Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Religious Freedom and the Common Good
Religious Freedom and the Common Good
Apr 4, 2026 7:46 AM

What is the best test of mon good? How do you know if you have a society characterized by the flourishing of persons munity? Andy Crouch argues that we should look at the flourishing of the most vulnerable.

“There are all kinds of conditions in which the affluent, privileged, powerful majority can flourish,” notes Crouch in his talk at QIdeas in Nashville. “But the far more demanding test in any society is the fate of the most vulnerable—the youngest, the oldest, the most frail, the most marginalized.”

Crouch contends that “If you care about the flourishing of persons—especially the vulnerable munity—you will care about freedom of religion.”

(Via: Justin Taylor)

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
A conflict of Christian visions: Gen. 1-2 vs. Gen. 3 Christianity
There are two prominent schools of thought within conservative Protestant circles that continue to clash over what Christianity is about because their starting prise different biblical theological visions. I use the word “prominent” here because I fully recognize that there are other more nuanced voices in the Christian diaspora. No “binaries” or “false dichotomies” are intended here. This is simply a distinction between the two dominant voices in a choir of others. One begins by constructing an understanding of the...
Free Book: ‘Judaism, Law & The Free Market: An Analysis’
For a limited time, the Acton Book Shop is offering a book by rabbinical scholar Dr. Joseph Isaac Lifshitz for free: Judaism, Law & The Free Market: An Analysis. Acton released this title at an academic conference late last year, and in it, Lifshitz examines the Jewish treatment of themes such as property rights, social welfare, charity, petition, and concepts of order. There are three ways to download this title. Click here to download this title as ePub. Click here...
Do the Poor Vote for More Welfare?
A popular saying (often misattributed to Alexis de Tocqueville) states that a democracy can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. If this is always the case then we should expect the poor to vote themselves even more welfare payments. However, as Dwight R. Lee explains, the desire for transfers that others will pay for has almost no effect on people’s voting behavior: This argument that a significant financial gain from...
A Moral Foundation for Entitlement Reform
Entitlement reform cannot succeed by eliminating dependence, says Adam J. MacLeod. Instead we should aim to promote healthy dependencies. In his address, Obama placed entitlement programs in perspective, observing that many people fall on hard times through no fault of their own. “We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives,” he said, “any one of us at any time may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm.”...
The McDouble and the Minimum Wage
The protests organized by labor organizations to advocate for an increase in the minimum wage have garnered attention, most recently from the NYT, which editorialized in favor of such moves. Over at Think Christian, I weigh in with an attempt to provide some more of plex context behind the moral evaluation of such mandates. In the piece, I’m really less interested in the plight of current-minimum wage workers relative to those who might e minimum-wage workers with an increase, those...
Sushi, Surfing, and Food Stamps
It’s no secret that the number of people receiving food stamps in the U.S. has exploded in the past few years. Not only is it easier than ever to get food stamps, the government actively recruits people to sign up. Is there waste? Are your tax dollars being used wisely? Fox News thinks not. In a recent series called “The Great Food Stamp Binge”, reporter John Roberts spent some time with a young, healthy surfer in California. His reason for...
Christians Need a Holistic Definition of Poverty
To adequately address the problems of the lowest economic class, Christians must agree on a holistic definition of poverty that includes relational and spiritual elements. The best solutions for alleviating poverty, if not eradicating it, will involve collaborations among institutions that can address poverty in many different ways. World Vision president Rich Stearns says that poverty is a plex puzzle with multiple inter-related causes.” As a result, the best solutions (and indeed, there are many) will “help munity address their...
Sour Milk and Apple Cores: Families Left Out Due to Obamacare
Obamacare – or the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – is meant to give everyone in America the best access to the best health care. But things aren’t looking so good. As we get closer to its onset, it’s ing clear that there will be fall-out. Employers (especially small-to-medium size businesses) are looking for ways to handle the onslaught of costs Obamacare will bring; one way is to offer healthcare ONLY to employees, leaving employee families out of luck, and insurance....
Does Legalizing Prostitution Reduce Child Sex Slavery?
Would legalizing adult prostitution decrease the demand for child sex slaves? That’s the curious argument made by one of my favorite libertarian economist. Donald J. Boudreaux , a professor of economics at George Mason University, recently wrote: If men can legally buy sex from women 18 years of age or older, men will have less demand to patronize children. And sex entrepreneurs will have less incentive to ‘supply’ children. With all prostitution being illegal, those who demand as well as...
Accepting Applications for an ‘Intellectual Retreat’
Looking for a great opportunity to expand your intellectual capacity? We are still seeking applicants for two ing Liberty and Markets conferences: Religion and Liberty: Acton and Tocqueville and Evaluating the Idea of Social Justice. Co-sponsored by the Acton Institute and Liberty Fund, Inc., these conferences offer an excellent opportunity for networking and discussion within a small group environment, with an average faculty/participant ratio of 1:3. Both conferences are free and include single-occupancy lodging, meals, nightly hospitality, book gifts, and...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved