Huff Post: A U.S. federal appeals court right now is considering whether for-profit businesses can be exempted from a contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act — a mandate that is tantamount to a “war on Christianity” by the Obama administration, according to at least one elected official.
A Christian in Pakistan was sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2013 for the crime of blasphemy. With no actual evidence presented at his trial.
Earlier this year there was a proposal in North Carolina to allow the state to declare an official religion.
What do these three situations have in common? They’re all current examples of things that go wrong when either the government wrongly asserts itself into religious issues or the church tries to break down barriers (or makes powerful accusations against the government) in an attempt to exert improper influence on the business of the state.
While the above just scratch the surface, it’s no exaggeration to say that if you’ve paid much attention to the news during the last few decades, you can be forgiven for assuming that some religious organizations believe a primary purpose of government is to legislate more religion into public life. From prayer in public schools to religious imagery in courtrooms to national elections, some religious groups in America have repeatedly sought to influence various sectors of government to enshrine particular principles.
Categories: American History, Americas