Religion & Liberty Online

Acton Line podcast: A trial for religious liberty; defining honorable business

On this episode of Acton Line, Trey Dimsdale, director of program outreach at Acton Institute, sits down with Andrew Graham, attorney at First Liberty Institute, a public interest law firm. Trey and Andrew talk about a current case threatening Bladensburg World War I Memorial in Maryland, known as the Peace Cross. The land on which the cross stands was first privately owned by American Legion and the memorial was erected with privately raised funds. Now the land belongs to the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission., and the U.S. Court of Appeals has declared the cross unconstitutional. First Liberty is now working on behalf of American Legion and a court ruling is expected in June. In the second segment, executive producer of Acton Line, John Couretas, speaks with author and political economist, James R. Otteson about his new book, “Honorable Business,” addressing objections commonly raised against business and commercial society as well as proposing a framework for business in a just society.

Check out additional resources for this podcast:

Read “A legal test for the Bladensburg Peace Cross,” by Trey Dimsdale

Learn more about First Liberty

“3 Ways the Bladensburg Memorial Case Could Shape Religious Liberty for the Next 30 Years”

Purchase “Honorable Business: A Framework for Business in a Just and Humane Society,” by James R. Otteson

New to the Acton Line podcast? Subscribe here! We also recommend starting with these episodes:

Rev. Robert A. Sirico on the reality of socialism; Interview with a Venezuelan dissident:

Is entrepreneurship declining? All jobs are on the A team:

P.J. O’Rourke on capitalism; Peter Jackson’s ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’:

Do you have feedback for the Acton Line podcast team? We want to hear from you! Leave a message at 888-705-4180 or email Actonline@acton.org. Lastly, if you like what you heard on today’s episode, please leave a review and rating on iTunes.

Featured image credit: Maryland GovPics/Flickr.com. Used under Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0). Cropped.

Caroline Roberts

Caroline Roberts is a managing editor at the Acton Institute and produces Acton's weekly podcast, Acton Line.