ACTION ALERT
Petition the Trustess of Episcopal Divinity School to reconsider their appointment of Rev. Ragsdale, a strong supporter of abortion, as the new school president.

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Welcome to the website for Institute on Religion & Democracy. The IRD is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, and to contribute to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad. Thank you for visiting!

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Fred Barnes - On Church Planting
Fred Barnes, IRD Expert and Board Member, is co-founder and executive editor of The Weekly Standard. He is host, along with Mort Kondracke, of the Beltway Boys on Fox News.

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Current Hot Issues Header

02
JUL

What Should Church Leaders Say to the Islamic Society of North America this Weekend?
Church leaders like Rick Warren should be able to address Muslim audiences winsomely, affirming common humanity, without compromising Christian teachings.

02
JUL

Jesus Wants You to Free Castro's Spies
The National Council of Churches (NCC) has rarely, if ever, shown interest in political or religious prisoners in communist prisons on Cuba. But the NCC chief, recently visiting in Cuba, has called for "justice" for five imprisoned Cuban intelligence agents serving prison terms in Florida.

30
JUN

Tale of Two Churches
Arguably the Episcopal and Methodist Churches have been America's historically most influential. Numerous American elites, including many of the Founders, were and are Episcopalian, making it often the de facto "established" church.

26
JUN

Religious Left Rallies for Nationalized Healthcare
40 faith groups are encouraging our nation’s leaders to pass comprehensive and compassionate health care reform legislation this year.

 

 


Outrageous Quotes Header

"[it] most certainly illustrates pederasty as not having a negative value in Jesus's thought... Since pederastic relationships were so common and accepted in the ancient world of Jesus, it is likely that, as the story indicates, Jesus himself had no problem with the practice of pederasty."

- Dr. William Stayton, Assistant Director of the Center for Excellence in Sexual Health (CESH), which has volunteered to secure funding for the Anglican Communion Office's "Indaba" project--a "listening process" that seeks to find a consensus on matters of scriptural authority, sexuality, and theology.


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