Coming This Week:

UPDATE (02/09/12):


Unfortunately, Brandon Macsata will be unable to provide an article at this time, due to time constraints. As a business owner and political advocate, Brandon is consistently one of the busiest people I know, and this was a reality we had discussed prior to going forward with this venture.  I certainly do hope that he will be able to find some free time in the future to provide us with his insights, and look forward to his input and scholarship.

-Marcus J. Hopkins
02/09/12

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..."

Rarely have sixteen words been so fervently debated as these, and yet, we seem no closer to determining exactly how these words were meant to be or should be interpreted.  This seemingly simple statement has been and will continue to be the source of endless arguments on either side of the debate - what actually constitutes a violation of this amendment, and where does the line exist between allowing religious freedom and showing preferential treatment to one religion?

This week, I will be focusing on several issues of this nature, and in order to provide a counterpoint to my analyses and positions, I have asked a friend of mine, Brandon Macsata, to write companion pieces representing a differing point of view.

In doing so, I hope to demonstrate two things: (1.) How two people with disparate views can disagree with one another on fundamental issues without relying on arguments of Pathos or personal attacks, and still remain friends; (2.) How issues involving religious freedom are viewed through two vastly different interpretations of the First Amendment.

I intend to cover the following issues:

1.)  The recent decision by Health & Human Services to require religious organizations to provide coverage for contraceptives, regardless of their beliefs.

2.)  The inception and proliferation of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in regards to Federal spending.

3.)  The influence of religion in the political arena, the players involved, the perceived and actual power they wield, and the benefits and repercussions of their involvement.

In the name of full disclosure, Mr. Macsata and I have been friends since 2007, and have both debated these topics with each other, as well as countless others, ad nauseum.  In writing these counterpoint pieces, I have gone out of my way to refrain from influencing Brandon's pieces, other than to provide him with a topic and tone of the writing.  We have not attempted to influence the other to make specific points in order to support our individual arguments.

I hope that my readers, few as they may be, will enjoy this series, and I look forward to hearing your points of view and continuing the conversation beyond our initial posts.  If you enjoy what you're reading, please share Out of Body Politics with your friends, and help get the word out about us.

Sincerely,
Marcus J. Hopkins