Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church, and author of The Purpose Driven Life, speaks at the Pew Forum in November 2009. (Photo Courtesy of The Pew Forum)

For our Final meeting, Wednesday morning, May 5, 10:00 a.m..

Read, take notes, and bring your thoughts about the following dialogue with Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life, held at the Pew Forum.

• The Future of Evangelicals: A Conversation with Pastor Rick Warren

• Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream” — your textbook, pages 375-78

Extra credit recommendation:

• Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Watch

King Responds to Malcolm X’s Criticism of Nonviolence

“I Have a Dream”

“I’ve Been to the Mountain Top”

King’s last speech before his assassination.

Extra Credit

King Defends the Tactics of Nonviolent Resistance on Meet the Press :: Part 1

King Defends the Tactics of Nonviolent Resistance on Meet the Press :: Part 2

King Defends the Tactics of Nonviolent Resistance on Meet the Press :: Part 3

Bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham :: The History Channel

King, “What murdered these four little girls?”

Walter Kronkite, The Assassination of Dr. King

King, “Don’t Let Anyone Take your Manhood”

• “Nobody else can do this for us.”
• The color black should not be considered evil, but beautiful.

• Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet” — your textbook, pages 392-405

Extra credit recommendation:

• Stokely Carmichael, “Black Power” — your textbook, pages 441-452

Watch

It’s worth getting a flavor of Malcolm X in person. Watch these select videos:

Malcolm X criticizes the tactics of nonviolence and integration:

Interview with Jim Hurlbut

Interesting to see the interactions in this talk show. (3:57)

Integration or Separation? Debate with James Farmer

“Why should the black man wait for legislation to prove his humanity and equality?” (3:41)

Not Getting Emotional but Getting Intelligent

Malcolm X against turning the other cheek

Malcolm X: “No one made a better pronouncement than Abraham Lincoln made 100 years ago, and that still hasn’t been put into practice.”

Extra Credit

Malcolm X criticizes Elijah Mohammed for violence against his own people

“I Probably Am a Dead Man Already”

Malcolm X discusses the religious impulse of the Black Nationalist movement.

A must watch: Pat Nolan and Justice Fellowship of Prison Fellowship Ministries — an example of a faith-based operation than drastically reduces the rate of recidivism: ex-convicts returning to prison. View the 8-minute video at Religion & Ethics Newsweekly.

Watch and Read

Please watch or read the following resources, jot down your thoughts and reflections so you can refer to them, and come to class prepared to discuss them in class.

Obama Administration’s Video on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Obama Announces White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships :: White House Press Release

States the Obama administration’s goals for the office.

What is Charitable Choice? :: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

A summary of the 1996 language which paved the way for the faith-based initiatives of the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. Notice the attempt in this language to uphold a principle of nondiscrimination while also respecting the religious character of faith-based organizations.

White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships :: Wikipedia

A helpful summary of the history of this office and some of the debates surrounding it, with additional resources listed.

Extra Credit

View and bring your opinions on one or more of these additional resources.

A Discussion of Concerns about Faith-Based Initiatives, from the National Capital Area Skeptics (part 6 of 6)

Joshua Dubois, Head of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships :: Wikipedia

Learn a bit about the man Obama appointed to lead the faith-based initiatives under his administration.

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State

QUOTE:

“The so-called ‘faith-based’ initiative is a euphemism for taxpayer-supported religion. The initiative funnels taxpayer dollars to religious social service providers without adequate safeguards to prevent proselytism. In addition, these groups seek to discriminate in hiring based on religion even though their programs are publicly funded.”

Additional Perspectives

• Faith-Based Programs Still Popular, Less Visible :: Pew Institute
• Invisible hands: The White House’s faith-based office has survive as a low-priority part of Obama administration :: World Magazine
• A Breach in the Church-State Wall: Editorial response to Rosenberger vs. University of Virginia :: New York Times, 1995
• “Is the Establishment Clause Unconstitutional?” Stanley Fish, New York Times

Whiteboard Notes from the Lecture

James Madison and Patrick Henry -- reasons potentially supportive of Faith-Based Organizations. (Click to view larger version.)

James Madison and Patrick Henry -- reasons to limit the possible coercive effects of Faith-Based Organizations. (Click to view larger version.)

Please view and read the following and come prepared to discuss in class

View:

View the video introduction to this case, in the page at Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
NOTE: Please also read the comments at the bottom of that page. (Observe that the complete transcript of the newscast is also provided in the page.)

Read:
Supreme Court Case in Brief: Christian Legal Society v. Martinez :: Pew Institute

Additional Resources

• Friends in odd places: A wide spectrum of groups file in support of the Christian Legal Society’s case :: World Magazine
• Invisible hands: The White House’s faith-based office has survive as a low-priority part of Obama administration :: World Magazine
• A Breach in the Church-State Wall: Editorial response to Rosenberger vs. University of Virginia :: New York Times, 1995
• "Is the Establishment Clause Unconstitutional?" Stanley Fish, New York Times

New Due Date: Friday, April 16, 5:00 p.m.

Read

• Religion, Rhetoric, and the Presidency: A Conversation with Michael Gerson :: The Pew Forum, 2004 UPDATED LINK
  • If the above link is broken, try this one instead:
    Alternate link to “Religion, Rhetoric, and the Presidency: A Conversation with Michael Gerson”
• Franklin Graham, “My View of Islam” :: Wall Street Journal
• “Top Evangelicals Critical of Colleagues over Islam” :: NYTimes.com
• “The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other” :: Pew Research Center

Highlights from the Conversation with Gerson

Reply in a Comment Below

By Friday at 5:00, post a comment below, responding to the following questions. NOTES:

• Late responders: You must include references to one-third of the comments made prior to yours.
• First responders: You will receive points for providing sufficient quality of content that others choose to respond to you.

Questions:

1. Highlight 3 interesting insights you noted in the discussion with Gerson. (No more than one can come from the highlights quoted above). Write a 3-5 sentence comment about the third. (Thus, save your favorite for last!)
2. Highlight a portion of each of the other three articles by summarizing an interesting point and giving a brief comment on it. (BONUS POINT OPPORTUNITY: Add another piece of research to the mix, and provide a link and summary.)
3. Finally, answer: What does this research lead you to think about President Bush’s public references to Islam — compared to, say, Franklin Graham’s? What should the responsibility of a political leader be in this regard? Of a religious leader?

Read

Mario Cuomo, “Religious Belief and Public Morality” — in your text, pages 597-610

Write

Compare and contrast Cuomo’s argument with Kennedy’s and Madison’s:

• Identify 3 to 7 key ideas they share in common. Summarize each area of agreement, and then provide a quote from each to illustrate.
• Can you identify areas where they differ? If so, briefly describe them.

Related

Cuomo’s 1984 Convention Address
I have not been able to find a video version of the address at Notre Dame. Here is Cuomo delivering another famous speech: “A Tale of Two Cities,” at the 1984 Democratic National Convention.

Come having read and prepared to discuss:

JFK Speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association — your textbook, pages 333-336*
*Be sure to read the editors’ introduction to the speech!

Background

From the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers:

John Kennedy’s Catholicism, perhaps more than any specific legislative or policy issue, dominated the early days of his campaign. The March 1959 interview he gave to Look Magazine, in which he argued that “whatever one’s religion may be . . . for the office holder nothing takes precedence over his oath to uphold the Constitution and all its parts,” prompted Catholics to accuse him of placing ambition over faith and spurred many non-Catholics to accuse of him of acquiescing to bigotry. …

On September 12, 1960, Kennedy, in his major attempt “to separate bigots from the honestly fearful,” accepted an invitation to address 300 clergymen attending the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. [His] remarks [were] replayed around the nation for the next seven weeks …

Further Reading

• John F. Kennedy :: Wikipedia
• United States presidential election, 1960 :: Wikipedia
• Anti-Catholicism in the United States :: Wikipedia

1. Read a summary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

I recommend this one:

• Health Care Reform Bill Summary: A Look At What’s in the Bill — CBSnews.com

2. Read or view 4 additional arguments related to the bill, and write a brief summary of each.

You may select items from one or both of these two pages:

• Health Care Debate: Pro and Con Positions
• Health Care Debate: Further Reading

Restrictions and Recommendations:

• Only two of your chosen items can be videos. The others must be written.
• If you would like, do some research and substitute one or two interesting and relevant items from sources not listed on these pages.

3. In 7-10 sentences, summarize your current opinion of the bill.

• What do you like about the bill?
• What do you NOT like about it?
• Who do you find yourself agreeing with most?

Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, 2010

• A Summary of the Health Care Reform Bill — CBSnews.com
• Bill information at Senate.gov
• Bill summary and information at Thomas, Library of Congress
• Bill summary, history, and related information at Wikipedia
• Summary of Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act — Wall Street Journal Online

Defenses of the Bill

Individual Mandate: Unconstitutional?

Individual Mandate: An Idea Some Conservatives Once Supported

David Frum Speaks to the Financial Times about the Similarities between the basics of the approved bill and basic republican ideas.

• Individual Mandate was Once a GOP Idea — Associated Press
• "Quote of the Day: the Individual Mandate" — MotherJones
• Bruce Bartlett, "HCR — A Republican Idea?"
• Jonathan H. Adler, "Was the Individual Mandate a “Republican Idea”?"

Mitt Romney, "My Plan is Conservative … No more free riders."

Medical Anti-Intrusion Arguments

Fiscal Responsibility Arguments

Anti-Taxation, Individual Liberty Perspectives

Mixed Views on Anti-Reform Rhetoric and Politics

Accusations of Rhetorical Extremism and Potential Violence

David Frum on Barack Obama’s Rhetoric