Since 1954, American churches have faced a difficult decision: either say nothing about the moral issues that drive their religion or face losing their tax-exempt status. This fundamentally unsound choice falls down upon them due to an Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") regulation that prohibits religious organizations from commenting on the moral attributes of a candidate for political office.1 ...

The present study attempted to explore the perspectives of Indian women on reproduction and childlessness. 250 women were requested to enlighten by their views about reproduction and infertility, using an open ended interview which had four questions. The narrative analysis revealed social, religious and medical issues influences their views regarding conception and childlessness. Results sugge...

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between first year college men’s religious preference (Catholic, Protestant, or none) and their level of moral development as measured by the Defining Issues TestShort Form (Rest, 1986). Data analyses were conducted based upon results for 161 in-coming college men. Results of an analysis of variance indicated that those with no stated rel...

Issues related to psychological recovery following coronary bypass surgeries (CABG) have emerged in recent years. Other research has shown the effects of spiritual or religious activities on health and aging. However, little is known about the relationship of spiritual coping, including religious coping, to post-CABG adjustment. This study addressed multifactorial determinants of postoperative ...

The investigation of spiritual/religious factors in health is clearly warranted and clinically relevant. This special section explores the persistent predictive relationship between religious variables and health, and its implications for future research and practice. The section reviews epidemiological evidence linking religiousness to morbidity and mortality, possible biological pathways link...

Currently one of the most divisive issues in some Christian communities centers on women’s ordination. This study critically analyzes a religious discourse which defends and justifies the Southern Baptist Convention’s opposition to women’s ordination by using a sociocognitive approach as an underlying theoretical framework. The analysis aims to illustrate how a religious text both assumes and t...

Adaptations, modifications, and realignments of religious doctrine and practice can be found in any period of social history. It can be official and highly orchestrated (as in Vatican II) but more often it takes a subjective and reactionary form (as in the Hindutva movement). This paper promotes the idea of “experimental religion” as both an analytical concept and an observable set of behaviors...

Infertility is a condition loaded with meaning spanning across biomedical, psychological, social, economic, cultural and religious spheres. Given its disruptive power over women's lives, it provides a unique lens through which issues of kinship, gender, sexuality, cosmology and religion can be examined. The paper presents the results of an ethnographic study of infertility in Central Nigeria. E...

In this paper we examine public attitudes on the role of religion in the American political process, as well as some public policy implications of those attitudes. Although the current American legal regime may lean toward strict separationism, the political system has seen renewed religious activism over the past three decades. Historically, religious involvement in American politics has been ...

The author addresses ways in which participants in the religion-and-science dialogues avoid ethically setmtive issues involving the scientifically developed subject of nonhuman animals. Using the concept of ethical anthropocentrism, he maintains that the contemporary dialogue is mired in a traditional set of concepts and myopic discourse. The present approach entails serious risks of weakening ...