Modern medicine now allows premature infants to survive, but at what cost? “The big question today,” observes Dr. John Lantos, a pediatric bioethicist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, is how many survive without devastating neurologic impairments or other chronic medical problems?” More →

May 29, 2015

Social justice and civil rights activists had a lot to like in President Obama’s address, but religious conservatives were concerned by the “reframing” of issues such as gay marriage as matters of freedom and justice. More →

January 23, 2015

“The court will have to sort of decide where one person’s freedom ends and another person’s begins on something like this. But it does point to this larger question that we have,” observes Kevin Eckstrom, editor-in-chief of Religion News Service, “should religious groups or religious people or institutions be treated differently under the law than everybody else, and what the court is saying here is, Yes.” More →

July 3, 2014

A decision from the Supreme Court on the Hobby Lobby case is expected on Monday, June 30. The case challenges the reach of both the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Affordable Care Act. Can the Christian owners of a for-profit corporation claim religious exemption from providing contraceptive insurance coverage to their employees? More →

June 27, 2014

The Supreme Court on Tuesday hears arguments in a deeply divisive case: What limits should there be, if any, on owners of corporations claiming a religious exemption from federal law? More →

March 21, 2014

Strongly influenced by Catholic teachings, the country of El Salvador now forbids all abortions. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from San Salvador on the consequences for many women when abortion is considered murder, regardless of the circumstances. More →

December 13, 2013

Religious leaders in North Carolina are being arrested in growing numbers to protest new laws they say adversely affect the poor, the aging, and children. “There is great biblical precedent for people being arrested,” says Rev. Richard Edens. “It’s a great heritage to be a part of.” More →

August 23, 2013

In a country where the expectation to marry is high, is a shortage of females fueling the trafficking of young women to fill the need for brides? More →

August 16, 2013

The preference for male children in India dates back centuries, driven by religious custom, and the widespread abortion of female fetuses has led to an increasing gender gap. Will a rising and urbanizing middle class change this? More →

April 5, 2013

“Oftentimes in the Christian conservative community we are not expressing love of our fellow-man,” says Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family. “We can come across as very harsh, too harsh.” More →

February 22, 2013