2009-11-23T20:11:00Z Views on religion and politics from On Faith's panel of experts. tag:newsweek.washingtonpost.com,2009:/onfaith/panelists//618 Copyright (c) 2009, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive 2009-11-23T20:11:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-23:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/humanists_are_coming_to_town.html

Q: What do you think of the American Humanist Association's new "Godless Holiday" campaign? The ads will say: "No God? . . . No Problem! Be good for goodness' sake. Humanism is the idea that you can be good without a belief in God. Now why aren't we discussing those ubiquitous mass transit ads purchased every year by the Catholic Church -- the ones that urge heretics and apostates, among which I presume humanists are...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Susan Jacoby 2009-11-23T14:09:34Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-21:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/q_us_catholic_bishops_are.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? A: I hope you will forgive me if I answer this question via a detour to the United Kingdom, where...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Paula Kirby 2009-11-21T12:58:41Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-20:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/christian_right_issues_new_declaration--same_old_agenda.html

Before reading the latest moral declaration from the Christian Right about their troubled souls and moral priorities, I e-mailed early Friday morning a national religion reporter about the statement. I wrote that if these leaders' "hierarchy of issues" were abortion, homosexuality and religious freedom, then they "are neither reading from the Bible, nor listening to Jesus."...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robert Parham 2009-11-23T13:59:41Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-20:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/thank_you_catholic_bishops.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? President Obama is just returning from China having gently mentioned to the butchers of Beijing that human rights are important....Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

John Mark Reynolds 2009-11-20T14:21:02Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-20:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/religious_leaders_should_have_no_extra_influence.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? Religious leaders have always had a right, and indeed from their faith perspective an obligation, to speak out on issues...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

John Esposito 2009-11-20T14:23:16Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-19:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/gop_declares_holy_war_against_health_care_reform.html

God as Holy Warrior is now apparently running the GOP senatorial opposition to the health care bill. The Republican response to Senator Harry Reid's statement that a vote could come as early as Saturday on the health care bill was to declare war. Not just any kind of war, but the crusade kind of war. "It's going to be a holy war," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah). God as Holy Warrior had gone out...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite 2009-11-19T20:22:02Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-19:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/bishops_have_a_right_to_defend_the_defenseless.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? The U.S. bishops are not just another special interest group fighting for its share of the legislative pie. Instead, they...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Thomas G. Bohlin 2009-11-20T14:09:43Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-19:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/politicians_should_not_be_closed_to_input.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? All citizens should have a right to provide input on governmental policy matters that effect us all. Moreover, lawmakers should...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Ramdas Lamb 2009-11-20T15:53:32Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-19:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/weekly_for_wisdom.html

"Wisdom does not come to a person at once. It only comes after struggles, quests, anguish and effort." --Judah Barzeloni Everyone struggles at some point in life with ultimate questions. Sometimes we ask difficult questions about the nature of God, suffering and justice when we are children and then find that, although situations change and our questions mature, they are often only more sophisticated versions of questions we've already asked. That process results in wisdom....Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Erica Brown 2009-11-19T13:44:29Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-19:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/bravo_to_the_bishops.html

Religious leaders are first of all citizens and they enjoy the same rights as any other citizens and civic leaders to engage in public debate on policy questions. Our democracy is strong when people of faith contribute a moral voice to the debate, particularly on behalf of the poor and vulnerable. The halls of Congress are choked with lobbyists paid to defend the wealthy and their powerful interest groups. We desperately need more voices defending...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Galen Carey 2009-11-18T18:57:44Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-18:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/moral_concerns_are_common_religious_concerns_are_particular.html

U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? 1.....The first question calls for a running start, but the second does not: individually and collectively, the people have the right...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Willis E. Elliott 2009-11-18T15:47:51Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-18:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/raise_concern_always_make_policy_never.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? The challenge here is that when the religious of any group begin flexing their muscles in ways which others of...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Brad Hirschfield 2009-11-18T15:28:52Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-18:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/societys_need_for_a_spiritual_and_moral_perspective.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? That one's ideas proceed from a religious perspective does not make them inferior to ones that flow from a completely...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Cal Thomas 2009-11-18T16:14:19Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-17:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/abortion_is_morally_defensible.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? I believe that church leaders have a right to express themselves on moral issues. This does not mean that all...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gardner Calvin Taylor 2009-11-18T15:42:22Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-17:/onfaith/panelists/2009/11/proceed_with_caution.html

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking? U. S. Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders are justified in their involvement in congressional discussions of health care reform....Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Mathew N. Schmalz