Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Public Policy

July 06, 2005

Why not give yourself?

A question over at the ONE Campaign blog: Why don’t these celebrities cough up their own money and stop asking for mine? Answer: First off, they are. Most of the celebs involved in the campaign give hundreds of thousands, if not millions to charity. Continue Reading...
July 06, 2005

Bush says abortion not a limtus test for high court

President Bush, on his way to the G-8 Summit, said that views like abortion or gay marriage will not serve as litmus tests for selecting a Supreme Court nominee. “I’ll pick people who, one, can do the job, and people who are honest, people who are bright and people who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not use the bench to legislate from,” Bush said. Continue Reading...
July 05, 2005

Private aid and investment abroad

A study released late last month by the Hudson Institute found “$62.1 billion in U.S. private donations to developing countries in 2003, the last year numbers are available.” The report, cited in an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, goes on to argue that the formula used by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) to judge the generosity of various countries “fails to take into account the primary way in which Americans help others abroad: through the private sector.” Continue Reading...
July 05, 2005

Making subsidies history?

The worldwide Live 8 shows have come and gone, and are being hailed as perhaps the greatest collection of concerts ever. While moments like the introduction of Birhan Woldu or (to a lesser extent) the reunion of the estranged members of Pink Floyd certainly made for compelling television, only time will tell whether or not they will have a significant impact on Africa’s future. Continue Reading...
July 05, 2005

Too much TV dumbs down kids

Three separate studies published by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine suggests that too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn. The article says that in one study, involving nearly 400 northern California third-graders, those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs. Continue Reading...
July 01, 2005

A quote of note from Archbishop Silvano Tomasi

The following is from Archbishop Tomasi’s address at the 93rd International Labor Conference in Geneva. (Click here for the full text of his remarks.) “It is the dignity of every human person that requires access to work in condition of personal security, health, fair remuneration, a safe environment. Continue Reading...
June 30, 2005

FBOs crucial in AIDS fight

From today’s Ecumenical News International: UN, NGOs told Faith-Based Organizations crucial in AIDS fight Geneva (ENI). Up to 40 per cent of health care in poor countries is delivered by private religious institutions according to the first systematic study of faith-based organizations and HIV/AIDS. Continue Reading...
June 30, 2005

Go and sin (tax) no more

Last year, when I was still a Legislative Assistant in the Michigan House of Representatives, I had a front-row seat for the debate over House Bill 5632, the legislation that raised cigarette taxes by 75 cents and placed Michigan at #2 on the list for highest cigarette taxes in the country. Continue Reading...
June 29, 2005

Our slap-happy slide into techno-violence

Recent high-profile examples of the combination of violence and technology, such as “happy-slapping,” bring into sharp focus the need for moral judgment in the marketplace. The social nature of violence and sin mean that “no government, economy, family, or society can survive if a critical mass of citizens do not exercise a particular level of self-government and restraint.” Continue Reading...