Joe Carter

The Institute on Religion & Democracy notes in a press release that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has dropped its sexuality standard for elders, deacons, and ministers: This evening, the 87th presbytery in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted to delete the denomination’s standard for . . . . Continue Reading »

Bad idea of the day: South Africa’s Times newspaper reported today on a controversial new scheme in Cape Town that allows parents to leave unwanted babies anonymously in a “baby safe” mounted on an exterior wall of a community center. The initiative was launched last week by . . . . Continue Reading »

Earlier this week, the American Society of Magazine Editors, the principal organization for magazine journalists in the United States, announced its 2011 National Magazine Awards Winners and Finalists. In the category for “Reporting,” they gave their prestigious award to Harper’s Magazine for “The Guantanamo ‘Suicides,’” an article by human rights activist Scott Horton. The choice for the award is extraordinary, and will no doubt prove controversial. For in his “reporting” Horton has concocted in the once reputable magazine one of the most elaborate and extensive conspiracy theories ever published. … Continue Reading »

The Navy is considering allowing its chaplains to perform same-sex marriages once “Dont ask, Don’t tell” ends: A preliminary U.S. Navy plan to allow its chaplains to perform same-sex marriages in military chapels after the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” has fired . . . . Continue Reading »

What do judges wear beneath their black robes? Mostly likely tie-dyed t-shirts, hemp belts, and peace symbols. For despite their seemingly conventionalist exterior, the music they cite in their legal opinions and briefs reveals they are a bunch of closet hippies: No musician’s lyrics are more . . . . Continue Reading »

Philosopher Roger Scruton on beauty and desecration : At any time between 1750 and 1930, if you had asked an educated person to describe the goal of poetry, art, or music, “beauty” would have been the answer. And if you had asked what the point of that was, you would have learned that . . . . Continue Reading »

In my OTS column last week, I criticized conservatism’s unquestioned allegiance to federalism , saying that we should be for more checks and balances and limits on government, rather than a mere shifting of power from federal to state authorities. Several of my conservative buddies whose . . . . Continue Reading »

The National Catholic Register notes that traditional-marriage advocates say social scientists won’t report how divorce, single parenting, and step-parenting hurt children: Social scientists are concealing the harm that divorce, single parenting and stepfamilies do to children. Not only that, . . . . Continue Reading »

Although college students in America have been majoring in secularism for decades, a college in California is the first to offer an official major in secular studies : Colleges and universities have long offered majors in religion or theology. But with more and more people now saying they have no . . . . Continue Reading »

(Via: Mark Shea ) . . . . Continue Reading »