The death of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a former pathologist who helped dozens of terminally ill people die with a suicide machine, has renewed a national debate on end-of-life issues that never went away completely, even after Kevorkian was sentenced to prison in 1999.
The anniversary of the Jan. 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion always sparks discussions about this hot-button issue, and the annual March for Life in Washington is one focus of attention. But the Republican takeover of the House has also raised hopes — and concerns — that new legislation could limit abortion rights.
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.
Health care reform may be approaching a make-or-break moment as President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats push to pass a bill by the weekend while Republicans have vowed to oppose the legislation. The urgency has further galvanized religious bodies and lobbies that have dedicated themselves to seeing health care reform pass — or fail.
The Christian diet craze of the late 1980s marked a trend toward the belief that “fit for the kingdom” included body as well as soul. Now the movement has expanded, as other religions have embraced faith-based fitness programs. Yet the issue raises questions about what messages faith-based diets, exercise programs and fitness centers send.
Like Jews, Catholics and other immigrant groups before them, Muslims are building a social infrastructure in America that includes houses of worship, schools, health clinics, banks, charities and more. Muslims’ social and religious needs are diverse – and that diversity is reflected in the network of mosques and related social services centers they are creating.
The earliest stages of the development of human beings, from conception through the period shortly after birth, are fraught with life-and-death issues. Whether concerned about the fate or welfare of a particular embryo, fetus or baby, or hoping to benefit from a reproductive technology or stem cell research, countless individuals and families in every part [...]
Some religious communities have made strides toward greater inclusion of people with disabilities, but the challenges continue and change: Religious groups are beginning to respond to the growth of autism and related disorders in young families. Military involvement since 2001 in the Middle East is producing thousands of young disabled veterans returning to their communities. [...]
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