Category One Memorial Designation Commission?
Where can I find the Category One Memorial Designation Commission? As far as I can tell, it does not exist, despite legislation passed last year mandating the creation of such an authority. After the Freedom from Religion Foundation challenged the constitutionality of a large Christian cross on public land in Woonsocket, the General Assembly hastily [...]
How Religious Is RI?
Ted Nesi recently wrote a blog post in which he compared data from a series of studies dealing with the issue of just how Catholic the State of Rhode Island actually is. First drawing attention to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolates (CARA) that places the Catholic “baptisms-to-birth ratio” at 34%, the third [...]
RI Legislation More Religious Than Rhode Islanders
Religion in Rhode Island is a political force to be reckoned with, according to conventional wisdom, but reality demonstrates otherwise. The only opposition to marriage equality in the state is based on the medieval religious beliefs of a small number of Catholics and Evangelicals who somehow hold an inordinate sway over key members of our [...]
Tobin Using Politics to Promote Bigoted Agenda
Why should the citizens of Rhode Island take advice on democracy and equality from a man who works for an organization modeled on medieval concepts of governance with little respect for the value of women? Of course I’m talking about Bishop Thomas Tobin and his latest statement on marriage equality: Governor Chafee’s threat to veto [...]
Athiest ‘Found Common Ground with Religion’
Author Chris Stedman will speak at Bryant University at 7PM on Wednesday, November 28. Copies of his book, “Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious” will be available for sale, with proceeds going to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Rhode Island-Greater Providence. The event, co-sponsored by Humanists of Rhode Island will be [...]
Are Non-Christians Not Welcome in Providence?
Peter Montequila, the owner of Finest Car Wash has stated a variety of reasons for having erected a cross on a publicly owned median strip on Pleasant Valley Parkway in Providence. According to one story the cross was built because the Fourth of July (or Memorial Day) was coming up. Montequila also claims he placed [...]
Cross Our Hearts: Rhode Island and Organized Religion
What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be an American? What does it mean to be a Rhode Islander? Over the next few weeks I’m going to pen a series of reflections on the many hybrid religious and political battles our little state has faced over this passing year. [...]
Additional Thoughts on the Cranston Prayer Banner
After reading the comments regarding the prayer banner in Cranston, I would like to add a few comments. To begin: any sentence that contains “the founding fathers believed/thought/said/wanted/intended/were, etc is necessarily wrong. Yes. wrong. The founding fathers were not a monolithic bunch. Exactly the opposite. They were a group of men, many of whom had [...]
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