Note the generic reference to “religion,” as opposed to Christianity. From the beginning, American public religion has had a non-sectarian cast. Most Americans in 1796 were Christians, as most are today. Most would have understood the reference to religion to mean the Christian religion. But our public expression of religion typically avoids expressly Christian imagery. In part this reflects the Deism of many of the Founders. But it also reflects an Evangelical faith that is comfortable with biblical non-sectarianism. http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2014/07/hamiltons-religion-and-ours?utm_source=First+Things+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e569d310f6-7_15_147_15_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_28bf775c26-e569d310f6-172554629 Read more

Because Hamas’s hostility to Israel, as reflected in its relentless rocket manufacture and fire, is its raison d’etre. http://www.timesofisrael.com/why-are-we-fighting-with-gaza-again/ Read more

The Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families has been getting copious positive press coverage. Unfortunately, it has some serious methodological weaknesses—it studies only the lives and experiences of the LGBT elite http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/07/13451/?utm_source=The+Witherspoon+Institute&utm_campaign=8339e044aa-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_15ce6af37b-8339e044aa-84107317 Read more

Dennis Prager Religion is key to having a moral society and polity. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/382169/america-wont-be-good-without-god-dennis-prager Read more

The goals of post-sexual-revolution liberalism are at odds with the beliefs of almost every traditional religious body. Can a battle to the death be averted? http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/opinion/sunday/ross-douthat-a-company-liberals-could-love-.html Read more

Islam, or at least modern reinterpretations of it, is at the core of some of the Arabs’ deep troubles. The faith’s claim, promoted by many of its leading lights, to combine spiritual and earthly authority, with no separation of mosque and state, has stunted the development of independent political institutions. http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21606284-civilisation-used-lead-world-ruinsand-only-locals-can-rebuild-it?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/the_tragedy_of_the_arabs Read more

Robert Nicholson As a Christian, I am deeply ashamed. Once again my community has condemned the Jewish people – and only the Jewish people – in the name of Jesus Christ. I cannot overstate my disgrace. http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/jews-forgive-us/ Read more

It’s time to realize that ACOG’s (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) priority is not medical fact but thwarting protection for the unborn. http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/06/13373/?utm_source=The+Witherspoon+Institute&utm_campaign=d7758433fa-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_15ce6af37b-d7758433fa-84107317 Read more

Matthew J. Franck The “freedom” to do what the law hitherto condemned seems easy to justify once human sexuality’s unitive and procreative nature is denied, and the “equality” claim soon follows for the relationships most deeply characterized by this denial. http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/06/13360/?utm_source=The+Witherspoon+Institute&utm_campaign=c3be248563-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_15ce6af37b-c3be248563-84107317 Read more

Why are the women in nests? Why was there jam involved? http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2014/06/it-wasnt-a-date Read more