Following religious rules can be a matter of personal preference for many youth

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“I don’t listen to music … I used to listen to all music, but then I stopped for the sake of Allah.”No One Direction. No Justin Bieber. No Austin Mahone, Lorde, Imagine Dragons. No music.Amal Muse does this to keep her Islamic faith. To her, it’s a simple way to strengthen her connection to God.“Music makes you do things you wouldn’t really (want to) do,” Muse said.Some might look at cutting yourself off from music as extreme, but rules and traditions—both individually enforced and institutionally recommended—are part of every major religion.Religious rules often serve as a way to accomplish a goal—perhaps getting to heaven, pleasing God with a specific offering or allowing for reincarnation beyond your current life. Continue Reading

The lessons of Town of Greece v. Galloway for campaign finance laws

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The Supreme Court’s recent Town of Greece v. Galloway ruling upholding invocation of a prayer before the start of a local town board meeting is not a decision that one would think would be of significance to election law, but it is. Specifically, the Court’s discussion about coercion and religious beliefs has potential importance to those arguing against campaign finance laws, especially rules mandating disclosure of political contributions. Continue Reading

OPINION | A prayer in Jesus’ name to open the meeting

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Prior to being hired by the American Jewish World, I worked at the Capitol in St. Paul. I was a writer for what then was known as the Public Information Office of the Minnesota House of Representatives, covering committee meetings and House floor sessions. At the latter gatherings, a member of the clergy opened the proceedings with a prayer. Often it was a Christian pastor who provided some inspiring words – and then concluded the prayer with something about “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

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