Americans Get an 'F' in Religion (and other news)

Sometimes dumb sounds cute: Sixty percent of Americans can't name five of the Ten Commandments, and 50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

Read the whole article at USA Today.

The Family Values Sham

As conservatives tell the tale, the decline of the American family, the rise in divorce rates, and the number of children born out of wedlock all can be traced to the pernicious influence of one decade in American history: the '60s.

The conservatives are right that one decade, at least in its metaphoric significance, can encapsulate the causes for the family's decline. But they've misidentified the decade. It's not the permissive '60s. It's the Reagan '80s.

Read the whole article at American Prospect.

Moving Heaven and Earth

The head of one of the world's foremost environmental organizations came to Indianapolis this week with a prophetic message, and brought science and religion along for mutual support.

If the bad news is that catastrophic consequences from fossil fuel-burning already are here and figure to get much, much worse if current trends continue, the good news is that technology, public policy and just plain people can turn it around.

Part of the good news is the Good News.

Read the whole article at the Indianapolis Star.