| December 2005

Original Intent
By Susan Jacoby
No matter what the religious right says, the Founding Fathers purposely left God out of the Constitution.

A Nation Under God
By John Sugg
The disciples of R.J. Rushdoony aren’t waiting for the end times. They mean to transform the government into Christ’s empire on earth.

Professing Faith
By Karen Houppert
Baylor University’s faculty is battling over whether Intelligent Design belongs in a Baptist institution of higher learning.

Rendering Unto God
By Michael Reynolds
The National Christian Foundation has discovered a whole new way to collect money from Christians and dispense it to the cause.

Expanding Universe
By Frederick Clarkson
The Religious Right’s Orbits of Influence

A Higher Frequency
By Adam Piore
In the beginning, the creators of Salem Communications set out to found some Christian radio stations. Oh, what they begat.

When My Light Is Almost Gone
Photo Essay by Christopher Anderson/Magnum
Text by Debra J. Dickerson
Can Gulf Coast black churches overcome Katrina’s destruction?

Death Row Conversion
By Sara Catania
Across America, conservative Catholics have decided that defending a “culture of life” requires opposing the death penalty.

Editor's Note
Masthead
Contributors

OUTFRONT
Smith vs. Darwin; Sanctimony and Senator Santorum; atheism’s lobbyist; onward Christian congressmen; a killer's compassion; the man who brought George to Jesus; plus religious theme parks, and godly constitutions

EXHIBIT
Who Gives A $%&t?
Americans spend $8 billion on Christmas decorations, almost twice what the United States spends on aid to Africa.

SIGNS ALONG THE ROAD
The Roman Inquisition
By Joann Wypijewski
For a thousand years the Catholic Church has been a refuge for gay men. Now Pope Benedict hopes to “purify” his priesthood.

MEDIA JONES
Who owns Tom Paine? Joshua Wolf Shenk on the politicization of America’s founding heretic; California teen Hyder Akbar returns to his Afghan homeland and encounters warlords, collaborators, and dysentery; Jesus on the newsstand; plus a compilation of religious books and albums

RE:ACTION
Resources for getting involved

P.S.
Take Two Tablets
Cartoon by Barry Blitt