of Matthew, Rubio sermonized about America’s greatness and the need for Christian conservatives to continue to speak up for their causes and be ‘a light in the world’ and said they had been called to ‘preserve something that is valuable.’”
What Happens To Women Who Are Denied Abortions?
posted on June 14, 2013
Joshua Lang, in The New York Times Magazine, reports on an ongoing study which seeks to chart what the outcomes for women who were denied abortions. Lang notes that Diana Greene Foster, who is conducting the study as an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, is breaking new ground. “[N]o one had done it before. Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, the debate over abortion has focused primarily on the ramifications of having one. … Lost in the controversy, however, is the flip side of the question. What, Foster wondered, could the women who did not have the abortions they sought tell us about the women who did?”
Philadelphia Faith-Healing Couple Accused Of Murder Must Stand Trial
posted on June 13, 2013
Dave Warner of Reuters reports that a Philadelphia faith healing couple, Herbert and Catherine Schaible, accused of murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of their seven-month-old son, must stand trial. “They did nothing to help that child,” said prosecutor Joanne Pescatore. “That’s why it’s murder.” The city medical examiner’s office ruled their infant son died of bacterial pneumonia and dehydration. Although Herbert Schaible could have contacted a medical professional, Reverend Nelson Clark of the Schaibles’ church said that “he felt like any kind of a call was a lack of faith on his part.”
Writers tell us stories about where they discovered religion and politics in their states.
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