This week’s Washington Post Magazine features a frightening image (at left) accompanied by this headline: Do Christian Prayers Belong in Government Chambers? My answer: No. Christian prayers do not belong in government chambers. My slightly elaborated answer: No prayers of any religious group belong in any official government proceeding. The Post Magazine headline directs usContinue reading “Christian Prayers in Government Chambers: Music to the Devil’s Ears”
Category Archives: Politics
Mitt Romney and Lutherans: a marriage made in Switzerland
Do Lutherans have a "confident independence?" That’s the quality that Governor Mitt Romney most appreciates about us. Hmmm . . . That’s not an aspect of our Lutheran tradition that came up in seminary or in the Lutheranism: What It Means blog carnival I sponsored a while back, and it belies the stereotype of LutheranContinue reading “Mitt Romney and Lutherans: a marriage made in Switzerland”
Too Much Religion in this Race
The Presidential candidates seem to be pushing back against the media's desire to unearth their religious beliefs. When two of the arguably most religious GOP candidates begin rejecting questions about their religion, you know something's going on. Here's two quick examples: Mike Huckabee, quoted in an AP article Huckabee Won't Give Views on Mormonism, carriedContinue reading “Too Much Religion in this Race”
Civil Governance & The Church
What is the Church’s proper role in civil governance? From government contracts for faith-based social service agencies (ie, Lutheran Social Services, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service) and President Bush’s faith-based initiatives, to the Ten Commandments on courthouses and government-salaried chaplains in Congress, what role does the church appropriately play in civil governance? Two articles inContinue reading “Civil Governance & The Church”
Uneasy About Silicon Ballots
It was an exhausting yet amazing experience to serve as an Election Officer today. I have gained a profound respect for the folks who operate and manage the election process with integrity and good intention. Yet in my experience today I also gathered some anecdotes to support my general skepticism about the robustness of theContinue reading “Uneasy About Silicon Ballots”
The Lutheran Zephyr 