The 2010 midterm congressional elections promised to reshape the political landscape, and they did just that, as Republicans swept to victory in the House while cutting deeply into the Democratic majority in the Senate. But the vote also recast the terrain on moral and social issues important to believers of all political persuasions.
Anxieties over Muslims in America have emerged in a spate of hate crimes as well as in high-profile controversies like the one over the construction of an Islamic center near Ground Zero. Now some politicians and activists say Islam’s legal code, known as shariah, is another threat to the United States that must be countered.
The suicide of a New Jersey college student whose intimate encounter with another man was broadcast on the Internet by two other students has cast a spotlight on the problem of bullying and its often brutal consequences. Religious groups condemn hateful behavior like bullying but can differ on the solutions.
The United States sentences more of its citizens under the age of 18 to life without parole than any other major developed nation, and American believers are increasingly viewing juvenile justice as a critical challenge for faith groups. This edition of ReligionLink focuses on this controversial topic.
The National Day of Prayer is an annual civic and religious ritual that was established by Congress in 1952. Rarely has the observance been as controversial as it is this year, thanks to a recent court ruling.
The indictment of nine members of an extremist militia in the Midwest known as the Hutaree has cast a spotlight on shadowy right-wing hate groups, and on their fringe religious worldviews. The Hutaree case also comes amid concerns about growing threats stemming from contentious policy debates such as health care reform.
As Pope Benedict XVI entered the sixth year of his papacy, the pontiff came under increasing scrutiny and intense criticism over his approach to revelations of sexual abuse by clergy.
Religious differences are increasingly complicating child custody cases and are fueling a growing number of news stories. A generation ago, mothers almost always were granted custody and deemed responsible for most aspects of a child’s upbringing. Today these responsibilities are split more evenly between parents, and religion increasingly is a flash point.
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