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Archive: January 16, 2011 - January 22, 2011
Are money and freedom exclusive?
In President Obama's meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao this week, should discussion of human rights and religious freedom be on par with economic and environmental issues, or should human rights and religious freedom be secondary matters? Last year, the...
By Shmully Hecht | January 21, 2011; 2:48 PM ET | Comments (0)
Strategic mutual sincerity
It matters little whether human rights is on par with economic an environmental issues or is a secondary issue in the diplomatic relationship between China and the United States. What matters is that human rights, religious freedom, and all the issues confronting the two nations are handled with sincerity.
By Valerie Elverton Dixon | January 21, 2011; 9:01 AM ET | Comments (7)
The elusive peace between Israelis and Palestinians
Labor, the historic party that dominated Israel's first three decades and set up its democratic institutions and socialist vision, has been dealt a serious blow by the resignation of Ehud Barak. What does this mean for the "peace process"?
By Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite | January 20, 2011; 1:04 PM ET | Comments (2)
John Paul II and the suffering body
As his case moves toward sainthood, the outlines of John Paul's significance are becoming clear: he will be the saint of the suffering body.
By Mathew N. Schmalz | January 20, 2011; 11:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
Beyond the dominion of dollars
Our economy is so dependent on continued good relations with China, that I doubt any president, from any party, will rock the boat any time soon in the name of the Dalai Lama, dissident Christian groups, or any other faith that displeases that nation's government. If America is the world's policeman, it's a cop on the make willing to look the other way in the name of profit.
By Jason Pitzl-Waters | January 19, 2011; 1:00 PM ET | Comments (4)
'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'
The U.S. has long claimed to be a nation where human rights and religious freedom are paramount. Can we walk that talk? Unless we want those concepts to remain nothing more than sweet, useless rhetoric in the world, we have to stop turning a blind eye and bowing...to those who ignore human rights simply in hopes that they can benefit us economically.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 19, 2011; 12:53 PM ET | Comments (2)
Freedom intrinsic to who we are as Americans
American foreign policy is not American if religious freedom is not a priority. Religious freedom is not a geo-political issue, nor is it Republican or Democrat: it is simply a function of who we are as a people.
By Chris Seiple | January 19, 2011; 9:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
Human rights crucial but complex
Of course the talks must focus on human rights. But rights are not the freeing of dissidents alone. Rights cannot be divorced from economics. Rights cannot be divorced from plagiarism, internet access, governmental relations and overall economic health.
By David Wolpe | January 18, 2011; 9:58 PM ET | Comments (3)
Will Obama preach the American sermon to Hu?
Human rights, religious freedom and environmental issues are the three points in America's current sermon to the world. Instead of being paid for preaching it, we pay a stiff price for doing so. But we should preach it.
By Willis E. Elliott | January 18, 2011; 7:48 PM ET | Comments (4)
Economics, human welfare inexctricably tied
In President Obama's meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao this week, should discussion of human rights and religious freedom be on par with economic and environmental issues, or should human rights and religious freedom be secondary matters? When President Obama...
By Pamela K. Taylor | January 18, 2011; 5:25 PM ET | Comments (5)
Economy, environment and rights are connected
We make a mistake when we think that issues of economy, environment, and peace can be disconnected from the issue of human rights.
By Fr. Frank Pavone | January 18, 2011; 5:21 PM ET | Comments (20)
Claiming the moral highground
I find it difficult to say whether President Obama's discussion with President Hu should be more about economic issues or human rights, because the two are so intimately related.
By Herb Silverman | January 18, 2011; 4:40 PM ET | Comments (17)
Religious liberty good for religion & the state
The message that I would suggest the president articulate is that, in the final analysis, full fledged religious liberty will actually promote a "harmonious society" more than divisive governmental intervention into the religious demography --favoring some, disfavoring (even persecuting) others.
By J. Brent Walker | January 18, 2011; 2:29 PM ET | Comments (5)
Democratic Tunisia! Can we dare to hope?
People are hopeful that a democratic regime will appear in Tunisia and will have a domino effect on the rest of the Arab world. Dare we hope that this will come to pass?
By Muqtedar Khan | January 17, 2011; 4:21 PM ET | Comments (0)
Preaching hatred begets hatred
There are several very real problems in our country that have created the environment that led to what happened. The most immediate is that violence--in thought, word, and deed--has become such a prevalent aspect of our society that far too many of us have come to see it as just another way of dealing with people and ideas we do not like.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 16, 2011; 9:15 PM ET | Comments (2)
To Sarah Palin: It's not all about you
One of the most brilliant opening lines of any book I have read is that of Pastor Rick Warren from the Saddleback Church in California. His book, "A Purpose Driven Life," one of the great bestsellers of all time, begins with this: "It's not about you."
By Sally Quinn | January 16, 2011; 1:21 PM ET | Comments (245)
