An excellent report by Minnesota Public Radio on the recent cancellation of Augsburg Fortress' defined benefit pension plan highlights the special relationship that exists between the church and state. From the article: The federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, passed in 1974, has a special exception for churches and their affiliates. That means they don'tContinue reading “Church & State and the Augsburg Fortress pension problem”
Category Archives: Church/State
Church and State and Care for the Poor
Last week Catholic Charities in Washington DC announced that if the DC City Council passes its gay marriage bill – enacting, among other things, a requirement that all contractors doing business with the District government provide health benefits to same gender couples – it would have to withdraw from its contracts with the city, forContinue reading “Church and State and Care for the Poor”
“We all have our religions, but …”
Once again, the religious faith of a presidential nominee is being brought into question. Today's Washington Post profiles Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, the president's pick to be Surgeon General, and gives particular attention to her religious faith (Surgeon General Pick's Stance on Abortion May Clash With Church's, by Cheryl W. Thompson, Sat July 28,Continue reading ““We all have our religions, but …””
So Help Us God (or Virtus)
I never imagined how "holy" an experience it would be to register at the courthouse for authorization to legally offiate at weddings. I provided papers proving that I am a called and ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (We call you to exercise among us the ministry of Word and Sacrament whichContinue reading “So Help Us God (or Virtus)”
Religious Clergy and Legal Weddings in Virginia
In preparation for conducting my first weddings as a pastor I'm reading the Code of Virginia (Title 20 [Domestic Relations] Chapter 2 [Marriage Generally]) and learning some interesting tidbits, especially in regards to the role that ordained clergy play in performing weddings: Any "regularly appointed pastor in his denomination" may perform wedding ceremonies in Virginia (thoughContinue reading “Religious Clergy and Legal Weddings in Virginia”
The Lutheran Zephyr 