Billionaire investor Sir John Templeton passed away last month. A devout Presbyterian, Templeton devoted much of his fortune to the study of the relationship between religion and science. He believed that faith and the scientific method could work harmoniously to advance knowledge about the world. Such
In a recent political move, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain voiced his opposition to embryonic stem cell research (ESC). Yet, even as the controversy rages on, the real reasons for opposition to embryonic stem cell research are increasingly obscured. Stem cells are, in simplest terms, the
Religious conservatives are increasingly opposing birth control. The Bush administration has shifted funding from sex education endorsing condoms to programs preaching "abstinence only." And Bush F.D.A. appointees spent three years blocking nonprescription use of the "morning after" pill, despite overwhelming evidence of its safety. Shockingly,
This September, in a speech at the University of Regensburg in Germany, Pope Benedict XVI quoted an ancient source that identified Muslims as violent. "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new," wrote the 14th century Byzantine emperor quoted by the Pope, "and there
The Left is losing the abortion battle on all fronts. In politics, once militantly pro-abortion Democrats like Hillary Clinton are toning down their positions for the sake of popular appeal. In the courts, after more than thirty years of relative stability, Roe v. Wade faces
The buzz about Christian propaganda couched in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe seems to have subsided. With the film's premiere, the suspense about ideology has largely been replaced by universal commendations of its "enchanting animations" and portrayal of "family values." Secular
By now few of our readers have eluded the fairy dust that has settled all over the world since Harry Potter first cast its spell. This summer Rowling seemed to have yet again bewitched entire populations, as young and old, rich and poor, college professors
They call themselves "people of faith," and they are waging war against a basic principle of American government: the separation of church and state. Complaining that our secular culture has improperly banished God from government, religious conservatives are working tirelessly to inject faith-based decision-making into
The anti-science right is on the march. Whether they're opposing embryonic stem cell research, evolution, the effectiveness of condoms, therapeutic cloning, or Terri Schiavo's medical diagnosis, conservatives are standing firmly against science whenever it conflicts with their vision and values. "You should allow the Word of