Dr Paul Allen

Bolivian President Evo Morales. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Bolivia ’s president has canceled the country’s ban on evangelism, which was put into law last month. President Evo Morales announced on Twitter that the government will repeal the penal code that criminalized evangelism and put restrictions on religious freedom . He tweeted: “We have decided to repeal the Criminal System Code to avoid confusion… and have no arguments, to generate destabilization in the country… “We will send a letter to the Legislative Assembly in the coming days.” The amendments to Article 88 declared that “whoever recruits, transports, deprives of freedom or hosts people with the aim of recruiting them to take part in armed conflicts or religious or worship organizations will be penalized 7 to 12 years of imprisonment”. President Morale’s U-turn on the ban came after an outcry from Christians. According to Evangelical Focus, there were protests and some held a special day of prayer and fasting. Nati...

Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Taken by myself with a Canon 10D and 17-40mm f/4 L lens. This is a 3 segment panorama. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Christians often wonder why Mormons believe such an incredible system: golden tablets translated with “magic glasses,” an advanced society of ancient American Indian Israelites who left behind no archaeological evidence at all, a “revelation” of polygamy that was reversed when Utah needed to do so for statehood, a “revelation” barring black Mormons from the priesthood that was reversed after the triumph of the civil rights movement, an eternity of godhood producing spirit babies, and special protective underwear. What we must understand is that Latter-day Saints (LDS) believe these things for the same reason that people everywhere believe the things they do: they want to believe them. Very few Mormon converts become convinced by rational arguments of the prophetic office of Joseph Smith . Indeed, Mormon missionaries don...

English: Albert Einstein Français : portrait d'Albert Einstein (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Life" and "Liberty" are terms that have powerful and positive connotative value to us. We are "pro-life" and "pro-liberty." Such emotionally-laden terms can be definitionally evasive, however, since they stir our passions as well as our reason. As we consider our expectations of the state and our role therein, it is important to be clear about our understanding of such terms. "Life" has both a political and a religious definition.  In the political arena, "life" is biologically defined; the state defends "life" by protecting people from acts and policies that would injure or take away their lives, biologically considered. The state may wage defensive war, for instance, to defend its citizens' lives.  The state establishes police forces to "protect and serve" our physical well-being, and the stat...

What right should students have to talk about God in homework, assemblies, club meetings, and graduation speeches? This is the question at stake in a new law in Tennessee and other states across the country. On Thursday, Governor Bill Haslam signed the Religious Viewpoints Anti-Discrimination Act, which affirms that religious students should have the same free-speech rights as secular ones. At first, this might seem uncontroversial; religious expression has always been protected by the First Amendment. So why did two Republican state legislators feel the need to write the bill? "Christian conservative groups have for many years been frustrated by what they see as a hostile environment for religion in public schools," said Charles Haynes, the Director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum. "They are convinced—with some justification—that there's a lot more that public schools can be doing to protect religious expression." In Tennessee, le...

Have you ever wondered why religious bookstores, Christian schools , and other religious organizations are allowed to discriminate based on religion in their hiring? Why is it legal for a radio station, or a charity, or a halal butcher to only employ those of like faith? The answer goes back to a legal right enshrined by World Vision , and a right that World Vision last week considered leveraging to advance the same-sex agenda in the United States . World Vision is one of the world’s largest aide organizations, and annually distributes hundreds of millions of dollars worth of material support globally. Many believers know them through their Story Concert Tour, or through their child sponsorship programs. Last week World Vision made the news when they  announced  that they were changing their employment policy to declare that a person can be a committed evangelical Christian, and yet be involved in a homosexual relationship (they then  reversed their decision  24 ...

Image via Wikipedia Christians in Iran have challenged news reports that the death penalty for pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been annulled, saying that in reality the country's supreme court appears to have added a precondition requiring him to renounce his faith or face execution. "There has still been no written confirmation of the court's decision on Pastor Nadarkhani's appeal against a death sentence for apostasy, despite efforts to source this," according to a July 5 statement from Christian Solidarity Worldwide , a human rights organization. Nadarkhani was arrested in October 2009 while attempting to register his church. His arrest is believed to have been due to his questioning of the Muslim monopoly on the religious instruction of children in Iran , the CSW statement said. He initially was charged with protesting; however, the charges against him were later changed to apostasy and evangelizing Muslims .   "Our thoughts and prayers are with Pas...