The Cross That Went To Court

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

It sits atop a rock in the dusty California Mojave Desert, ten miles from the nearest highway.  The Mojave cross, erected as a war memorial in the middle of a National Preserve, is now the focus of a major Supreme Court case. We hear two very different views on whether the monument amounts to a government endorsement of Christianity.

Pictured: the Mojave cross has been covered by a plywood box since 2002, in compliance with a lower court order. 

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State

Luke Goodrich, Esq., legal counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

Dogs, Cats, Guinea Pigs and Parakeets

Begins at 44min 7 sec

Most pet owners have little doubt that animals have souls. How else could you explain their dog’s steadfast affection, or their cat’s fussy personality? St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, is honored every year with a special ceremony just for pets.  Reporter Elizabeth Ryan dropped in on one service and sent us this story.

Produced by Elizabeth Ryan

Soundscapes: Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Begins at 48 min 40 sec

For the past few weeks we’ve been listening in on holy chants, hums and melodies.  This week we hear the mantra that defines Soka Gakkai Buddhism: Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.  It’s melodic rhythm, uttered up to a thousand times a day in the morning and evening, is meant to evoke one’s “Buddha nature”: the hidden, natural potential within all believers.
 

Bill Aiken, Director of Public Affairs at Soka Gakkai International